By Sonya Camille
You know, as a little girl, I was often told that I looked just like my Father and that my sister looked more like my Mother. Most based their assessments on complexion alone because, as you know, our society is driven by colorism-light v. dark. I’m sure most people of color would agree that this is beyond annoying in that it is still an ongoing issue to this day. As not to dive too deep into this on this post, let me provide a bit of context to readers who may not know what I am referring to. See, in America, this brought from slavery nonsense was used to pit slave brothers against each other, and sadly, they were successful in doing so. Lighter-complexion negroes, howbeit still enslaved and mistreated, were treated better and given better jobs out of the heat inside or around the master’s house. Sadly, this is yet another deep and dark aspect of our complex American history. But, colorism affects many cultures where their citizens also bear a diverse array of multi-melanated people. In each case, this sad truth is consistent, the lighter your complexion, the more socially accepted you are. But, look, that’s a different discussion for another day. As for now, I’m just pointing out that since my Dad’s complexion was browner than my Mother’s, and since my skin tone was closer to that of my dad’s, I was often told that I looked like him. Conversely, my less melanated sister was told she looked more like my mama since her complexion resembled our mother’s.
Interestingly enough, I look more like my Mother than my sister, although Mom, aka Donnie, is all up in both of us. And Daddy, aka Allen, is all up in there as well. So there is no denying that the Mingo and Prewitt/Sanford genes are in us. That is who we are, Allen and Donnie’s girls!
People have consistently stated that I have my Father’s eyes. That compliment always made me smile, especially when I was told that as an adult. I smiled because I knew those eyes, and I knew all that those eyes had seen and done. So to me, that was a high compliment!
A funny thing people often told me when I was younger was, “You have your dad’s eyes, a cross between your mom and dad’s nose, your mom’s facial structure and chin, and your dad’s flat face.” As a kid, all I could do was nod and smile. I had no idea what else I could say to that one except…. umm, “thank you?” But that’s what I heard, and although interesting, that was their opinion. Pushing past the comments said about my apparent flat face and nose, they said that I had my father’s eyes, and that is the topic of this post today- My Father’s eyes.
It has been said that the eyes are the windows to the soul. In the case of all of our fathers, our eyes hold a special connection to our biological fathers because of the genetic legacy that was passed down to us from our daddies. However, there is a deeper meaning behind our eyes, one that extends beyond our earthly lineage. As I explored the significance of “my own father’s eyes,” meaning Allen Mingo’s eyes as passed down to me genetically, I couldn’t help but draw a parallel between our physical eyes as given to us by our dads and our spiritual eyes as we reflect the image of our heavenly Father and creator. I also couldn’t help but remember a song that often played on our local Christian radio station WFRN. The very 1980-ish song “Father’s Eyes” by Amy Grant was one of the most requested songs on this station. And since this station was all that my parents listened to other than a few other Christian records, I heard it often.
Random side note here. Do you all remember back in the day when you called your local station and requested a song? My goodness, it’s interesting the things you remember from childhood that now seem like ancient history. But anyway, I found the song I’m referring to on YouTube and I have to tell you, it sounds older than what even I remember, but it still stirred the same sense of emotion that it did back then. As sung in this song, I too want my Father’s eyes, and you should want your’s too! I attached the link below, so please go check it out.
-DADDY’S EYES vs. GOD’S EYES-
Biological Inheritance: The Eyes of Our Fathers:
Our physical eyes remind us of our biological connection with our fathers. From eye color to specific characteristics, we often inherit these traits from our earthly fathers. Psalm 16:8 reflects this connection: “I keep my eyes always on the LORD. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Just as our physical eyes are shaped by our fathers, our spiritual vision should be shaped by our heavenly Father.
Reflecting Our Heavenly Father’s Image:
While our physical eyes may resemble our earthly fathers, our spiritual vision should mirror the attributes and character of our heavenly Father. In Genesis 1:27, we read, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God, he created them; male and female he created them.” As children of God, we are called to reflect His image in our thoughts, actions, and attitudes. Our eyes should perceive the world through the lens of love, grace, compassion, and righteousness.
Honoring and Respecting Our Heavenly Father:
Just as we honor and respect our earthly fathers, we should give the same reverence to our heavenly Father. In Matthew 6:9, Jesus teaches us how to pray, saying, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” This verse shows that we should honor and revere our heavenly Father, acknowledging His supreme authority and holiness. By living lives that reflect His character, we honor Him and bring glory to His name.
Seeking God’s Perspective:
Our physical eyes allow us to perceive the world around us, but our spiritual eyes enable us to see things from God’s perspective. Psalm 119:18 expresses this desire, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” When we seek God’s perspective through His Word and prayer, our spiritual eyes are opened to discern His will, understand His truths, and navigate life according to His divine wisdom.
Representing Our Heavenly Father:
As children of God, we are called to represent our heavenly Father in all aspects of our lives. In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul writes, “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.” Our eyes should reflect God’s love, grace, and mercy to the world, serving as a testimony of His transformative power in our lives. By living in a manner that honors and represents our heavenly Father, we become His ambassadors, shining His light in a dark world.
My Dads Eyes
My daddy’s eyes were not perfect, but they were perfect for me and my sister Chanda. Through his eyes, we saw a love for God that was unwavering. We saw a love for my Mother that, although challenged before he gave his life to Christ, was solid from the point that they both gave their lives to Jesus moving forward. Dad’s deep love, connection, and commitment to my mother continued until Jesus called my mother home to heaven. Through my Dad’s eyes, we saw an example of a real man who loved, protected, and provided for his family. Through his eyes, we saw a man impart wisdom and guidance to his children and grandchildren. Walking past his study at night, by the dim light on his desk, we saw his eyes shut and heard him quietly praying for each of us. Through his eyes, we saw strength, drive, determination, an out-of-this-world work ethic, and a love for his parents and family. His eyes had joy and laughter in them as he joked, laughed often, and joyously and loudly sang all kinds of songs around the house. Dad’s eyes were fun. He would invent ways to keep us entertained. Mimicking many of the adventurous things he once did as a child and introducing my sister and me, along with whichever cousins were visiting at the time to pure, imaginative country fun! He was the best! We saw adventure in his eyes as he was a great storyteller. We saw grief in those eyes as he said goodbye to my mother. We saw him faithfully preach and pour into the lives of many-including those in our local jail, through his jail ministry. Through his eyes, we saw what a true man of God looked like.
While our physical eyes bear the resemblance of our earthly fathers, it is what we see through our spiritual eyes that truly matters. What does that mean exactly? Well, we should all strive to reflect the image of our heavenly Father by honoring Him, respecting Him, and representing Him in all that we say and do. You see, our eyes should become a conduit for God’s love and truth. Each day, it should be our desire to seek God’s perspective, represent Him faithfully, and live in a way that aligns with His character.
But this, my friends, is only if God is your Heavenly Father. Is He? Do you know? You only can have God’s eyes if He is your Father and if you know and acknowledge Him as your Lord and Savior. If you have confessed with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead-then, you know Him, and it is His eyes that you now have!
Romans 10:9,10 says: “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
So, let us fix our eyes on our heavenly Father and allow His image to shine through our eyes, impacting the world around us for His glory!
Happy Father’s Day to all the great Fathers out there! And a very special Happy Father’s Day to my dad, Allen Mingo. You did Daddy well, and I honor you today!
Cordially, Your youngest, Sonya Camille 🤍
Song: My Father’s Eyes
Link: https://youtu.be/lGBLgJnORx8