The windows are finally clean! It seems ridiculous that it’s nearly the end of June before I was able to get all the winter grime removed, but it seemed there were many days when it was too hot, too wet, too windy, or too something else, and all seemed like good reasons to postpone the task. The thing is, when they’re done, I’m inordinately pleased with my accomplishment. You’d think that window-cleaning required a great deal of skill or perhaps even specialized training. As you all know, it’s not that hard and the equipment is certainly not that sophisticated.
This spring, as the lovely June day floated through the windows, and I sprayed and wiped and checked for streaks, it occurred to me they weren’t really all that dirty, and maybe I was creating work for myself that didn’t even need to be done. But when I looked out of the freshly-cleaned windows, how sharp and clear the back yard and the street out in front appeared! It reminded me of when my daughter got her first pair of glasses, as she exclaimed over all the details she could see, including reading every sign along the way home from the optician.
There is a charitable group of eye surgeons who go to a part of Africa where cataracts are common, and, as a result, a large number of people are blind. They perform what has become a simple surgical procedure, and miraculously, people once again see the faces of their loved ones and the world around them. Their joy and gratitude can hardly be described.
Rather obviously, consider how often we think we’re seeing just fine, but then something changes our view, such as clean windows or new glasses, and it’s apparent we weren’t seeing well at all. A change of attitude, perhaps opening one’s mind to what hasn’t been thought of or seen before, can provide a wonderful, clear view, whether inward or outward. Whether you call it sight or insight, God will give us this gift — all we have to do is accept it.
Lord, we pray that we will be given the gift of sight to see the path you have set before us, to understand your will for our future, and for your guidance along the way. In the name of Christ, your Son, our Lord, Amen.
Your friend in Christ,
Mary Rogers