“Lift the Fog, Clear the Blur”

As I was sitting in the Ophthalmologist's office last week waiting to be called in for an appointment, a sign on the wall caught my attention: “Lift the Fog, Clear the Blur.” Fog and blur—those words exactly described my world for the greater part of my life.

When I was in the sixth grade it was discovered that I was nearsighted and needed glasses. Prior to that time, I usually sat near the front of the classroom so that I could see the chalkboard. But my parents realized that something was wrong when we were at a football game and I kept asking them about the score.

“Just look at the scoreboard,” they told me. I finally had to own up to the fact that I could hardly see the scoreboard, let alone the writing on it! Actually, anything more than a few feet away was blurry. Glasses helped, but I wasn’t thrilled to be wearing them as a self conscious twelve year old.

During my high school years I got contact lenses...little blue, hard lenses. It took time getting used to them, but I was determined. The first pair lasted just one week, floating away during swim practice! My parents bought an insurance plan to cover the new ones, just in case. That was a good investment since they were easy to lose!

The contacts also caused problems when worn too long. Once during a summer outreach in the inner city of Los Angeles, I wore them all day and late at night on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday morning, while we were sitting in a little store front church worshiping with the congregation, one eye began burning and watering—a sure sign of a scratched cornea. It had happened before, resulting in covering the affected eye with a patch for a whole week.

I went back to the little bathroom, took out the contacts and prayed with all my heart for the Lord to help me. After a bit, I put on my sunglasses and sat back down with my friends, the eye still watering and burning. But before long the symptoms stopped and by the time the service was over, it was better...an amazing answer to prayer.

After Al and I married and were living in Porterville, California, I went back to wearing glasses full time. My vision progressively got blurrier however, which was a concern. Finally I was referred to an ophthalmologist on the suspicion that there might be something more involved than nearsightedness, which turned out to be correct. Both eyes were covered with thin, clear, hard to detect cataracts. It was uncertain how long the cataracts had been there. Bad news, but good news too. Surgery could correct the problem and with all of the advancements being made in that field, there was the hope of better vision for the future.

After having the surgery and getting lenses implanted in both eyes, there was an immediate and remarkable change in my vision. I still needed a slight correction and had to wear glasses; however they didn’t have to be worn all of the time. The fog was lifted, the blurred made clear! What a joy to receive that answer to prayer after such a long time of not being able to see well.

Talking about poor vision, it wasn’t until I was nineteen years old that Jesus Christ became real to me and that I caught a glimpse of His great love and plan for my life. Blurry spiritual vision? We all suffer from it to one degree or another, but faith is the beginning of our healing.

May the eyes of our hearts be opened to His presence in our lives and in the world around us. Have faith in this truth: He loves you!

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully even as I am fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1: 8-9 NIV