Read: Ephesians 1:5-18
. . . having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know . . . hope. (v. 18)
Don’t get too close. Don’t trust. It’s just another family. It’s just another house. Here we go again.
I saw the fleeting sparkle in his eyes and then it was gone again. It was observable, palpable . . . What was it? Happiness? Joy? Hope? His eyes started to twinkle and then the glimmer quickly receded. What buttons, what emotions, what old stories raced unconsciously through his brain in that nanosecond?
Ben had been in nine previous foster homes. We were now his tenth. How many times could anyone be expected to hope, be rejected, be disappointed, and start the cycle all over again? Still, hoping beyond hope once again, I was almost certain it was there in the flash of his eyes!
Scripture says a lot about eyes—physically, as when Jesus heals them and the blind can see, but more so, as outward reflectors of someone’s internal, emotional, and spiritual state. Paul’s context is to encourage believers to “see” with their hearts—all that they already are and all that they still can become as followers of Christ. Paul prays for the church in Ephesus, and gives praise!
Children in the foster care system often lack the ability to find the right words to express themselves, but their eyes display the cavernous depths of their hearts. Look for it! What do you see? —Tammy DeRuyter
As you pray, ask God to show you deep into the depths of a child’s heart. How might you pray for these kids today?
About the Author
Tammy DeRuyter is a former stockbroker turned student of theology and history. She holds master’s degrees in both from Fuller Theological Seminary and Central Michigan University. Married for more than 25 years to Michael, an ordained RCA pastor, they have three emerging, young adult children ages 20, 21, and 22—the youngest of whom was adopted at 11.
