Physical and Spiritual Vision

 

Before arriving Diane contacted me about doing an eye clinic this week and I was grateful to her for providing this care for the people in Monjares.  Diane did one half a day and one full day with the help of her team members, Gracie, Katherine, Elayne and Maida.  There was a short video they watched prior to doing the eye clinic to enlighten them on the best techniques to use on an international mission trip.  Diane came well prepared and her team members were well equipped for their task ahead.  They saw 275 plus patients those two days.  Elayne shared there was many elderly ladies who came to have their eyes examined.  They were grateful for this opportunity to get reading glasses to help them be able to read their bibles and see things they have not seen in years.  Gracie was in her element using her Spanish to help Maida where needed.  Katherine enjoyed helping Elayne with the fitting of the eye glasses for each patient.  Laura and Katherine both enjoyed helping with the children.  There was coloring sheets and crayons provided for the children while waiting on their family members.  In the afternoons the gentlemen came down to help as well where needed. Diane ran an amazing eye clinic.  All her hard work and preplanning paid off and so many folks were blessed because of it. 

The evening Diane and Gracie had their devotional they shared it on "Our Vision", Physical and Spiritual.  They did an analogy between the two. 

Our vision can go gradually and this is normal.  Sometimes when we are even much younger or ever as we get older.  The same applies to our spiritual vision.  We get too busy serving God or with our own lives and forget about our spiritual vision, God.

"Spiritual Blindness" - Out of focus and a part of the world.  Our focus is consumed by the world's views and not God's view.  We need to take a look at ourselves and see God not the world.

"Dry Eyes" -  We can get out of focus by being task oriented.  We are too busy with our agenda not taking time for knowing what God wants from us. We need to take the time to show others compassion and grace through God's eyes. 1 Peter 4:8-9 "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins."

"Wet Eyes" - We can become tearful sometimes.  Life may be out of sorts and you may feel God cannot use me anymore.  Philippians 4:10-13 " Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

"Cloudy Vision" - We may have some gray areas in our lives and we need to ask ourselves, "What would Jesus do?' If we vary one way or the other, it is not of God. Psalm 119:105 is God's direction for our lives, "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." Also 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says :All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." We need to be in God's eyes.

"Distracted Vision" -   When things do not look right we need to pray.  We need to see all things and others out of love from the eyes of the Holy Spirit.  Out of Philippians 4:6-7 it says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

"Objects in our Eyes" - We tend to judge others as we need to look at our own lives and our own hearts.  We do not need to have a critical spirit. This is not from God.  In Matthew 7:1-5 it says: ""Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

"Near Sighted Vision" - We sometimes live only in the here and now.  We need to look to our eternal home.  How we live our lives for the kingdom here on earth will prepare us for our eternal destination.  We need to be focused on God's will for our lives not our own will. In 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 it reads, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.