A few years ago on a missions trip I shared with some fellow travelers my prayer that God would give me his eyes and help me see people the way he sees them. I can’t take credit for the catchy phrase…it’s the title of a well-known song by Brandon Health. Each of the lyrics hit home to me as I sing along, but “give me your eyes” is more than just a chorus in a song to me. It truly was and is desire of mine—that my impression of people I encounter would not be clouded by my own judgement or that I wouldn’t just look the other way and ignore strangers I met, but I would see them with love as God sees them.
Fast forward a couple years and I’m sitting in a crowded gym at my niece’s district basketball game. I’ve got Gage in my lap at the top of the bleachers 
with a panoramic view of the whole gym. I notice a family walking through the doors with a teenage daughter slowly and carefully taking steps across the gym floor. A couple things were apparent about this young girl—first of all that she had some sort of physical impairment that made walking challenging for her, and secondly that she had loving and proud parents who were patient and encouraging. They didn’t rush her along, but rather let her independently get where she was going. And they were there in the first place, when it might have been easier to just skip the game knowing how crowded it would be that night. For the next several minutes, this family had more of my attention than the game itself. I can’t really explain it, but I felt a sense of admiration and respect for them.
Reflecting on that, it dawned on me that perhaps my impression of that family and that teenage girl was an answered prayer. That maybe, God was giving me a glimpse of the way he sees. Before having Gage, I don’t think I would have paid them much attention. But in that moment, rather than quickly turning away to avoid gawking or feeling pity as I watched them, I could see the beauty in that moment. I imagined how proud that mom and dad must feel that their daughter could take those challenging steps on her own. I could appreciate the fact that she was not missing out on life, but participating in rooting on her team.
Sometimes God can catch us off guard by the way he answers our prayers. When I asked to see as he sees, I was definitely not expecting to achieve that by becoming a special needs parent. But without a doubt that has given me more empathy and allowed me to see others with more compassion and love. When it first occurred to me the ways my experience could shape me for the better, and when I began to feel grateful for things exactly as they are, it was a game changer. I feel loved and filled with joy in ways I can’t really explain, but I know the source of that love and joy is from above.
That’s not to say I don’t still struggle with the frustration of extra challenges. I want my son to be able to accomplish everything and get the most out of this life on earth, but sometimes his body fights so hard against him. As his mom, I want to know what’s wrong when he’s upset or uncomfortable, and he just doesn’t have the words to tell me. It can be heart wrenching to watch Gage struggle with his physical limitations, but I’m still overjoyed to be his mom. I’ll never stop being thankful to have him—just the way he is—as my son. My hope is that others won’t look at our family and feel sorry for us, but instead get a glimpse of the beauty and the joy that fills our lives.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” John 13:34