What is Behind Their Eyes?

“The Eyes are the window to your soul.” - William Shakespeare

This phrase ran through my mind over and over and over again as I walked through the crowds of lonely people 2 weeks ago, all having somewhere they were going, but really going nowhere.  So dark, so very dark.  Artificial light flashing in front of me, from every club and every street corner.  The pounding sound of music, echoing through the emptiness of countless searching souls.  The red light district of Quito.

What is it about eyes that captures a human being?  What is it about catching someone's glance that causes them to quickly look away?  Is it fear of letting someone look into the window of their souls?  Is it fear of being found out?

The Lord began to speak to me about the power of the eyes.

Matthew 6:22-23  

"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"

I have the great life calling of gazing into the eyes of my Maker.  And as I do, the fullness of His life is transferred into me.  It's as if our eye connection creates a highway for His Spirit to flow out of the great windows of God's heart and then in through the the windows of our hearts.

We are no different as human beings.  We are able to build connection with someone when we simply look into their eyes, see who they truly are and still choose to love them.  And in that place, the Light that is inside of us is able to flow into the one we behold.  What a powerful, unspoken transformation that takes place!  

2 weeks later, there was something even deeper, a greater loneliness behind the beautiful dark eyes of the people down on the streets.  Valentine's Day.  The Global day of Love.  The commercialized picture of red roses, chocolates, teddy bears and romantic, candle-lit dinners.  How is it that such a superficial, plastic image of "love" could entice so many people, as it feasts on their money and then throws their brokenness back in their faces?

And here in Latin America, the atmosphere was charged with a spiritual tension that was greater than I have ever experienced in the States on Valentine's Day.  It felt like there was almost a desperation that lay right underneath the surface of an entire city.  

Am I really loved?  What must I do in order to cling onto this sense of being wanted?  Will it be stripped away from me tomorrow?  Is there something wrong with me?

Isn't this the question that every human being is asking?  Am I lovable? 

We were split into groups of 3's and 4's, each with a couple of thermoses full of hot chocolate and art pieces that our team had been working on for the past couple of weeks.  Also, someone had donated 50 red and white roses for us to hand out to the women in the red light district.  Although these were still a material symbol of love, we knew that the Holy Spirit was going to redeem these simple, fragrant buds in order to minister to the hearts of those hungering for real love.

They were the women selling chocolate on the street corners.  They were the mother and children digging through the trash in search recyclable material.  They were the prostitutes with their backs against the wall, waiting for the next customer as if it were any other day.  They were the starving teenagers, completely high from sniffing glue in order to dull themselves from the bitter life of sleeping on the cold streets.  They were the women outside the bar, smoking together to avoid the loneliness that screamed in their faces.

As I looked into each set of eyes, I truly felt like I was peering into some place of their soul.  There was so much brokenness, but it was a broken beauty that just needed someone to love it back into wholeness.

With eyes fixed, we spoke the words of truth.  

You are so beautiful.  You are dearly loved by God.  Your heart is so pure, just like this rose.  You have a destiny.  You are never alone.

While they looked into our eyes, it was as if they were able to see the truth and the love that was inside of our souls, flowing out to touch theirs.  What beautiful worship unto the Lord as the windows of their eyes filled with light, wonder, hope and tears.

What a perfect way to waste our Valentine's day by extravagantly pouring out our fragrant perfume on the Lord by ministering to His Beloved!

"Your eyes look like coming home..."