A Lamp Into Our Souls

Jan and I met at Multnomah School of the Bible. I rented a cheap, dank, dark, little basement room of an old house off campus. It had a dirt floor, no bathroom, and a tiny wood stove (but no firewood) for heat. I shared the basement space with two roommates by dividing it with curtains. It was all I could afford. That was tough in Portland, Oregon, known for its damp and cold winters. If the renters were home, we could use their bathroom. 

Jan had the luxury of having a dorm room with heat and a bathroom. I had to walk past her dorm room on my way to classes. I would toss a pebble at her window to get her attention.  When she appeared at the window, we would stare at each other. It was her kind eyes that captured my heart.  She said the same thing about me. Now, over 56 years later, her eyes still capture my heart.

Our eyes reflect the condition of our souls.  Jesus said, “The eye is the lamp of the body” (Matthew 6:22). Something beautiful happened that has remained with us all this time. In those beginning days of our friendship, I caught a glimpse inside Jan’s soul and fell in love with her. Those first glances grew more impactful over the years from the first day I looked into her eyes.

There is no word in the Hebrew word for presence. It simply means “face to face.” Solomon recounts the Shepherd King’s love for His beloved. “You have captured my heart, my treasure, my bride. You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes” (Song of Solomon 4:9). 

When we experience the presence of Jesus, our Beloved, it means we are face-to-face with Him. We have stopped turning our faces away from the Lord until we get our act together. Or we have stopped willfully running away. Trust doesn’t come easily. The fact is, we don’t even know we have closed off parts of our heart to safeguard from disappointment and hurt. 

How can our soul truly bless the Lord? We can choose to intentionally receive His love and keep receiving His love, especially in the broken parts of our soul. We will learn to “see” into His eyes. We will learn to see unconditional love. And we will be able to love Him back with His love.

Jan and I met at Multnomah School of the Bible. I rented a cheap off-campus room in the basement of an old house. It was all I could afford, and I shared it with two other students. It had a dirt floor. We had no bathroom or heater. That was tough in Portland, Oregon, known for its damp and cold winters. If the renters were home, we could use their bathroom. Jan had the luxury of having a dorm room with heat and a bathroom.

I had to walk past Jan’s dorm room on my way to the school campus. I would toss a pebble at her window to get her attention.  When she appeared at the window, we would stare at each other. It was her kind eyes that captured my heart.  Now, over 56 years later, her eyes still capture my heart.

Our eyes reflect the condition of our souls.  Jesus said, “The eye is the lamp of the body” (Matthew 6:22). Something beautiful happened that has remained with us all this time. In those beginning days of our friendship, I saw inside Jan’s soul and fell in love with her. Those first glances grew more impactful than the first day I looked into her eyes.

There is no word in Hebrew for ‘presence’. It simply means “face to face. ”Solomon, who wrote the Song of Songs, recounts the love of the Shepherd King for His beloved. “You have captured my heart, my treasure, my bride. You hold it hostage with one glance of your eyes” (Song of Solomon 4:9). 

When we experience the presence of Jesus, our Beloved, it means we are face-to-face with Him. We have stopped turning away or running away until we get our act together. The fact is, we don’t know we have closed off parts of our hearts to safeguard from disappointment and hurt. Trust doesn’t come easily.

How can our souls truly bless the Lord? Choose to intentionally receive His love and keep receiving His love, especially in the broken parts of our souls. We will learn to “see” into His eyes. We will learn to see unconditional love. And we will be able to love Him back with His love.