Through His eyes

This week I was pleasantly surprised when the optometrist told me that my current pair of contact lenses was over-corrected and that my new contacts, with reduced power, would give me "perfect" vision. I would be able to see both far and near clearly. No reading glasses needed. Pretty cool, huh.

One of the few things that really irked me about the ageing process was "old flower eyes". I can deal with the wrinkles, the weight gain, the daily muscular aches and all the other signs of ageing, but what an incredible pain not to be able to read clearly.

Reflecting on my new, improved vision, I found in it a metaphor for my spiritual life. Is it not true that as we mature in our Christian walk, we should be able to see better as we begin to acquire, bit by bit, the vision of love that is uniquely Christ's?

While I can never, as St. Paul puts it, "see but a poor reflection as in a mirror" until I "see face to face" due to my own distortions and weaknesses here on earth, I can, through my constant desire to see "the face of God", reduce my human-adjusted vision.

I still remember what it used to be like in my late 20s and early 30s, when I was groping in the dark for answers to my life, ill at ease with myself and greatly dissatisfied with certain areas in my life.

It was only when the vision enabled by faith was given to me that I began to view my world in a different light.

I then prayed to be able to see His face and hear His voice for I had been blind and deaf to who God was for many years and therefore not adept at discerning His presence in my life.

Suddenly, things became crystal clear as I began to see with the eyes of my heart, within which dwelled the essence of who I was and God's Spirit which was gifted to me when I was 11 days old.

It's hard to keep clear-sighted at all times for there will be twists and blind corners in the road ahead. Or days where a fog of darkness will descend to linger indefinitely.

As long as I remember to hold fast to the moments of truth (when I see with absolute clarity) that come my way, and steer my course accordingly, I do not fear getting lost or losing myself in the deserts of life.

And so I start each day with a personal petition to be able to see His face and hear His voice always, and thereby also acquire the art of seeing the world through His eyes.

For today, I am most grateful for my improved eyesight that affords the ability to not only read fine print, but to gaze inward and see Jesus looking back at me with love in His eyes.