Seeing Clearly

At times, there are hindrances that keep us from seeing clearly.  With the weather it might be a foggy, overcast, or stormy day.  It’s also difficult to see properly when the electricity goes off or bulbs burn out.  I’ve even been caught in a dust storm where it was difficult to see just a few feet in front of you.  I remember going to Carlsbad Caverns as a child.  As we reached the bottom of the caverns, the guide turned out the lights.  There was definitely no chance of seeing clearly for those few seconds.  When the storms pass, electricity is restored, bulbs are replaced, the sun comes out, and the lights are turned on, it is possible to see clearly again.

 

Eyes and sight are precious gifts.  Sometimes it takes small irritations or inconveniences to remind us of how important they are.  There are times when vision can be distorted because an object gets in your eye and causes it to tear up.  Allergies or dryness can definitely cause eyes to seem like they have seen better days.  Other times our vision can be impaired because of being nearsighted or farsighted.  In recent days, Larry has realized how much cataracts can distort your vision and what a huge difference it makes when they are removed and new lenses are inserted.  Each day it seems like there is something else he comments on that he can now see more clearly and vividly.  With great eye doctors to check our eyes and prescribe drops, contacts, glasses, and doctors and medical teams to insert new lenses, sight can improve.

 

It’s also good to be intentional about checking our spiritual eye sight as well.  In the storms and mishaps of life, it’s important to keep our eyes on Jesus.  Especially when it seems the darkest, we need to constantly be looking for his light to guide us.  Just as doctors help with our physical vision, God has given us Jesus, who was the sacrifice for our sins, as our example to point us to the Father; His Word to guide, convict, and encourage us; and His Spirit to be with us so that we can see more clearly who He is.  And he also provides family, friends, preachers, teachers, and sometimes even strangers to encourage and challenge us along the way.  Sometimes we may need a different prescription for our spiritual glasses.  Other times, God may need us to cut out something completely so he can give us something better.  Then, hopefully, we can begin to see God, ourselves, and others the way God wants us to.

 

We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

I Corinthians 13:12 (The Message)