Do I see all the invisible people?
Every day I walk this street
On my way to start the day.
Head held high, I pass them by
All the people that I don’t see.
The hidden lives I do not know
The sorrow and pain I miss.
The hopes and joys I do not share
The stories I’ll never hear.
What if I opened my eyes today?
What if I actually cared?
What if I let these hearts touch mine?
What if I bared my soul?
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Would it hurt me to know the grocery man,
Or the man who delivers my mail?
Would I be disturbed if they’re struggling?
Could I bear to hear their sorrow?
How would I feel if the cleaning lady
Has an Ivy League degree.
Who gave it all up to marry a man,
Who sits at home drinking vodka and rum?
What would I do if the man on the corner,
The worthless, homeless bum.
Turned out to be a war hero,
Brave and true to the end.
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What if the waitress at my coffee shop,
Is working two other jobs.
To pay the bills and save her son,
Who’s crippled and needs special care.
What if the rumor came out about town,
That I talked to the pizza boy.
Whose father turns out to be a millionaire,
Ashamed that his son’s not like him.
I can’t help them, I don’t know what to do.
How could I ease their pain?
I know I’d fall short or say the wrong thing
Or just become overwhelmed.
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But maybe they won’t expect me to fix
All of their problems and trials
What if they’re lonely just like me
And all they want is a friend
I can smile and I can wave
And I can lend an ear
I can take the time to chat
I can make the effort to care
Opening up is risky of course
And what do I have to lose?
Laughter and love and friends that care
Good times to be shared?
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Jesus spoke to the woman at the well
His disciples were surprised
For in the culture of that day
She was invisible to everyone
But Jesus cared and he chose her
A person of little importance to men
A woman that no one loved
To bring his news to them all
She was important in His sight
Like all invisible people
And she was worthy of His love
As much as anyone
So if I look at the world through his eyes
There’s so much more to see
I’ll discover the hidden gems
When I see all the invisible people.