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Dave Ryerson is a neighborhood friend who lives just around the block from me. Frequently throughout the year, I find Dave out enjoying a good walk around the block. Most days when I see him, I try to stop and spend some time conversing through my truck window. Most days I’ll comment on what a beautiful day it is… and by that my meaning is that there’s a beautiful blue sky, the temperature is agreeable, and the scenery of our wooded neighborhood is appealing. David almost always agrees, and then smiling, he ups me one by saying “It’s a great day to be alive!”
David was in a tragic car accident 25 plus years ago. In the accident he lost both of his eyes. He now has two prosthetic eyes that he can slip in or out depending on his mood or need of the day. He now sees nothing. Or maybe only black. The truth is, I think Dave sees more than most of us sometimes.
Why is it that Dave can declare, “It’s a great day to be alive,” without visual evidence or confirmation by his surroundings? I tend to look at my surroundings and then make a judgment; “Cloudy day - bad day I guess.” “Too hot, too humid, too freezing cold, too much rain… what a lousy day.” Why is it that I need to see proof of a sunny, blue sky day with comfortable temps to declare it a beautiful day to be alive? Or I may look at the circumstances around me; financial struggles, marital strife, problems with the kids, my car breaks down along with the dryer and the mower, illness, my nasty boss, work stress, ______________ fill in your blank and declare that this is a rough day-week-season or life. Sometimes we need a blindman to teach us how to see.
So what is better; to be given two fully functioning physical eyes and totally miss the thousands of Godly blessings that lay around us each day… or to have no eyes at all, yet know the secret that each day is a gift, that each day is a rich blessing from God to experience, cherish, and treasure? I get a sense that many of us who take our vision and sight for granted are maybe the real blind ones.
Blindness comes in many forms beyond the obvious physical. Some of us are blind from overabundance. We have been given so much… health, possessions, wealth, good food, clean water, opportunity, relationships, and employment, that we just take everything for granted. We’ve become privileged and entitled. We can’t see the forest for all the trees.
Others of us are blind because of the log in our own eye that causes us to judge everyone else, yet remain oblivious to our own faults, mistakes, sins, and shortcomings. We’re too busy pointing a judgmental finger at the other guy. “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." Matthew 7:3-5
Some of us are blind from the lightning pace of our lives. It’s hard to smell a rose, or take in the miracle of a hummingbird from a fast moving bullet train. We are moving so fast from activity to activity that we don’t slow down enough to see, experience and give thanks for the many blessings we’ve been given.
Maybe this whole COVID crisis will have a hidden positive blessing in that it will make at least some of us, re-evaluate, slow down, and say “no” to the hyper-active culture and life pace we live in.
Many of us become blind from the continual focus on self. We live in a self-centered society. Self-sufficient, self-proclaimed, self-actualized, self-indulgent, self-centered, self-induced, self-righteous, self-confidence, self-worth, self-esteem, and self-pity. This is a sure fire, quick trip to a dead end. Jesus continually reminds us that if you want to lead a fulfilling life… it must be others focused. “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be the first, must be your slave. Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matthew 20:10
So maybe our prayers for today might be: “Lord, give me eyes that I might see. Let me see clearly the abundance of blessings that lay all around me. And let me not forget to give thanks and gratitude for that which I see.”
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