Wednesday, June 15, 2005

The View From the Driver's Seat

Matt has dimples that sing whenever he smiles. Kylie talks non-stop (usually about nothing), and yet I can’t seem to ignore her. Her enthusiasm is too infectious. Kyle corrected someone’s grammar. With his wire-rimmed glasses, he looks almost professorial. Wes is growing his hair long – like all the other guys. Last year they all had short hair, but now it’s back to long. I wonder if I’ll hear the word "hippie" again soon. Terry looks slimmer than I remember. Has he grown taller? Sarah is so fresh-faced and innocent. When I tease her about her crush, she blushes. Stephanie seems sleepy. She is so laid back and calm. I wish I was more like that.

Funny the things you see on a school bus. I am a substitute driver, and this morning I enjoyed the company of some of the greatest kids in the world. I’m sure there is more to them than what I saw in the few minutes we shared on the way to school. I am able to see a lot, but I wonder what I often miss.

I wonder if am so busy with deadlines and duties that I miss seeing someone who is hurting. Jesus is never that way. I love what Matthew wrote about Jesus: "When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd." Jesus’ heart broke because he not only looked, but he saw.

Too often I look without seeing. I gaze without grasping.

How about you? Do you miss seeing people because you’re too preoccupied with profits? Too tyrannized by tasks? Has life become too frenzied for your friends? Maybe its time to step back and re-inventory your life a bit. Maybe you need to . . . wait, let me include myself in this . . . maybe we need to look a little longer and really see one another. When we do, I suspect we’ll all be a little more understanding and forgiving. A little more kind and compassionate. And when that happens, maybe this world will look a little more like the next one.

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