‘My life O Lord is punctuated with a thousand distractions, all insisting that I gaze their way. Your call to ‘look at Me’ is a valid call but I must first fight the ten thousand battles of distractions, each appealing for my attention and obedience. Only in looking at You does life have meaning, only in looking at You do my burdens get lighter; only in gazing at Your beautiful face does my face become brighter and more beautiful. For as long as I look away from You, all I will ever be and ever become is ugliness to heaven and eventually, ugliness to my fellow man. I need Your special touch to keep my inward gaze looking heavenward, even as I undertake life’s many mundane duties.

Oh, such sweetness of life will be my portion if I can only practice this heavenward gaze for a part of every day, and such heavenly bliss if I can practice this, all the day long. But I know the battles before me, and because it is Your will that I so gaze upon Thee, I am confident that You will send the flames of heaven to clean out my distractions and quench every fiery dart aimed at my soul, freeing me up sufficiently and regularly to gaze at Thy lovely face. What scenes of rest for those who can see His beautiful face. What eternal rest befall them who rise above the stormy seas of earthly living to look undistracted at their holy Lord. And thank you; Lord, because when we gaze at You, You always look back at us in deep love and adoration. I am ransomed Lord, and my only desire is for You. You and You alone are my obsession, and I am unashamed to say that You are my only and absolute passion, and life’s dainty and beautiful seductions all pale when compared to the fullness that comes from being with You. So make this become my daily reality O great Father, I plead in Jesus name. Amen.’