Spiritual Vision

I am in the midst of surgeries to remove cataracts from my eyes.  I have one eye completed, and the other eye is scheduled for cataract surgery in a few days.  When I think about all of this, there are many spiritual lessons to be learned.  

There was blind man in the eighth chapter of the book of Mark in the New Testament of the Bible.  The first time Jesus laid his hands on the man's eyes, they were not completely healed.  The man could see, but he did not see clearly.  When Jesus laid His hands on the man a second time, the man "was restored, and he saw everything clearly." (verse 25)

When I had one cataract removed from my left eye and a new artificial lens inserted a few days ago, colors were brighter, and this was a first step to clearer vision.  However, I still have one more eye to go, some eye healing which must still occur, and glasses to be fitted in a few weeks for reading and other possible tweaks for my eyesight to be the best it can be.

So also my spiritual eyesight is in a state of fluctuation.  Sometimes when trials come or I don't always understand the Lord's workings, my spiritual vision may feel fuzzy.  That is when I need to focus on the Lord and trust Him.  I Corinthians 13:12 of the New Testament of the Bible says this of spiritual eyesight, "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."

I don't always enjoy dealing with the eye drops and eye healing and fluctuations or do I deal with them with complete patience.  So I also need to patiently wait on the Lord and trust Him, as I walk through all of life's challenges.  I will not always see the reason for everything that happens in my life and in the world around me with clear spiritual vision, but one day when I see Jesus face to face; I will have perfectly clear spiritual vision.  I will also know and understand more completely.  In the meantime, I can rest in the fact that the Lord already knows me fully, and He knows me better than I know myself.

Five Years

Five years ago on Saturday, July 13th my husband, Bob, and I were married.  It was a joyous ocasion for the two of us.  We had both lost our first spouses to death, and now had found each other.  Forgive me, as I once again use this format to remember and ask for personal prayer requests.  

We were able to go on a mini vacation or two since the time of our wedding five years ago.  We visited Door County in northern Wisconsin on our honeymoon and then again in the fall of 2020.

One memorable vacation was to Mackinac Island.

Another memorable weekend trip was to Lacrosse, WI where we met up with my siblings.  My sister, Nancy, was fighting cancer at that time, and we all wanted to be together.   Sadly for us, my sister is no longer with us.  For her it is wonderful, as she is with Jesus.

However, the last couple years or so have been difficult, as we have seen Bob decline.  He was able to be home at first with some outside help.  Then he was in assisted living for about five months.  Now as I have written before, he is in a skilled nursing facility.  Continued prayers are appreciated for Bob, his daughters, and for me.

Below is a picture of Bob at the skilled care home taken a few days ago.  He was fairly alert that day.  Today when I visited him, he was more sleepy and not as coherent.

My life verse the last number of years has been, "Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)  Pray that I can continue to cling to that verse.

Sharing Heartaches

Last week when I went to church I was feeling sad about some of the events that were occurring in my life.  There had been some new declines in my husband's health, and he had been admitted into a skilled living facility a few days before.  I was struck by something else that Sunday morning, however.   I was struck by the fact that many others around me were also suffering heartaches. 

That morning I spoke with a man who had just lost his wife to death a few weeks before.  I noticed a couple in a pew near me who were experiencing cancer issues in the wife and were awaiting test results for the husband.  I chatted briefly with another woman whose husband is at the same facility as my husband and going through rehab after surgery.  It is easy to think one is alone, as one faces heartaches or trials.  It is easy to think that everyone around us are problem free, and we are the only ones facing challenges.

Yet the truth is that everyone is facing challenges of one degree or another.  Jesus said, "In this world you will have trouble."  He then goes on to say, however, "But take heart!  I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)  The Lord is with us each step of the way, and as Christians we can support each other by prayer and kind words of encouragement.  We can be there for that person who feels they are emotionally drowning in the life challenges they are facing.     

Recently I posted a video on Facebook that portrayed the heartaches many people around us may be experiencing.  I posted the link to that again below.  Perhaps if we knew what others were experiencing we would be more loving in our approach to them.  We would also pray for them more consistently.

https://www.facebook.com/PicsStats/videos/447028668722073?idorvanity=209753919160720