Name: Linda
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Wearing Glasses
I hate wearing glasses. I never, ever thought I would need to. I’m the kid who always found the tiny thing everyone else was vainly searching for. Four leaf clovers were easy for this clear-eyed little girl to spot. Everyone said I had sharp eyes.
And so I did – until about ten years ago. Now I know everyone tells you that as you age your eyesight begins to fail. I watched as everyone started wearing those reading glasses you can buy just about anywhere, and laughed at the jokes about arms not being long enough to read any more without glasses. Ha Ha!! It’s true; these sorts of things happen to all of us as we age, but not ME. I don’t know how I got the idea that all these aging things happened to everyone else. After all, I still feel like the same me I’ve always been. A close look in the mirror tells me otherwise, but my heart refuses to believe these ugly rumors (and images).
Alas, the day came when my arm was no longer long enough. I gave in and bought the silly reading glasses. I am now on my third increase in strength – so much for everybody aging except me. I find them to be tremendously annoying. I have a half dozen pairs scattered everywhere from the bathroom (yes- I do read quite a bit in the bathroom) to the glove box in the car. The most frustrating thing is I can never find a pair when I need them. I thought of getting one of those chains to wear around my neck with the glasses attached but discarded that idea. So I tend to walk from room to room looking for my glasses – and yes I have found them on top of my head after searching all over the house for them.
I have noticed something about my vision since needing said assistance. When I don’t have the glasses on, I tend to miss a lot of things. For instance, I can think I’ve done a very thorough job of washing off the kitchen counter only to come back later with my glasses on and find all sorts of things I missed. Stains and crumbs adorn the counter that I thought was spotless.
The Lord spoke one of those little words to my heart as I thought about that. I can look at my heart with human eyes and it can look just fine. Yup, no problem here – everything is spotless. However, when I examine my heart with the “spiritual glasses” the Holy Spirit provides I begin to see the things I either overlooked or just didn’t see. It is easy to think all is well and then suddenly see through the lense of God’s word something that needs to be confessed.
Give me eyes to see, Lord, those things that You call sin in my life, and an obedient heart to repent and change. Thank You for Your word and for the Holy Spirt.
Blessings
Linda
And so I did – until about ten years ago. Now I know everyone tells you that as you age your eyesight begins to fail. I watched as everyone started wearing those reading glasses you can buy just about anywhere, and laughed at the jokes about arms not being long enough to read any more without glasses. Ha Ha!! It’s true; these sorts of things happen to all of us as we age, but not ME. I don’t know how I got the idea that all these aging things happened to everyone else. After all, I still feel like the same me I’ve always been. A close look in the mirror tells me otherwise, but my heart refuses to believe these ugly rumors (and images).
Alas, the day came when my arm was no longer long enough. I gave in and bought the silly reading glasses. I am now on my third increase in strength – so much for everybody aging except me. I find them to be tremendously annoying. I have a half dozen pairs scattered everywhere from the bathroom (yes- I do read quite a bit in the bathroom) to the glove box in the car. The most frustrating thing is I can never find a pair when I need them. I thought of getting one of those chains to wear around my neck with the glasses attached but discarded that idea. So I tend to walk from room to room looking for my glasses – and yes I have found them on top of my head after searching all over the house for them.
I have noticed something about my vision since needing said assistance. When I don’t have the glasses on, I tend to miss a lot of things. For instance, I can think I’ve done a very thorough job of washing off the kitchen counter only to come back later with my glasses on and find all sorts of things I missed. Stains and crumbs adorn the counter that I thought was spotless.
The Lord spoke one of those little words to my heart as I thought about that. I can look at my heart with human eyes and it can look just fine. Yup, no problem here – everything is spotless. However, when I examine my heart with the “spiritual glasses” the Holy Spirit provides I begin to see the things I either overlooked or just didn’t see. It is easy to think all is well and then suddenly see through the lense of God’s word something that needs to be confessed.
Give me eyes to see, Lord, those things that You call sin in my life, and an obedient heart to repent and change. Thank You for Your word and for the Holy Spirt.
Blessings
Linda
6 Comments:
Isn't it wonderful how the Lord opens our eyes to these things. I have had bifocals since college and more than once the Lord has used my glasses to make His points. (I even ended up with a backwards prescription once when I also spiritually had things backwards.)
I have worn glasses since about 14 years old. I am actually legally blind without them. They are the first thing on in the morning and the last thing off at night. I would be in BIG trouble if I lost them!!
What a wonderful comparison of looking at our heart... putting on our glasses! Great word picture!
What a great analogy.
Just wait until you wear contact lenses because you're blind as a bat, and THEN put on over-the-counter reading glasses! Middle age is definitely NOT for the weak.
Linda, I love the beautiful way you used analogy to look at ourselves not on the outside but spiritually and to repent our sins.
I too, remember looking all over the house for my glasses one time just to find them in the fridge. lol I think I had been up late getting ready for Thanksgiving and we had lots of company coming. ha! ha!
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light...
Ephesians 5:8
Now THAT'S a pair of glasses I wouldn't mind wearing at all, the ones that show me the true state of my heart.
All those other glasses? All over my house, too. The weird thing is I have to different strengths for different things. I have a pair for reading but can't see the computer screen clearly with them. Then I have really strong ones for close up needlework. And do NOT wear the granny string. I did and my kids just gave me a look so I got rid of them. But I lose mine all the time too. I know they do surgery to correct these things nowadays but somehow I can't stand the thought of surgery on my eyeballs. So I'll just keep collecting pairs of glasses I guess.
Oh, my goodness, this is a whole blog post in the making for me. In fact, I was composing it on my way to work this morning! I have worn glasses since age 5, contacts since 21, and just gave them up for bifocals - glasses and sunglasses. I've been wearing reading glasses over contacts for years, and it got to be too much of a hassle. I've given up my vanity for simplicity. I know what you mean about thinking something is clean - or thinking I look better than I do! But I love it when someone like you can make a spiritual application out of wearing glasses. Good stuff!
Re your comment about the trees - I'm a PK and before that Dad was in the Navy, so have lived in about 23 different houses/etc in my life, so this stability has been wonderful. When my hubbie talks about downsizing, etc., my heart does a lurch. I really don't want to move. I"d like a newer house, but take the yard with me! I feel for you having to leave this property you thought would always be in the country. So sad! The same thing is happening to some friends, but it is mostly millions of houses surrounding them and cutting off the mountain view they loved. Sad.
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