One of the most valuable gifts in life is the ability to see. I can’t imagine a day I can’t see.
I was having some trouble with my eyes about four years ago, and I had to go to my eye doctor and have cataracts removed from both my eyes. Before I had the surgery, I was really having a hard time seeing things. It wasn’t easy to read or work on my computer.
After the cataract surgery, I was blessed to be able to see very clearly.
That was about four years ago, and several months ago, I started having some difficulty seeing again. I have these things called “floaters,” which have scared me on several occasions, especially when driving.
I was watching television with The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage,wife Martha, and I started swatting these “floaters” in front of my face. Looking at me, she said, “What are you doing over there?”
“I’m swatting these bugs flying around my head.”
Staring at me for a few moments, she finally responded, “Don’t you know there are no bugs flying around your head?”
About four months ago, my right eye seemed foggy. That fog seemed to get thicker each day. Finally, I had to go to the eye doctor, and he diagnosed what I had and scheduled me for surgery on that eye.
Leading up to that surgery, I was having some difficult times. Especially at night, it was challenging to drive because I couldn’t see much out of my right eye. I also was having a hard time working on my computer and reading.
When I looked in the mirror, everything was so foggy I couldn’t really see anything clearly. That in itself was a blessing. Looking in my mirror and not seeing my face clearly was a happy start to my day.
The only area I was concerned about was going into the bathroom and looking in the bathroom mirror. I’ve asked Martha a hundred times if I could remove the mirror in my bathroom.
She would just shake her head, laugh, and walk away.
Trying to make an excuse for not hearing her, I said, “My dear, I don’t see what you’re saying.”
Looking at me, she said sternly, “It’s not your eyes I’m concerned about it’s your ears.”
It’s amazing what those doctors can do. I walked out of his office being able to see as clearly as I’ve ever seen.
As Martha drove home she said rather cheerfully, “It’s great that you got your sight back, and now you can see everything. Are you happy about that?”
I told her I was happy to see very clearly. Then I told her, “There’s only one more thing that needs fixing. That’s the mirror in my bathroom. Can you do something about that?”
The look she gave me revealed it wasn’t going to happen; I didn’t have to hear it. I knew it from past experiences.
Later on, I thought of a Bible verse that explains this.
“The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.”
— Proverbs 20: 12
God has enabled me to hear and see, and the combination is a great gift to our lives. Each day, I must appreciate this amazing gift.
Dr. Snyder is a former pastor who lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, in Ocala, Fla. His email is [email protected].
