My toddler son is currently in a phase where he loves to be a helper. I love this phase, but it can get messy at times. I was getting ready for bed when I heard my husband say, "bring those right to mommy!" A few moments later, I hear little feet walking toward me. My son came in the room holding my phone in one hand and gripping my glasses with the other. He very carefully handed them to me and looked at me with an anticipatory grin waiting for my praise. I thanked him for being such a good helper while also grimacing a bit. See my son doesn't know the best way to hold glasses. He held them securely yet gently, but he held them by grasping just the lenses with his sweet, little, sweaty hands. I looked at my lenses and they were completely smudged--though nothing a little soap and water couldn't take care of.
You may be wondering what I'm getting at with this--Just give me a moment and I'll explain.
I set my glasses down, got ready for bed and forgot about the smudges on my glasses. The next morning as I was getting ready for work, I popped my glasses on and was surprised that everything was cloudy! I then remembered what happened the night before.
Looking through these lenses I could still see everything around me, but yet everything appeared distorted by my son's fingerprints. My ability to see things clearly was masked.
How often are we walking around in life like this? Is there something clouding your vision? Is it an emotion? Stress? An unhealthy habit or relationship? Maybe a past hurt? What's keeping you from seeing life in it's proper perspective?
This week, I want to encourage you to take some time to examine if there is something clouding your vision-- clouding your lens through which you view the world.
Consider asking yourself "what is clouding my vision?" or "what is preventing me from seeing clearly?" Next try using the 5 Why's from Living Wellness for Growth Groups:
"Why is a question we will ask throughout [our] entire [life] journey. When you ask (and answer) the question 'why' authentically, you will discover your motivations or your reason for doing things" (Living Wellness for Growth Groups, p. 39).
To use the 5 Why's ask yourself first "what is clouding your vision" and then follow that up with asking "Why?" Once you answer that, ask "Why?" again. Repeat this three more times.
Looking through my cloudy glasses lenses reminded me of a story from the Bible when Jesus heals a blind man.
"They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, 'Do you see anything?'
He looked up and said, 'I see people; they look like trees walking around.'
Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly." Mark 8:22-25
At first the man was able to see, but he could not see clearly. This is how I was seeing with smudged glasses. Once Jesus put his hands on the man's eye again, the man was able to see clearly.
What ever it is that is clouding your vision today, bring it to Jesus today in prayer and ask Him restore your clear vision. That restoration process might be immediate or it may take some time, but the Lord will guide you through that process.
You are worth more than mediocre. You are worth exceptional health!
Caitlyn J. Hanson
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