--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Or my eyes go back to seeing it that way…" description: "\"“Or my eyes go back to seeing it that way. When I entered the cave hoping for a glimpse of celestial brightness, it never occurred to me that it might ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a29/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_bright-ideas_or-my-eyes-go-back-to-seeing-it-that-way_1286594.jpg" --- # Or my eyes go back to seeing it that way. When I entered… ![“Or my eyes go back to seeing it that way. When I entered the cave hoping for a glimpse of celestial brightness, it never occurred to me that it might be so small. But here it is, not much bigger than a mustard seed—everything I need to remember how much my set ideas get in my way. While I am…” quote by Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a29/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_bright-ideas_or-my-eyes-go-back-to-seeing-it-that-way_1286594.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a29/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_bright-ideas_or-my-eyes-go-back-to-seeing-it-that-way_1286594.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a29/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_bright-ideas_or-my-eyes-go-back-to-seeing-it-that-way_1286594.jpg) > ““Or my eyes go back to seeing it that way. When I entered the cave hoping for a glimpse of celestial brightness, it never occurred to me that it might be so small. But here it is, not much bigger than a mustard seed—everything I need to remember how much my set ideas get in my way. While I am looking for something large, bright, and unmistakably holy, God slips something small, dark, and apparently negligible in my pocket. How many other treasures have I walked right by because they did not meet my standards? At least one of the day’s lessons is about learning to let go of my bright ideas about God so that my eyes are open to the God who is.”” [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Divine revelations often appear in humble, unnoticed forms, challenging our expectations of grandeur **In simple terms:** God’s messages can be tiny and ordinary, not always spectacular Key Takeaway Stay open to small, subtle signs of the sacred Themes spirituality humility perception Mood contemplative reverent Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - prayer - nature walks - journaling - artistic creation Key Concepts theology mindfulness symbolism Questions to Reflect On - What small moments have you overlooked as spiritual? - How can you cultivate awareness of subtle divine signs? A Different Perspective Focusing only on dramatic experiences may cause us to miss everyday blessings ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bright ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bright-ideas/) [Holy god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-god/) ## Related quotes > [So there'll be no guiding light for you and me We are not sailors lost out on the sea We were always headed toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmylou-harris/so-there-ll-be-no-guiding-light-for-you-and-me-we-are-not-sailors/) [Emmylou Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmylou-harris/) > [I run to bed hoping to get a glimpse of you in my dreams.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-run-to-bed-hoping-to-get-a-glimpse-of-you-in-my-dreams/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I cannot say for sure when my reliable ideas about God began to slip away, but the big chest I used to keep them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/i-cannot-say-for-sure-when-my-reliable-ideas-about-god-began-to-slip/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [Be open, and God starts pouring into you like wine from every nook and corner of existence. Then wherever you look, you find God.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/be-open-and-god-starts-pouring-into-you-like-wine-from-every-nook-and/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [“(...) discernment asks that we constantly be open, both to God's gentle nudges and to the many opportunities for grace that are constantly being presented.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wilkes/discernment-asks-that-we-constantly-be-open-both-to-god-s-gentle/) [Paul Wilkes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wilkes/) > [Believing, repenting, and the like, are the product of the new nature; and can never be produced by the old corrupt nature... as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-boston/believing-repenting-and-the-like-are-the-product-of-the-new-nature/) [Thomas Boston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-boston/) > [The more religions are fixated on having a dogmatic sense of truth, the more likely they are to blow each other up. So being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-grey/the-more-religions-are-fixated-on-having-a-dogmatic-sense-of-truth/) [Alex Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-grey/) > [True worship doesn't put on a show or make a fuss; true worship isn't forced, isn't half-hearted, doesn't keep looking at its watch, doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/true-worship-doesn-t-put-on-a-show-or-make-a-fuss-true-worship-isn-t/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [If we're open it, God can use even the smallest thing to change our lives...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-vanliere/if-we-re-open-it-god-can-use-even-the-smallest-thing-to-change-our/) [Donna VanLiere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-vanliere/) > [By dialogue, we let God be present in our midst, for as we open ourselves to one another, we open ourselves to God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-john-paul-ii/by-dialogue-we-let-god-be-present-in-our-midst-for-as-we-open/) [Pope John Paul II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-john-paul-ii/) > [We are all so eager to fall for the first we see...But our eyes are never open to see that God has someone very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-all-so-eager-to-fall-for-the-first-we-see-but-our-eyes-are/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/here-s-another-way-to-put-it-you-re-here-to-be-light-bringing-out-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We must be open to God's miracles.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/we-must-be-open-to-god-s-miracles/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [True worship is open to God, adoring God, waiting for God, trusting God even in the dark.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-t-wright-2/true-worship-is-open-to-god-adoring-god-waiting-for-god-trusting-god/) [N. T. Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-t-wright-2/) > [My Calvinism persuades me that we are open to God, in the sense that we are not delimited, not organisms with fixed attributes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/my-calvinism-persuades-me-that-we-are-open-to-god-in-the-sense-that/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) ## More by Barbara Brown Taylor > [The poets began drifting away from churches as the jurists grew louder and more insistent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/the-poets-began-drifting-away-from-churches-as-the-jurists-grew/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [I decided I got to say whether I was Christian or not, and so I've relaxed enormously since then. I'm the one who gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/i-decided-i-got-to-say-whether-i-was-christian-or-not-and-so-i-ve/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [Having been brought up with a definition of faith as adherence to a set of beliefs, I have more and more begun to turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/having-been-brought-up-with-a-definition-of-faith-as-adherence-to-a/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [I don't miss the ministry, because I'm completely engaged in it. In terms of parish ministry, I miss the intimacy with a group of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/i-don-t-miss-the-ministry-because-i-m-completely-engaged-in-it-in/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [ With all the conceptual truths in the universe at His disposal \[Jesus\] did not give them something to think about together when He was… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/with-all-the-conceptual-truths-in-the-universe-at-his-disposal-jesus/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [There comes a time when it is vitally important for your spiritual health to drop your clothes, look in the mirror, and say, ‘Here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/there-comes-a-time-when-it-is-vitally-important-for-your-spiritual/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [The problem is, many of the people in need of saving are in churches, and at least part of what they need saving from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/the-problem-is-many-of-the-people-in-need-of-saving-are-in-churches/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [“I cannot say for sure when my reliable ideas about God began to slip away, but the big chest I used to keep them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/i-cannot-say-for-sure-when-my-reliable-ideas-about-god-began-to-slip/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [I love being alone. I learned that from my father, I think, who loved his own company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/i-love-being-alone-i-learned-that-from-my-father-i-think-who-loved/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [There was no time anymore to be quiet or still or pray. So, in many ways, that's what led to my downward spin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/there-was-no-time-anymore-to-be-quiet-or-still-or-pray-so-in-many/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [The beauty in the losing is a loss finally of self-consciousness. There's a gorgeous moment that can happen in all kinds of places. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/the-beauty-in-the-losing-is-a-loss-finally-of-self-consciousness/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [“The world for which you have been so carefully prepared is being taken away from you,' he said, 'by the grace of God.' (Walter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/the-world-for-which-you-have-been-so-carefully-prepared-is-being-2/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [So if waiting is an aggravation, it is at least partly because we do not like being reminded of our limits. We like doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/so-if-waiting-is-an-aggravation-it-is-at-least-partly-because-we-do/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [Jesus was not killed by atheism and anarchy. He was brought down by law and order allied with religion, which is always a deadly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/jesus-was-not-killed-by-atheism-and-anarchy-he-was-brought-down-by/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) > [It can be difficult to be an introvert in church, especially if you happen to be the pastor. Liking to be alone can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/it-can-be-difficult-to-be-an-introvert-in-church-especially-if-you/) [Barbara Brown Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) [Explore all 136 Barbara Brown Taylor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/) ## More Bright ideas quotes > [I am interested in a constructive approach, which looks at how wealth can be created using bright ideas that will help India prosper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-agnihotri/i-am-interested-in-a-constructive-approach-which-looks-at-how-wealth/) [Vivek Agnihotri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-agnihotri/) > [We want young people to come forward with bright ideas; we want the women and men in our country to have jobs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-ramaphosa/we-want-young-people-to-come-forward-with-bright-ideas-we-want-the/) [Cyril Ramaphosa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-ramaphosa/) > [Even students from rural India may have bright ideas. They need to be tapped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shiva-ayyadurai/even-students-from-rural-india-may-have-bright-ideas-they-need-to-be/) [Shiva Ayyadurai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shiva-ayyadurai/) > [If he ever had a bright idea it would be beginner's luck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lashner/if-he-ever-had-a-bright-idea-it-would-be-beginner-s-luck/) [William Lashner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lashner/) > [Design and technology should be the subject where mathematical brainboxes and science whizzkids turn their bright ideas into useful products.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dyson/design-and-technology-should-be-the-subject-where-mathematical/) [James Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dyson/) > [Whoever had the bright idea of putting Indiana Jones in a leather jacket and a fedora in the jungle ought to be dragged into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harrison-ford/whoever-had-the-bright-idea-of-putting-indiana-jones-in-a-leather/) [Harrison Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harrison-ford/) > [You have to listen to your own voice. Not your heart, not your instincts, not any of that self-permissive psycho-babble stuff. No, none of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fleur-adcock/you-have-to-listen-to-your-own-voice-not-your-heart-not-your/) [Fleur Adcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fleur-adcock/) > [It's difficult for a company to be anywhere interesting in a world that is so dominated by prototypes and great and bright ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-wanders/it-s-difficult-for-a-company-to-be-anywhere-interesting-in-a-world/) [Marcel Wanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-wanders/) > [Ours is the age of substitutes: instead of language, we have jargon: instead of principles, slogans: and, instead of genuine ideas, bright ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-bentley/ours-is-the-age-of-substitutes-instead-of-language-we-have-jargon/) [Eric Bentley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-bentley/) > [It is unearned love--the love that goes before, that greets us on the way. It's the help you receive when you have no bright…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/it-is-unearned-love-the-love-that-goes-before-that-greets-us-on-the/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [The first rule of discovery is to have brains and good luck. The second rule of discovery is to sit tight and wait till…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-polya/the-first-rule-of-discovery-is-to-have-brains-and-good-luck-the/) [George Polya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-polya/) > [Soul Gathers Force It is possible, when the future is dim, when our depressed faculties can form no bright ideas of the perfection and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-ellery-channing/soul-gathers-force-it-is-possible-when-the-future-is-dim-when-our/) [William Ellery Channing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-ellery-channing/) > [I love to argue and share bright ideas in a rehearsal room, and when you live with somebody who is working on the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-rees/i-love-to-argue-and-share-bright-ideas-in-a-rehearsal-room-and-when/) [Roger Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-rees/) > [“Make your silence violent to the dark part of the soul. Invade the dimension of bright ideas. Enforce your brilliant thoughts with greater actions”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/klaudio-marashi/make-your-silence-violent-to-the-dark-part-of-the-soul-invade-the/) [Klaudio Marashi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/klaudio-marashi/) > [My concepts are never bright ideas; they're never notions I think will sell or be trendy or attract new fans. I don't think that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-jackson/my-concepts-are-never-bright-ideas-they-re-never-notions-i-think-will/) [Janet Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-jackson/) [Browse all 37 Bright ideas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bright-ideas/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Or my eyes go back to seeing it that way. When I entered the cave hoping for a glimpse of celestial brightness, it never occurred to me that it might be so small. But here it is, not much bigger than a mustard seed—everything I need to remember how much my set ideas get in my way. While I am looking for something large, bright, and unmistakably holy, God slips something small, dark, and apparently negligible in my pocket. How many other treasures have I walked right by because they did not meet my standards? At least one of the day’s lessons is about learning to let go of my bright ideas about God so that my eyes are open to the God who is.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barbara Brown Taylor" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/or-my-eyes-go-back-to-seeing-it-that-way-when-i-entered-the-cave/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bright ideas" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/or-my-eyes-go-back-to-seeing-it-that-way-when-i-entered-the-cave/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a29/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_bright-ideas_or-my-eyes-go-back-to-seeing-it-that-way_1286594.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a29/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_bright-ideas_or-my-eyes-go-back-to-seeing-it-that-way_1286594.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a29/barbara-brown-taylor-3225_bright-ideas_or-my-eyes-go-back-to-seeing-it-that-way_1286594.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Or my eyes go back to seeing it that way. When I entered the cave hoping for a glimpse of celestial…” — Barbara Brown Taylor", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Barbara Brown Taylor", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-brown-taylor/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Or my eyes go back to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/or-my-eyes-go-back-to-seeing-it-that-way-when-i-entered-the-cave/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-brown-taylor/or-my-eyes-go-back-to-seeing-it-that-way-when-i-entered-the-cave/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```