May
24
I came across this in my reading today:
Difficulty does this, it changes your perspective. In ways that are subtle and not so subtle, it alters the way you see your world. Perhaps it causes you to look at your world through the lens of fear and dread. Or maybe it makes you look at life through the window of profound questions that you have never asked before. Or you may look at life through the lens of envy, now even more aware of what others have that you do not. Or difficulty may give you the eyes to be thankful for little things that you wouldn’t have previously acknowledged. Difficulty may lead you to look at your world through the lens of doubt, calling age old beliefs into question. Or it may encourage you to see your world through the eyes of faith as you are now more aware than ever of God’s presence and help. Or difficulty may just blind you, leaving you only able to see your own suffering. Or it may give you better sight, now more able to see and relate to the needs of others.
Suffering will alter your vision in some way. This is both one of its dangers and one of its gifts.
It’s my prayer for my family…really, it’s my plea to God that we not experience significant vision impairment through this process. Instead, I pray that we can see ourselves and our situation through the natural lens of the Gospel…the merciful work of God through Jesus that brings hope into hopeless situations and redemption to seemingly lost causes…and people.
Comments
1 Comment so far
Hi Robert,
I’m sorry i haven’t written to offer my condolence until now. I’ve been following your news from a distance and am truly sorry for what you’ve all been going through. I don’t know all the details but i do know you and Erin have suffered tremendously through it all and this saddens me. Please know that i think of you often. Your last post let’s me know that you’re pulling through it all -beaten but somehow strengthened- and this is cause for my admiration in you. i send best wishes now and love from madagascar. my prayer is that the healing will continue, and the tragedy will turn to something good in the light of the days ahead. God’s strength old friend. all the best, luke.