Seeing clearly

 

Pastor Jean Newell

For years, a cataract had been growing on my “good” eye. Doctors had been reluctant to operate on the cataract because I’m blind in my other eye, but eventually it became apparent that the surgery could no longer be avoided.

The morning of surgery dawned a bright and sunny day. My oldest daughter Kyle Marie arrived from Flagstaff to be with me and take me to the surgical center. With surgery happening first thing in the morning, we were done and home before noon. A few hours later, with Kyle Marie’s help, we carefully removed the bandage and shield from my left eye. Holding our collective breath, we waited for the “fog” to clear. When it did, I was startled by the bright light! It was around 4:00 p.m. in the afternoon, and the living room seemed to be bathed in neon colors. My grandsons have floor pillows; the cover of one had reds and blues in it, and the other one had oranges and yellows. The colors seemed to dance off the pillows and SHOUT at me. I giggled with excitement.

I was in shock! For me, it was like watching those commercials for allergy medication. The announcer talks about being “clear,” and then it seems like a sheet of fog rolls across the screen, and the colors in the picture, which originally seemed to be bright, are now even brighter. I had no idea my sense of color had been so dulled by the cataract. I simply had gotten used to my limited vision, but now I was amazed by the colors and by all I could see clearly.

I wonder, does the same sort of thing happen with our faith? Do we become so used to our faith that we take it for granted? By taking faith for granted, do we miss seeing life clearly as Christ would have us see it? As Christ would have us live it – cataract-free? Without fog or haze dulling our vision?

As we continue moving through this season of Lent, may each one of us seek to remove the fog, the cataract from the eyes of our heart, as we spend time in prayer and devotion drawing closer to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.