Rose Colored Glasses

Gwyneth, my second-born, is my two-year-old daughter. At times it is difficult to see the beauty in her active lifestyle without knowing her motivation. She really likes to serve and help, and she’ll go for it without asking. Today, she found all the dirty, separated laundry in the hallway and decided to distribute it back into the laundry baskets. The dirty whites went back in her top drawer.  She’ll bring me the wrong pair of shoes, takeoff her clothes when we mention a bath, even though we intend to bathe her two hours later.  She’ll bring her brother’s shoes for him to get dressed, even if they are ones he or I never intended for him to wear.  When I have a pressing and important email, she’ll initiate her baby love for my attention. Her gestures are beautiful because we know she serves from love in her heart. As a dad, I view her differently from someone who is not my flesh and blood. But, sometimes her desire to help and her initiative, at best, can be frustrating and bothersome.

We deal gracefully with her routine interruptions because we know her motivation and her pure intent.

A prayer stirs in my own heart: that God would view me with rose-colored glasses when my performance is less than desirable, but my heart is true. A verse from Scripture comes to mind:

“… He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.” 1 Corinthians 4: 5b NIV

Earlier in history, when God sent His prophet Samuel to choose a king (known as the greatest in Israel’s history), He gave him some instructions. God told him not to be influenced by the outward appearance of David since God looks at the heart. He knows the motives and intentions of every action.

When Gwyneth is eighteen, my questioning her motives or actions that frustrate me may be in order. For now,  I choose to rejoice in her pure heart. Cause like I said, “As a daughter, I see her differently.” I think God does the same with me when He sees my heart. That shouldn’t be a license for irresponsible living though. Eventually, my actions need to fall in line, because my motivations and intentions tend  to follow the heart’s path.

When I was in college, and that was quite a while ago, there was a song that was popular in the Christian contemporary world. Wayne Watson wrote a song called, “Rose Colored Glasses” and these are the words to the chorus:

                             “His gaze always passes thru rose colored glasses,

                                       Every time He looks on my heart,

                                       And thru love's forgiveness,

                                       Thru purity's fire,

                                      I am my God's desire.”

Thankful for a Father like that…