I had been wearing eye glasses for several years in order to read more easily. The words began to get too small and quite frankly my arms too short š Then I began to notice things were not so clear off in the distance any longer. For a girl who prided herself on being able to read small print and see things far off in the distance, this was most difficult.
The eye doctor suggested bi-focals and it seemed like a good idea at the time, so I had them made up for me. They worked beautifully while I was in the doctor’s office as they had me try to read both near and in the distance. But then I got home.
For days, I felt nauseous. At times, even a feeling of motion sickness would take me over. It was then I discovered the problem – my head was bobbing up and down in an effort to gain its focus. In other words, I wasn’t using the bifocals correctly nor making the adjustment. A trip back to the eye doctor was warranted as I went to ask for help.
The doctor quickly assessed my problem and said: “Your eyes can only focus on one thing at a time.” She went on to explain I was moving my head up and down in an attempt to take in everything at the same time. She suggested mono-vision contacts to make life, and seeing, a whole lot more comfortable for me. My problem was solved.
I notice I try to do this with situations in my life as well. My focus strays. I look at circumstances from the human, everyday perspective and become overwhelmed or worried or panicky. But then I lift my eyes above the circumstances, remembering where my help comes from and suddenly gain a much clearer perspective. But then I go back to looking at my situation. And then, I look up again.
I remember the words of my eye doctor: “Your eyes can only focus on one thing at a time.”
I must train my eyes to regain perspective:
- “My eyes are always on the Lord.” (Psalm 25:15,ĆĀ NLT)
- “I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven. We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy.” (Psalm 123:1-2, NLT)
- “So we don’t look at the troubles we see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen.” (2 Corinthians 4:18, NLT)
- We run our race … “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.” (Hebrews 12:2, NLT)
That word “fix” meansĆĀ “to direct steadily, uninterrupted (dictionary.com).
And so I’m learning when hard times come – and they will, and they do – I keep my eyes looking upward. Mono vision. A singular gaze.
My eyes can only focus on One.
And my heart remains in peace.
Today I may be joining … Playdates With God and Unforced Rhythms and Salt & Light and Inspire Me Monday and Mon. Musings and Create With Joy and Making Your Home Sing and Good Morning Mondays and Motivation Mon. .
Salt and light
Great metaphor & love these verses! What a word of encouragement for starting off the week. Thanks for sharing this. Blessings!
Grateful you were encouraged. May we see Him with 20/20 vision this week š
Thank you Joanna!With my ADD mind I too try to look at it all. Everything around me needs my attention or so I think. Really when my mind focuses on Him everything gets in order of what He deems priority in my lifeBlessingsJenSent from Xfinity Connect Mobile App
Jen, there is no way we can take it all in at once. I am not even sure it all needs our attention. May we see clearly what He would have us to tend to this week. And more so, may we see & experience Him in it all. Have a great week!
This is such a great analogy. I have had similar thoughts about photography. The Lord has taught me so much about what focus is and about the verses you shared through practicing photography.
I bet you would learn wonderful lessons through photography & varied lenses! Amazing what we can learn through our everyday life & activities.
Hey! My arms got really short a couple of years ago, too! I had about 5 good years between lasik surgery and needing slight correction and then another five years until I had to go to bifocals–unfortunately, because of the eye surgery, I can’t wear contacts. But that’s really no the point, is it ;). The point is, we so often make ourselves sick trying to focus on the wrong thing. Maybe that’s why I love the hymn “Be Thou My Vision”.
Anita, I love that you shared the hymn. So very true! May we find ourselves humming this hymn all week as a reminder to maintain our focus. ” Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art…”
The Lord spoke right to my situation through you, my dear sister. Thank you for making the fuzzy things clear! I have been looking more at my stuff than turning it over and focusing on Him. He is the light of the world…. I also like what Anita shared about the great hymn “Be Thou My Vision”. I love and appreciate you.
Marilyn, I am glad that the Lord spoke to your heart. Anita’s mention about the hymn was a wonderful thought. May we find ourselves humming it all week as a reminder to maintain our focus on Him. Much love to you!
It’s me again…. just remembering when I was told to wear tri-focals. Yes, at the eye doctor they were fine but when I went to the grocery store looking up and down the shelves I welt dizzy and had a feeling of being totally out of control.
Tri-focals! Wow, I have never heard of that. Well, if I struggled with bifocals, you know full well how terribly I would do with those.
This is a great analogy and totally speaks to my natural propensity to look in too many different directions at once.
Elizabeth, I learned more through the experience of my contact lenses than I ever thought š I drove myself crazy in the adjustment. It has been good to for me to learn that I have not been alone in looking in too many directions at the same time. May we keep our focus on Him alone this week.
Kinda funny that I’m trying to read this without my glasses, so I was already upping the font to make it larger. š So many great lessons with our eyes. I want focused vision on that One too. Thanks for sharing this!
Lisa, you made me laugh as that would so be me – upping the font š Let’s have a week of concentrated focus on the One! Blessings!
Great reminder to keep our focus! I’ve struggled with vision my whole life and my hope was that as I got older, that near-sighted would change slowly and at one point I’d have good vision. Yeah…didn’t work that way. Fortunately we have a CHOICE on whether or not we focus on God or our problems!
Carol, as I read your comment I thought, while our natural eyesight may fail as we age, our spiritual eyesight can improve as I age in Him!
I am the same with my glasses. I have had graded lenses and am about to step into bifocals. I am hoping they will be okay, but your post is so right. We need to remember to only focus on God and his plan and will for our lives and not always be looking all over the place. Thank you for sharing at Good Morning Mondays. Blessings
May you transition easily to the change in your glasses! And may He align our focus each & every day. Blessings!
As a chronic multi-tasker, I admit it has taken me far too long to learn this lesson. Because while it might be an asset to know how to cook dinner, help kids with homework, and scrub the countertops at the same time, when it comes to the deeper things of life, there is no prize for the one who spin the most plates. In fact, I think the lessons that stick most are the ones I have yielded trying to grasp and instead let them grasp me. š Thank you for this articulate and thought-provoking piece. Nice to have you with us at Unforced Rhythms.
Kelli – you said it best – we need to let the lessons grasp us. You have no idea how deeply this has spoken to me this morning. Praying & asking Him to let the lessons grab hold of me in the days ahead which are uncertain to me but fully known to Him. Thank you for those words!! Blessings!
My eye can only focus on one thing at a time. (I had to say it to myself to make sure That I was paying attention!) what a truth statement that can be so easily forgotten…
Thank you for sharing!
It’s amazing as we let that sink in, we will stop trying to focus on everything. May we focus on that which is the most important in the days ahead.
āI lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven.” We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy.
I LOVE this analogy. I am so often looking to everything else along with the Lord instead of Him alone! And I think I may need glasses soon too… š
Angie, it’s amazing the spiritual lessons we learn as we experience life. May we keep looking to Him all of our days. Oh, and get the glasses … you’ll be amazed at what you will see š Blessings!