Vision

I recently got some new glasses.  I tried to take a selfie with them on, but all of them turned out horribly, so here is a picture of just the glasses:

Now, I know they are not very remarkable, just from looking at the picture, but when I tried them on...wow!  I realized just how blind I had been because I could see SO WELL.  I knew that the small print had been getting smaller and that my eyes were getting more tired, but I had no idea just how bad my vision was until I put on my new pair of glasses!  When I got home, I really could read the small print--it was amazing!

In thinking about this, I think daily time with God functions the same way in our lives.  We are all prone to "blind spots" spiritually; in fact, the Bible tells us that we really cannot see things God's way unless His Spirit lives in us.  We may, in fact, not realize just how blind we are to the things of God until we open the Bible.  This, combined with asking for the Holy Spirit to help us, gives us vision to see things God's way.  We realize that we were blind in how we approached a situation (compared to how God would have wanted us to approach it) or how blind we are in relationships, parenting, and just our understanding of God. 

But we can't just leave it there; we have to apply what we have learned into our everyday lives.  If I don't use my new glasses, I won't see much, I can tell you that!  In the same way, in order to continue to see things God's way, we need to spend time with Him daily and in the Bible.  I am far from perfect in consistent time with Him...but I am realizing more and more how little I truly see without God.  If we don't see with our eyes, we run into things and can break things and cause a lot of havoc to those around us.  Spiritually, we can run into obstacles and break relationships and...cause a lot of havoc,, too, if we are not spending time with God.  And the more time we spend with Him, the more He gives us a clear picture of His vision for our lives. 

One of my favorite hymns talks about vision.  The words are old, but beautifully, written:

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art

High King of Heaven, my victory won
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heav’n’s Sun
Heart of my own heart, whate’er befall
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all

So, if you wear glasses...or if you see someone who does...let that be a reminder to get your spiritual vision aligned with God today!  Our spiritual eyes need a checkup, too!

Wondering about....Wonder

I've been struck by how fascinated our society is by the word wonder.  It's prominent in two recent hit movies, for instance.  Last summer, I saw a movie I was very excited to see---Wonder Woman.

I think I was so excited because in my early teens I watched this version of the same character on TV:

I think this character appealed to me for several reasons.  First, the actress playing Wonder Woman on TV had the same first name as me.  Second, she was a woman superhero--not as common when I was younger.  But what I most appreciated about Wonder Woman was her emphasis on truth; she had a lasso that made people tell the truth, and fought for truth in both iterations of this character.  But in thinking about the word wonder, there is another aspect of Wonder Woman in the new movie that I found fascinating; Wonder Woman looks at our world with a sense of childlike wonder.  She tells someone that sells ice cream that they "should be very proud."  She sees snow for the first time and thinks it's magical.  And that is also part of Wonder Woman's charm--she sees things differently.

I recently saw another movie with this word in the title, based on this book:

I'd read part of this book to class recently, and I knew I wanted to see the movie when it came out:

I had the chance to see the movie recently, and I was again struck by that word....wonder.  Auggie, the boy in the story has a facial deformity.  He starts a new school in fifth grade.  But he has a secret weapon--a loving family.  His mother says in the film that he is a wonder, and in fact, he is.  He is really smart and over time, the students at his school begin to see past his outward appearance and find that his inner personality, wit and intelligence make him special.  His ability to see the world differently make him a wonder.

Why are these movies popular?  Of course, a lot has to do with the gift of storytelling the film makers have, the great acting and special effects, and all of the magic that movies bring to the screen.  But I think there is another reason:  we were created to worship.  We were created to be in awe of God and what is around us.  The description in Genesis of the Garden of Eden and of creation itself ignites our imaginations.  The problem is, that when sin entered the world, the wonder of the world was marred.  We look around us and see little to worship---or worship things that are not worthy.   So, often now, life is hard.  Disappointing.  Hurtful. We think to ourselvess,  "Is anything wonderful left in the world?"

But our quest for wonder stirs within us, anyway.  This is what drives artists, musicians, actors and actresses, filmmakers and anyone involved in creativity.  We long to experience wonder--and, miraculously, we sometimes do  We see a newborn baby cry, hear a beautiful symphony, read a great novel, see a painting by a master, are moved by a film...and we experience a glimpse of it.

These glimpses, however, are but a foretaste---a shadow.  Because they all originate in the greatest wonder of all.  An epic story of a God who created the world, was rejected by his creation, and then developed a plan over thousands of years to bring a Savior to the world, who would be rejected, die for the sins of its people, and defeat death.  And, wonder of wonders, He desires to continue that process today and work through flawed people for His kingdom purposes.  That is truly a wonder...and He offers it to you today.  Jesus came to pay the price for your sin...and to give you eternal life forever and abundant life today.  And the true wonder is that He helps us see differently--to look at the world and notice His presence and see the value of everyone.  To, as the Old Testament says, "seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God."