Point Your Nose
By Judy Burrows
“Point your nose. Don't scan with your eyes.” The optician tutored me as I peered through my new trifocals.
I’d finally given in to buying glasses to wear full time instead of just reading glasses. Would I ever adjust to this new way to use this tool on my face?
Pointing my nose felt unnatural. It sits right on the front of my face but so often I ignore it. (Unless I have a cold.)
But could that be happening with my husband, I wondered?
We’re on the challenging journey of selling our house. Many outside voices are chiming in with opinions about what we should do.
We have had to sit down and point our noses toward each other to get on the same page. It’s been helpful to focus on what we are each thinking or feeling about an option. We come away refocused on us and our priorities.
My nose is invisible to me unless I concentrate. But the optician drew my attention to my nose so I could obtain my clearest perspective. “Don't worry. Most people can adjust in two weeks or less,” she assured me.
As my husband and I point forward together toward our goals—like a bifocal lens, you could say—we’re more clear-sighted. But I have to intentionally point my nose in his direction. I’ve found I need to concentrate on him with a narrow pathway of vision, ignoring less-clear images on the periphery.
That takes intentionality. But the time it took to learn to intentionally point to him? It was well worth seeing my husband’s eyes more precisely—and thus his heart.
You won’t always see eye-to-eye with your spouse. Which is why marriage requires humility.
The Good Stuff: “Therefore, change your hearts and stop being stubborn.” (Deuteronomy 10:16, NLT)
Action Points: To what are you pointing your nose? Sometimes seeing a spouse requires new, “unnatural” habits. What sight could you gain?
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