Our heart can see things. Sometimes our natural eyes cannot pinpoint what we’ve perceived in our hearts. A great example is first impressions. A complete stranger walks into the room. There is something familiar about this person, and we don’t know why we feel this way, until we strike up a conversation. Turns out, this person happens to be a relative of ours. I had this kind of experience when I met my sister for the first time. We grew up in different countries and didn’t meet until well into our adulthood. As strange as it seems, we immediately had a connection as if we had known each other for a long time.

Much like our natural eyes, the eyes of our heart can run into vision problems. Feelings, strong emotions can cloud our vision. That’s when we see things the way we want to see them instead of accepting the truth.

A relative of mine went through denial when diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He just wouldn’t have it, didn’t admit to his mental challenges and refused to let go of his car. Well, the disease progressed without his permission.

Our hearts can be asleep. An alert heart warns us when there is a dangerous situation. A heart fast asleep cannot do that. A person whose heart is put to sleep may function normally on the outside, but on the inside this person is as good as dead, auto-cruising through life with no enthusiasm to speak of.

It is essential that the eyes of our heart are enlightened so we find strength to do the right thing. An enlightened heart hopes. A shadowed heart has little to no hope. Paul writes in his letter that he wishes all our hearts were enlightened to see the beautiful things God has in store for us.

Listen to your heart, especially when it tells you something you don’t want to hear. Using the English language, here is a little pun for you: Have you ever noticed that the word “hear” is hidden in the word “heart”? Hear what your heart has to say, and I pray with Paul that the veil is lifted and your heart sees clearly.