See RED
Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, "People only see what they are prepared to see."
So how do we prepare? And, what if what we are prepared for is not what we see? Are we prepared to be wrong?
When I was much younger, I purchased a brand new red sports car thinking that I would be the first one in my neighborhood to own such a sleek, fancy car. After a small mountain of paperwork, I was handed the keys, fired that beauty up, and with a "Rebel Yell," headed home to show the wife and kids.
On the way, to my shock and amazement, I counted six red sports cars, same make and model. All within five blocks of my house. So that "Rebel Yell," turned into a shriek of horror! Why did I not see them before? Could it be that I did not prepare to see them because I was blinded by pride, and maybe the selfish thought that out of all my neighbors, I would be first?
Many years later, I learned a valuable lesson about preparing my mind, and then my heart, to SEE!
After several attempts, I landed a dream job at a local hospital in the heart surgery operating room (O.R.). My first day, I was in the men's locker room putting on my scrubs, when one of the assistant surgeons welcomed me to the department. He said, "I hear you have some O.R. experience, but this is the cardiac O.R. The big game!" Then he gave me a piece of advice that I will never forget.
He said, " Just remember this one thing, "SEE RED."
I didn't understand what he meant at that moment, but I thanked him for his words of wisdom.
Little did I know how wise his words would turn out to be!
I walked into my first cardiac operating room. It had been prepped for the next procedure and I wanted to familiarize myself with the placement of the equipment. And that's when I saw it! It was everywhere I looked... RED. Drops of blood!
I told my supervisor what I saw, then I cleaned the whole room again before the patient arrived. I believe if I had not been prepared to SEE RED, I would have missed it as well.
In Ephesians 6:11-12, what is Paul preparing us for when he writes: "Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Has he not just explained in graphic detail what RED is!
So why when the lessons show up in life do we not see them? Are we blinded by the pride of life? And if we don't see them, are we any less accountable to them?
Over the years of reading the Bible, I have come to see it as much more than just a collection of words and phrases, but as a road map, and a set of instructions. But only if I choose to SEE them!
Especially the ones written in RED!
Wake Up Christian
