I wear glasses. No, I stand corrected, my glasses wear me. Lol. I’ve been wearing specs since the third grade. People constantly ask me if I really need them, mainly because I have so many pairs and it seems as if I only wear them because they’re cute.
My response is always “if you see me without them, please stop me and ask questions to see if I’m okay.” Seriously though… ask me if I’m okay. Anyhoo, I need my glasses. And they’re not just for reading or driving, I have to wear them all day. I’m so used to my glasses, in fact, that sometimes I don’t notice when they are dirty. Filthy to the point that others can see the lonely fingerprint, and I can’t. It’s terrible, I know, and they get so cloudy that when I finally clean them, it’s like the sky opens and the sun shines through.
My nephew is the same way, and my sister hates it. She can’t figure out how in the world we can’t see the dirt behind the lenses we are wearing when she can see the dirt on her own. I had to explain to her that she only wears her glasses for certain parts of the day, so her eyes aren’t as adjusted as ours.
New Vision, New Sight
Well, recently, I got a new pair of glasses. I don’t know what they put in their anti-reflective coating recipe, but I can see every little smudge. I get annoyed and constantly clean my glasses throughout the day. Now I see what my sister had seen all along. Nothing has changed, my lenses don’t get any grimier than before, I just notice it now.
Here’s the thing, I can’t go on the way I did before. I must fix the problem in order to be comfortable. I’m literally seeing things through a different lens.
See What God Sees
So often, others can see the “dirt” on our lenses long before we do. And I’m not talking about those that gossip, are nosy or those that help keep you behind those filthy lenses. I’m referring to those God sends that keep you lifted in prayer and genuinely want you to see clearer. Sometimes it only takes for them to gently remind you to ‘wipe ‘em off’, and sometimes, we need to have some things replaced in our lives.
Oh, another thing, no matter who they are and how supportive, everyone won’t always understand why it took you so long to clean your life up. Have you ever had a tongue-lashing from your circle of trusted friends who show how much they care but also prove how little they understand your process? Please know that God won’t leave you with dirty lenses, but He will help you and send others to help you see clearly.
So, What’s the Play Call?
It can be difficult to see the smudges on your own lenses, even though you are right behind them. Know that God sees what you don’t, and He has a plan to get your vision all cleared up. Here are a few things to keep in mind when your lenses are cloudy, and you can’t see the dirt:
- Keep your eyes fixed on God’s will. Yep, even though we can get into some sticky situations, if we make Jesus our center, He will improve our vision every time. “So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.” 2 Corinthians 4:2
- Ask God to show you who is sent to help you. God has people in place who will help you recognize that you aren’t seeing clearly. Even in the midst of your circumstances, ask Him to reveal them to you. “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Galatians 6:1
- It’s not too late to be renewed. See, if I hadn’t needed an updated prescription and ordered new glasses, I may still be in the same predicament, walking around with filthy lenses. It was time. Go ahead and update your prescription, through God’s word. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; And renew a right spirit within me.” Psalms 51:10
- Pray to God for keen hearing. I know we’re talking about sight, but hearing and seeing work hand in hand. My sister would always try to tell me when my glasses needed to be cleaned, but I wouldn’t listen. She could see when I could not; I needed to be open to hearing her in order to change. “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 11:15
Just as I can now tell when my lenses need a good cleaning, God will help you to see when your vision is cloudy. Trust Him when He shows you the way.
