Eyes Wide Shut

Father God, I come to you in the only way I know how, with my head bowed and my heart humbled, to say thank you.  I thank you for the many blessings bestowed upon me, Father.  I thank you for your mercy and grace.  I thank you for your covering you have placed over my family and me.  And I thank you for your son Jesus.  I pray this morning Father a blessing on all who will read your message.  I pray that it will be helpful in their daily living.  I pray Father that you will remove any hindrances Father, that would cause anyone not to have a spiritual eye to comprehend your word.  I pray nothing put peace and blessings on your children.  If there is anything Father, that is not worthy of us to be called your children, I pray that you remove it from us Father, for you are able.  This I pray in your son Jesus’ name.  Amen

There are two guys.  Their names are Craig and Randy.  Both of them were friends of mine.  Yes, I said “were” because I do not consider them friends anymore.  Craig, I call him my brother, and I have love for him as so.  Randy and I had a falling out prior to me being saved, and I have not seen or heard from him in 10 years.  Here is the story.  Craig, Randy and I went to the same Junior High and High School together.  We hung out together, we worked out together in the same gym, and we even worked at the same job together for two years.  So when I was about to get married, of course I wanted my two buddies in my wedding.  Due to my ignorance, and not knowing anything about the different titles of a wedding party, I asked them if they would be my ushers.  What I meant was for them to be my groom’s men.  Craig said no problem without hesitation.  Randy on the other hand said he would think about it.  As the time was drawing near to pick out the tuxedos, I asked Randy have he made a decision, and he said he would not be able to participate.  Of course I am disappointed and I asked him why, and he repeated it again.  I expressed how we have been friends for a long time, and I would really want him to be a part of the wedding, but his answer remained the same.  I respected his decision and did not hold it against him. 

Enter now another friend.  His name is Paul.  Paul called me and asked me how things are going with the wedding.  Paul was invited but he was not part of the wedding party.  I told him things are going ok and that the following week I will be picking out tuxedos.  I also expressed to him about Randy.  He said he had heard about it.  That caused my left eyebrow to rise.  I continued to tell him the colors that my wife wanted the ushers to coincide with the colors the ladies would be wearing.  There was a pause on the phone.  Paul asked me to explain exactly what I wanted Randy to be.  I told him an usher.  He reiterated for me to describe what an usher would do. So me being annoyed I said “duh, the men that line up on my side at the wedding.”  He busted out with the most uncontrollable laughter.  I am angry now, and when he calmed down, he educated me on that they were called groom’s men.  At that time, my right eyebrow raised.  I rushed him off the phone and called Craig.  I asked Craig what he thought I meant when I asked him to be an usher.  Craig responded by saying the person who tells people where to sit.   A tear ran down my cheek.  I asked Craig, why would he do that, and he said because I asked him.  What Craig did not know at that moment, is that I valued his friendship alone, and as silly as it may sound, I cut off all friendships instead of his, including Paul.  I explained to Craig that was not what I meant, but asked him if he would be my best man instead, which of course he obliged.

Now to the title.  Again family, this took place about 4 years prior to me being saved.  Before I chose to not speak to Paul anymore, he called me back and said I should call Randy and clear things up because of the misunderstanding.  I told him that it would not be necessary.  He began to address me as being wicked and that I did Randy wrong, and so forth and so forth.  So when he was finished, I told him that Craig thought the same thing and that he was cool with it.  It went right over his head.  He started in again with me being wicked and I should not do this or that.  I calmly reminded him on Craig’s position, and further stated how disappointed I was that Randy went to him with his concerns instead of coming to me.  It went over his head again, and before he started in with the wicked part, I hung up the phone.   I rescinded the invitation to him.  This was in 2002.  I spoke with Paul briefly in 2009 via Facebook, and when he seen that I am a Minister, he was no longer interested.  Hey!  It is what it is.

Forgive this long story just to prove the title.  Both Randy and Paul were fully aware of my error, but because of hardness of heart, and limited mental vision, they could not see the bigger picture that I was trying to show them by way of Craig.  Craig thought the same thing that Randy thought.  He agreed to it without hesitation.  Why, because he is my friend and because I asked him.  They were unable to see the profound affect that it had on me, hence the phrase “eyes wide shut”.  They are seeing but they are not seeing.  When I took psychology they called it a mental scotoma, which means not having the insight to see the obvious things.  In Matt 13:1-15 Jesus was speaking to the multitudes but he was addressing them in parables.  His disciples question that, and he answered "Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.   "And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;  15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.”

Family, there are people out there who will not understand why you love the Lord so much.  They would not understand why you try so hard to show them the light.  They would not understand why you are so forgiving to those who try to hurt you.  They will not because they have become so morally and spiritually diseased that they only will comprehend a dressed up lie rather than the naked truth, hence the scripture which reads “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”  (1Co 1:18)  Their eyes are fully open, but see nothing.  All we can do is pray for them.  Amen