I thought it would be cool to make my first article published in 2020 centre on my journey to getting 20/20 vision.
Last year, as a very expensive birthday present to myself, I did Lasik eye surgery. As much as I am enthralled by the freedom and convenience of clear vision, I have also savoured the tender nuggets of wisdom that God has sweetly and subtly placed intermittently in my path throughout this process:
1. Getting used to my own face.
I started wearing glasses when I was 9 months old (you read that right, 9 months, not years!). So one of the biggest adjustments after the surgery has been getting accustomed to how I look now. This is the face I was born with. This face is my natural, original state of being. Yet I had to readjust to it because I looked strange without glasses.
It made me think of what it's like to be born again as a Christian. Fellowship with God is what we were originally born to do; it's what should be natural to us. Prayer, worship, reading His word, hearing God's voice, and enjoying His presence are things that should have been natural to us. Yet we have to spend our time on earth disciplining ourselves into doing these regularly. And the only reason we have the ability and opportunity to fellowship with God is because of an intense, costly corrective procedure (i.e. Christ’s death on the cross).
2. Human perfection is limited.
I'm a bit embarrassed to admit how giddy I was after my surgery. The euphoria captivated me and I got too excited about my new found sight. I soon got disappointed when I realised that, just because I could see better, didn’t mean I could see everything. I still couldn't read every single license plate that whizzed past me in traffic or signs half a mile away. Even with 20/20 vision, there are some things I would just never be able to see.
Human beings, even at our peak - physical, mental, emotional or otherwise - will always have limitations, and these limitations cannot be overcome no matter how hard we try. This is why we worship God, because He alone is limitless in His abilities. This is also why we must always remain dependent on Him, even when we are doing well. No matter how much we succeed in any area in life, we must remember that God knows better and can do things better than we ever can.
3. Growth must be proactively nurtured.
The morning after, I woke up and could distinguish every leaf on a tree across the street. My eyes saw immediate improvement after the Lasik surgery. But I had to throw myself into an intense daily regiment just as immediately in order to maintain that improved vision.
Six eye drops a day in each eye. New, tedious ways to wash my face and my hair. Wearing shades during the day, especially outdoors. Sleeping and bathing with special goggles. Not rubbing or touching my eyes at all. No swimming.
In the same way, when we receive salvation or get deliverance from a demonic attack or spiritual stronghold in our lives, the benefit we receive is immediate. But so is the responsibility to be disciplined in how we maintain that benefit. The Bible says that we need to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians chapter 2, verse 12) and if we don't guard our hearts properly, we can end up in a worse spiritual condition than before we got deliverance (Matthew chapter 12, verses 43-45).
4. Tears help me to see better.
During one of my check-ups, I was a little disappointed that my vision seemed to have regressed. The chart that I could read so easily and quickly a month ago was now blurry for me as I struggled to read the bottom two lines. My ophthalmologist then dampened a tiny stick and swabbed my eyes. Within a few seconds, my vision was sharper than ever. When I asked what he used in my eyes, he casually shrugged that he just put in artificial tears. Tears helped me to see better.
As I reflect on the last decade, and the whirlwind of ups and downs I have experienced, I can honestly say that in all things (including the things that have caused me to shed many tears) God works for the good of those who love him. Too often, we stop reading there at that verse. But if we would read on, we'd see that the subsequent verse unpacks what constitutes "the good": being "conformed to the image of His Son." (Romans chapter 8, verse 29) Tears help me to see life more clearly, namely, as a carefully and lovingly orchestrated series of experiences (including, and sometimes, especially painful ones) that help me become more like Christ.
As I enjoy "perfect" vision in the physical sense, I’m sure God will use other experiences to perfect my spiritual vision as well.