Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of Passage? His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a MAN. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man! Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm. We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, God is watching over us, sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him.







Let's be more aware of all the choices, situations, twists and turns that brought us to this place right here and now. They May Be Miracles.



Friday, April 9, 2010

I Can See Clearly Now...

I went to have my eye exam earlier this week.  I haven't gone to the eye doctor in a good 4 years - it's just that my prescription hasn't changed in many years so I didn't really see a need...haha. 

So one of the first things they needed for me to do was to take out my contact lenses.  After that a couple of tests were done, then I needed to sit in the exam room and wait for the doctor.  As I sat in the exam room with everything "foggy" and "blurry" I became extremely aware of how much I despise not being able to see clearly.  I mean, there is usually less than 60 seconds a day that I can't see clearly and it is the time between when I take my contacts out and put my glasses on, or when I take my glasses off and put my contacts in.  I have shared on here before my little secret about sleeping with my glasses on...I just don't like getting up at night and not being able to see the time on the clock...or not seeing which child is standing at my bedside...or any of the various things I need to see at night.  Yes, I could put the glasses on my bedside table, but unless you have trouble seeing you may not understand the discomfort in not being able to see when you open your eyes. 

So I sat in the exam room waiting for the doctor and I could only see in blurred vision for a time (really not liking that experience).  I began to think about thousands of years ago and how people probably just had to struggle with poor vision...they didn't have much help with this issue.  I suppose people get use to what they have to get use to.  I also thought about people in very poor countries who may not have access to good eye care - and I began to thank God for the ministry of those missionaries and doctors who help people in those countries.  I said a prayer of thanks to God that he's helped people over the years to develop great ways for us to see clearly.

As I sat there and said that prayer of thanks, the words "ways for us to see clearly," rang in my brain.  I began to think about how God has given us so many ways, opportunities, people, means, tools, books, HIMSELF...every possible thing on earth to help us see more clearly ... spiritually speaking.  He continues on a daily basis to send people or words or events our way to show us HIS LOVE, HIS GRACE, HIS WISDOM, and HIS POWER.  How is it that our prescriptions can be so off sometimes...how is it that with all of HIS PERFECTNESS we can not see Him clearly sometimes?  I guess we tend to "take our glasses off" and "sit them on the bedside stand" - then we can only see in blurred vision through all the fogginess of the world, the media, the politics, the hate, the sadness and sorrow we've encounterred.

Let's remember to ask God each day to help us see Him clearly.  Then, put our glasses on and focus on the perfect vision of His Love and guidance for us in our lives.

6 comments:

Brenda Susan said...

What a beautiful & inspirational post! I want to thank you for your kind & thoughtful comment on my blog regarding my job loss. Very sweet of you.
I too, wear glasses & have often prayed for my eyes to be healed, why not? I have seen many other kinds of healings including BLIND EYES being healed! But so far the glasses will have to do.
Anyway thank you for commenting!

veterankindergartenteacher said...

What a lovely, prolific post Dustine. Your love for the Lord shines through it. I just loved it and I love the new picture at the top of your blog. I also like the new picture you posted as a follower.

May Be Miracles said...

Brenda Susan,
I get what you mean about asking for healing...if you don't ask then you already have your answer! Rarely do things just come to us without the asking!
Take care and God Bless! Dustine

May Be Miracles said...

VKT,
Thank you for your kind words! From reading your blog I see that there's a tool called Friday Follow...I'll have to check into that. I'm still not sure how serious I am about blogging...but I do like the community that comes with it...and I really like finding good blogs to read.
Take care and God Bless...
Dustine

LibbyLibbyLibbyLibbyLibby said...

I too often feel so grateful and thankful to be able to receive eye care and think about in the past where people did just probably have to get used to having poor vision or be healed...and same with other situations where there is no opportunity for eye care at all unless missionary doctors come and help.
Beautiful post.

DUSTINE said...

Thanks Libby! Yes...I'm eternally grateful that I can wear contact lenses and most of the day not worry about seeing. Another one of those *small blessings* that amount to a lot!!