Fix Your Eyes

“Ponder your feet”, I would say cheerily as we strolled along the grime-filled, city sidewalks. A daunting fear of raising city kids in Manhattan was that I could not filter fast enough what we were witnessing. Marketing posters at every bus stop, subway stop, or train station displayed scantily clad figures, suggestive images, and edgy content. On a daily basis, I was forced to answer questions from these inquiring minds with equal parts discernment and shock.

“Yes, sweetheart, the man squatting by the parked car is, in fact, going to the bathroom.”

“I do think you are right. That woman being painted in broad daylight is not wearing anything.”

“The body under the sheet does appear to be someone that has recently died.”

These, coupled with offensive language and passionate gestures became uncomfortably familiar, and created challenging roads to navigate as a young parent. (Yes, these were all true scenarios.)

Keep in mind, this was not like a rated-R movie with warnings posted ahead of time. It was more like walking into a crime scene, a fraternity party, and a suspense thriller simultaneously. You never knew what to expect around the next corner or up ahead. Therefore, my readied response to the children was simply to, “ponder your feet” upon first glance of a scene for mature audiences only. We discussed our plan and practiced occasionally for fun.

This phrase comes from the following verse, but it became a mantra for me in those years.

“Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.” Proverbs 4:26 ESV

This same mantra found its way into a song that we would sing regularly, complete with corresponding hand motions. Maybe you have sung it too.

“Be careful little feet where you go. Be careful little feet where you go. For the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little feet where you go.”

The verses would continue and various parts of the body would enter. “Be careful little hands what you do.”, “Be careful little mind what you think,” on and on until this one:

“Be careful little eyes what you see. Be careful little eyes what you see. For the Father up above is looking down in love, so be careful little eyes what you see.”

It remained a daily concern and prayer for me then, a mom of three children ages seven and younger in Manhattan, to know how to view our surrounding world. It seemed there were plenty of times that it was not beneficial to view what was right in front of us. Even now, with growing children ranging from 13 to 5, this challenge has not been alleviated by geography or time. There remains a myriad of issues to discuss now that we live outside of a city setting, but are increasingly living in an online one.

We all have a worldview: a lens with which we view our surroundings, read the daily news, or process current events. As a parent, establishing your worldview is of utmost importance as you seek to raise the little ones under your roof.

If the questions haven’t begun yet, they will. Know that you won’t have all of the answers, and it’s OK. However, we need to remember that we always have the option to ponder our feet.

But, what about the times when we need to look?

Inevitably, along those same city streets there would be real humans looking at us in need of nourishment and acknowledgment. It became a fight to not look away, but give them the respect of looking into their eyes and possibly reaching into my pocket. There are incessant needs surrounding each of us today, and we might miss something if we choose to look away.

The past few weeks have been historically challenging for our country and our families. We may not have all of the answers to individual questions, but each of us are grasping for understanding in the midst of constant confusion.

Where we fix our eyes matters.

Perhaps you need to stop watching the latest news or the most recent headline, because it is not beneficial, and fix your eyes on the One who is Wisdom.

For some, who find it easy to look away, we need to be reminded to really see others rather than focusing on ourselves. We need to remember that we have the same Creator and are here for the same purpose.

Perhaps instead of fixing our minds so intently on opinions, we fix our eyes instead on the Truth spoken by the One who looks down on us in love.

Whether you need to ponder your feet, or choose to look more intently at your surroundings today, may I invite you to join me in fixing our eyes on the One who will lead us forward even without answers? Where we fix our eyes will inform our path, and will be the very place our thoughts dwell.

“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.” Psalm 119:15 ESV

As we meditate on God’s word, his Truth, and lean on his understanding, we will better know how to view the world around us, how to engage the needs around us, and how to genuinely love the people around us. Prayers to that end.