“Why don’t these glasses that I have had less than a year help me  read anymore?”  I complained to my optometrist at my annual eye exam.

“Have you noticed those spots on your eyes.?” she asked patiently as she held up a mirror.  There I could see dark patches on my  irises which once were clear blue. Then I realized that everyone else could see my problem except for me. Jesus said that before we can help anyone else we have to deal with our own weaknesses.

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You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. Matthew 7:5

Once  I accepted that I needed help,I went to Saint Luke’s Cataract and Vision Institute; where I discovered that  I needed surgery. As the result of a lifetime of overexposure to sun at work I had developed something called pterygiums.  In the same way that seeing too much, had dimmed my vision whatever we focus the eyes of our hearts on determines our ability to see spiritually. As we allow our eyes to become calloused by what we see in our world, we will see less and less of God’s face.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8

After my surgery some nights have been painful and I needed to wear a protective eye patch for a while. Part of the process was getting eye drops every day. Because they stung I dreaded each time my wife reminded me that it was time for my drops; but I knew that these prevented infection and promoted healing. God restores our spiritual eyes in the same way with His healing balm. Though it may sting for a moment as our eyes fill tears of repentance; at the end we will be able to say, “I once was blind but now I see!”.

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Revelation 3:18

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