"Eyes to See"

I just returned from an amazing hike, The Channels Hike of Virginia. This natural area preserve derived its name from the maze-like system of sandstone crevices and boulders that occur near the 4,208 feet summit. It is an incredibly scenic trek along Clinch Mountain from Hater’s Gap to Middle knob along the 14 mile Brumley Mountain Trail. This is one of the East’s newest long trails.

It was a March winter day which gave a totally different look from what you see on the website. Old man winter does his magic, and he turned this hike into a winter wonderland. Even the simplest plants were transformed into masterpieces of winter beauty from a hoary frost outlining every detail. The panoramic s views were of wind frosted trees and mountain sides with a backdrop of our Blue Ridge Mountains. Stopping at a scenic vista on the far horizon you can view Mount Rogers and White Top Mountain which are two of Virginia’s highest peaks. When I encountered the actual Channels I felt I had entered enchanted, holy ground! They consist of a labyrinth of cave-like crevices occurring deep between blocks of the very old sandstone that caps Middle Knob. I have an Album on my face book page of photos taken of what I have tried to describe. Please view and enjoy.

The next morning still elated from what my eyes had beheld the day before I read this scripture in Luke 10:23: Then He turned to His disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.” I was overwhelmed with His Presence and revelation of what these words meant to me personally. I believe He had spoken them privately to me as He did His disciples that day. The following verse says, “For I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.” Obviously ears and eyes have to be opened by the Holy Spirit. You cannot achieve seeing and hearing what Jesus is speaking of apart from Him. I know physically we all can see a wildflower or a tree unless we have vision issues, but there is so much more than just physically viewing the creation. There is insight and deep revelation that comes from the Holy Spirit and Creator of it all when you view it spiritually in addition to physically. His heart longs for us to not only view the beauty of creation, but to allow Him to open the eyes of our heart spiritually in order to get a much fuller revelation of what we are beholding.

So what are we filling our eyes with? TV and video games, movies, social media, seem to dominate society. We are never alone or still enough to tap into the inner man or our spirit man so we can become sensitive the voice that longs to commune with each one of us. We are all eternal spirit beings; our spirits never die. Every person will spend eternity in heaven or hell. Not believing this doesn’t change the truth or reality of it. If we choose God the Father, and accept His Son as our Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives inside each one of us that chooses so. He becomes our teacher, comforter, peace, a constant companion. He opens our ears to hear and eyes to see as never before. Before Christ I could see beauty physically and appreciate it, but I now see it with the awareness of the One who created it. I not only see it, but it is constantly speaking to me through His love. Everything takes on such deeper meaning and understanding. As I viewed the magnificent beauty on this hike it was very intimately shared with the One who reveals His love to me through His gifts of creation. I was embellished continuously with the disclosure of one gift after another that filled my heart with worship, thanksgiving, and love for the One who was delighting me with His Splendor! These experiences you cannot put a price on with gold or silver. They are priceless and have been purchased with an imperishable price of love by our Savior, Jesus.

We cannot be healthy without being spiritually healthy. To acquire holistic health we have to eat nutritious foods, keep ourselves flexible and strong with exercise, and we must exercise our minds. If we are healthy spiritually we will be healthy holistically. I teach what I have experienced. Once I realized my body was a temple of the Holy Spirit and I saw my body as His masterpiece He created, I was motivated out of love for the Creator to care for it as a form of worship and appreciation unto Him. When we are motivated by love it changes everything. We all need to have the spiritual eyes of our heart opened in order see with the eyes of Christ. We will view people very differently as the Lord gives us an ability to look deeper internally rather than externally. Let us ponder whether we have eyes to see as Jesus talked about with His disciples. Which category do you fall in? Are you those with eyes to see, or the ones who has longed to see and hear the Messiah, but they remained blinded to who He truly was? Let it be our life endeavor to have eyes to see all God would have us to in our lifetime. We need not be robbed of the beauty of creation surrounding us, or of the people He has created and placed in our lives along the journey. He longs to open your eyes to see and will when you search for Him with all your heart.

Teresa Roberts

Masterpiee Fitness

276-237-6680