Let me start off by telling you a little about my past… something you may or may not know about me. Then I’d like to share a prayer that I have for you that will spring from a verse of scripture recorded in the Old Testament. Ok, here we go!
If you have been around me much, you surely have noticed that my right eye looks different than my left. This is because I am blind in my right eye. I have been since I was 14 years old. I had major retinal surgery on this eye when I was 13 and again about a year later. These surgeries were harsh and painful. Remember, this was 4o years ago and surgical techniques were not as successful as they are today. Anyway, the reason my right eye looks different is because to this day, I have a silicone band in the back of my eye and stitches in the corner… holding some of it together, so to speak. This is where the story actually begins.
As you can imagine, I have been sensitive to my single-sightedness for most of my life. I try to be cautious about dangerous activities, but I do not walk in fear. I learned a long time ago that God is in control of my future… even how my eyes work or don’t work. This brings me to the year 2005 when I experienced a devastating period in my life. At 45, I developed a cataract in my “good” eye. Its effect was not very noticeable at first, but after a few short months, it started hampering my ability to work and function properly. I went to see an eye doctor and then another to get a second opinion. I was told that due to the blindness in my right eye, caused by a detached retina, I was at higher risk of experiencing a detachment in my good eye when they removed the cataract and inserted the lens implant. This worried them because they could potentially render me blind and disabled. So, they decided to wait. They told me that they would not do the surgery until the cataract had matured to the point that I had no other choice. Basically, that meant that when I could no longer see well enough to function, they would do the surgeries. This waiting period stretched into about a year.
During that year, things got tough for us. I lost my job and could not see well enough to do private computer work. I eventually became legally blind and we hit rock bottom as they say. Then, when there was no other option, I was taken to Memphis for specialists to do the first surgery. This procedure was designed to strengthen my retina in preparation for the lens implant. Three months later, I went back for the actual cataract and lens implant surgery. For the next day, I could see nothing because they had my left eye covered and bandaged. The next day, my dad drove me back to Memphis and I remember how nervous I was as they removed the bandages. I did a LOT of praying in preparation for this moment. The result was restoration that amazed me. After my eye settled down a bit and adjusted to the light, I could see better than ever… almost like a teenager again! So, how am I going to relate this to Old Testament scripture?
Alright, here it comes… let me start by displaying a verse from 2 Kings:
For the sake of time, I won’t get into all of the background of this scripture. The basic idea is that a prophet of the Lord seemed to be in peril and his servant was pretty nervous about things. A fierce army was closing in on them. Things looked bad! However, Elisha could see beyond the physical and recognize the amazing spiritual scene that lay before him. He prayed that God would open the eyes of his servant and that young man saw the power of the Lord displayed in the spiritual realm. Horses and chariots of fire were available to help them win the day. So, allow me to connect my story to this one.
During those long dark days that blurred my vision, I slowly got used to what i thought I was seeing. It took months before I started seeing obvious anomalies. At one point, I actually started seeing triple vision concerning things like street lights or the center line on the roadway. If you can imagine seeing three lights, shaped pyramid fashion, of every street light, etc… it was pretty wild at times. So, my vision gradually degraded to a point where things were just not normal at all. I was upset and felt hopelessness at times.., similar to the way Elisha’s servant felt hopelessness in their situation. After the doctor’s successful procedures, I could see very very clearly, to the point where every edge on every leaf on every tree jumped out at me. Honestly, it was a bit shocking to go from that state of gray obscurity to having my eyes opened to the reality and clarity that I had been missing. It is the same with the spiritual world around us. Now, I am not implying that I have seen angels in chariots of fire around me, but there have been times that I know they were there. There is a powerful strengthening of the Spirit that can come to you when you face difficult times or staggering odds. When Elisha’s servant saw clearly what was happening in the spiritual world, he gained a very new perspective. He realized that his circumstances were not dependent on his own power or resources. God was with them and God was on their side!
To wrap this up, here is my prayer for you. If you are a believer, I pray that God will open (or continue to open) your spiritual eyes and help you see beyond your own strength, intelligence, and finite mindset. Trust in your heavenly Father, the grace of His Son, and the power of His Spirit. You do not fight this fight alone. For the unbeliever, I pray that you will open your mind to the reality of God, His Son’s finished work, and the need to be infused with His Spirit. You are blind to realities that you cannot comprehend yet, but He offers you an amazing future, salvation, and peace of mind. If you struggle with what it means to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, please take a few more minutes to read through this page, which explains it further.
Thank you for taking time to read this rather lengthy article. I pray that it will encourage you or lead you to Jesus… amen.
