Some Needed Reminders
This week I faced something I had been ignoring for a while: I need glasses. I have always had perfect vision! I remember being a kid and testing myself to see how far away I could read stuff and shouting out in the car to hear someone say, “Oh my goodness! You can actually read that far!”
Out of pride, I had ignored the problem. I am not saying that I have all of sudden gone nearly blind but I am saying that there is a difference. That is actually how I described it to the optometrist who, after doing all the tests and measurements (puff of air in my eye? No thanks) handed me a piece of paper with some small writing on it. I had told him it was my long-distance more than my close up, so I did not get why I was looking at this little writing which I could read fine! As I was looking at it, he put my makeshift prescription on me.
Let’s pause here and mention that I didn’t think it was really that bad. I mean, my eyesight was just uncomfortably different, not blurry or anything. I did not need glasses (said the pride).
When the glasses went on, I nearly burst into tears. All of a sudden, there were spaces where there hadn’t been spaces between the words and everything was clear! I thought it had been clear before but I know now what it means to really see clearly! I asked how long it would take to get some glasses since I did not want to go one more second without them. He chuckled and said about a week and I thought, “That is too long!”
I walked away, prescription in hand and glasses ordered with the desire to tell everyone the story (many of my friends can attest to this). I mean, what I thought had been clear my whole life was just a little off and needed help to be clear. Gosh, talk about an explanation for my daily headaches.
The reality is that this is a reminder to me of when I began a committed relationship with Jesus.
One day, I realized something was not right with my life. Everything was just a little off; okay but not right. For a long time, my pride prevented me from acknowledging that fact. Then, I gave it all to Christ and realized what it was like to live in His supreme presence and everything became clear. I would walk around school and clearly see the darkness in many lives as well as the rays of light shining from behind desks or doing janitorial work. I can see, through my Christ glasses, the reality of the broken-hearted and our broken world as well as the desperate and immeasurable need for God that this world has.
May seem strange, but the glasses did the same thing for my sight that God does for my heart/mind: reveals all I missed before and shows the truth instead of a blurred version of reality.
I just had to tell you! When my glasses get here I will be able to see what I am typing without the constant squinting and blinking! And when the presence of God rests on you, you will be able to see and know that there is hope and that there is a right and grace-filled way.
Out of pride, I had ignored the problem. I am not saying that I have all of sudden gone nearly blind but I am saying that there is a difference. That is actually how I described it to the optometrist who, after doing all the tests and measurements (puff of air in my eye? No thanks) handed me a piece of paper with some small writing on it. I had told him it was my long-distance more than my close up, so I did not get why I was looking at this little writing which I could read fine! As I was looking at it, he put my makeshift prescription on me.
Let’s pause here and mention that I didn’t think it was really that bad. I mean, my eyesight was just uncomfortably different, not blurry or anything. I did not need glasses (said the pride).
When the glasses went on, I nearly burst into tears. All of a sudden, there were spaces where there hadn’t been spaces between the words and everything was clear! I thought it had been clear before but I know now what it means to really see clearly! I asked how long it would take to get some glasses since I did not want to go one more second without them. He chuckled and said about a week and I thought, “That is too long!”
I walked away, prescription in hand and glasses ordered with the desire to tell everyone the story (many of my friends can attest to this). I mean, what I thought had been clear my whole life was just a little off and needed help to be clear. Gosh, talk about an explanation for my daily headaches.
The reality is that this is a reminder to me of when I began a committed relationship with Jesus.
One day, I realized something was not right with my life. Everything was just a little off; okay but not right. For a long time, my pride prevented me from acknowledging that fact. Then, I gave it all to Christ and realized what it was like to live in His supreme presence and everything became clear. I would walk around school and clearly see the darkness in many lives as well as the rays of light shining from behind desks or doing janitorial work. I can see, through my Christ glasses, the reality of the broken-hearted and our broken world as well as the desperate and immeasurable need for God that this world has.
May seem strange, but the glasses did the same thing for my sight that God does for my heart/mind: reveals all I missed before and shows the truth instead of a blurred version of reality.
I just had to tell you! When my glasses get here I will be able to see what I am typing without the constant squinting and blinking! And when the presence of God rests on you, you will be able to see and know that there is hope and that there is a right and grace-filled way.
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