new eyes

When I was in fourth grade, my teacher (whom I adored) brought a special kind of kaleidoscope to class and passed it around. Instead of being filled with shards of colored glass and multi-colored beads, it was simply a many-faceted mirror that reflected whatever object that was placed before it.

That kaleidoscope fascinated me to no end. It turned ordinary, everyday items into magical scenes resplendent with color and light. As it was turned round and round, the glass mirrors wrought fantastical images from seemingly dreary things. A fistful of #2 pencils morphed into jagged riffs of yellow and pink. The lines of the gray chalkboard meeting the industrial green-blue classroom walls became a modern painting fit to be framed and admired. A slight twist of the hand, and yet another masterpiece came into sight.

I have been thinking about that kaleidoscope lately, along with a worship chorus we used to sing.
"Open the eyes of my heart, Lord. Open the eyes of my heart. I want to see You."

I love the picture of a heart having eyes.
I love the thought of finding beauty in the mundane.
I love the intertwining of these two points of view, and how they stretch my boundaries a bit.

Perhaps I will dwell on these thoughts for a few days. Or weeks.
Or the rest of my entire life.