Carol’s Comments “To Really See”

This year at Annual Conference I found myself needing to make a trip to the Emergency Room. It all began when I noticed something strange about the sight in my left eye. As the afternoon and supper wore on, I began to notice what I thought were floaters in my line of sight. Bob and I had signed up for the Global Ministries Dinner. As we sat there, it seemed that the floaters became spider-like bleeders. Bob and I left for the Emergency Room. I could not even see the big E at the top of the eye chart. I was diagnosed with a vitreous hemorrhage. I was to see a Pittsburgh ophthalmologist the next morning for follow-up. He didn’t think there was a tear to the retina but advised I see my ophthalmologist upon coming home. 

That Friday I not only saw one but two doctors. The retina specialist determined there was a tear and performed an in-office procedure. It will be a few weeks before the blood clears from the vitreous fluid. Hopefully, I am on the mend. 

My name was mentioned from the Annual Conference floor for prayer. I believe in prayer, of course. I was not anxious about what was going on.  Prayers were carrying me on this journey.  I figured that I at least had one good eye no matter what was going on with the other. The experience causes one to take pause and realize the blessing that sight is. 

As I view the world through a bloody swirling blur, I reflect about all persons who have vision problems of all sorts. And I am grateful for what I DO have at this moment. I may only have one good eye for vision right now, but what a blessing that is. How much we take vision for granted until something limits it. I am grateful for the doctors whom I encountered in my situation. What a gift their skills were and are to those whom they serve each day. 

When we read scripture we notice Jesus ministering to those without sight. Mark 8: 22-28 ²²They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. ²³He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" ²⁴He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."  ²⁵Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 

The man Jesus healed didn’t get his sight back at first, but saw people as if they were trees walking around. I can identify with that with being led around with dilated eyes and blurry vision--my bad eye seeing only blur. I wonder if spiritually many of us are only looking through a blur and not seeing clearly. Jesus is the one who restores sight—physical and spiritual. Many times those who do have sight aren’t spiritually seeing as God would have us see. We need to evaluate our spiritual lives and what God may be calling us to see within ourselves, our church, and our communities. Perhaps we even take these things for granted and can’t see beyond what is truly before us. 

There is a CD “Seven Sacred Pauses.” One song, “Let Go” expresses it this way,  “For all that has been, take lessons, take lessons and be grateful. Let go, let go, let go. Let go. Move on. Move on. Move on. Move on. MaCrina Wiedeker

Let us be grateful but yet challenged to move beyond the circumstances of where we are or where we are not. Let us not stay stuck in business-as-usual but find ways to touch those around us in creative new ways that God wants us to see and then enable us to do. Be grateful. Let go of what hinders or blurs your vision of the world and others. Move on in the power of God’s strength. It may take more than one touch of the Master, but when we put ourselves in his hands, our eyes will be opened too…sight restored and seeing everything clearly. And may it be so. 

With Christ, Within Christ,

Pastor Carol Pfeiffer