Open my eyes, Lord!

I am blind as a bat without my contacts or glasses. I am not too far off from the long-standing eye doctor joke, ending with, 

“What chart?”

I’m not sure exactly how long I went thinking the world around me was blurry. Maybe I thought everybody saw the same thing I did. I do remember in the fifth grade, my desk was located in the farthest row possible from the blackboard. (Yes, I know blackboard dates me) I had discovered that if I pulled out on the outer corners of my eyes, that my vision became clearer, long enough for me to read the blackboard. I learned later doing that was actually reshaping the eyes, thus clearing up the vision. It certainly worked, but I looked like an idiot and it tied up my hands. 

My teacher consulted with my mom, and it was off to the optometrist for me. I would soon reappear fitted with those lovely “cat” glasses of the early 70’s. But, it was the trip home with my new glasses that left a lasting impression. I’m sure I resembled the family pet in the front seat as I sat gazing out the window at my new surroundings. For the first time, I was seeing things like birds, high line wires (I knew there were poles, but no wires), individual leaves on trees, house numbers, clouds, airplanes and even faces at a distance …..things I could not see before. I was amazed! I was beholding a whole new world. 

Years ago, a pastor friend of mine, gave me invaluable insight into a “whole new world”. As a spiritual toddler at that time, I was developing a hunger for The Word and wanted to be able to read it and understand it accurately, but some of it was “fuzzy” to me.  He recommended that each time I sat down to read, to first pray using the scripture from Psalm 119:18, 

“Open my eyes that I may behold wonderful things from your law.”

And God honors His Word! The fascination I had experienced as a child beholding my new world with my “new eyes” was a mere flicker in comparison to the unspeakable wonderment I have beheld in the light of God’s Word. And each new year, God continues to reveal new things to me as I pray and seek His Word, beginning always with “Open my eyes, Lord…..” 

If God’s Word seems “fuzzy” to you, I encourage you to pray Psalm 119:18 the next time you sit down to read and see if you do not behold wonderful new things.  No matter where you are spiritually or what stage you are in, God will open your eyes to what may be needed for the moment or perhaps even a new direction He desires for you.  You will stand amazed as you behold a whole new world!