Open Our Eyes by Barry Hughes


On today’s walk, I came upon another item. This little pair of sunglasses seemed lonely as the world passed them by. I wonder when the parents of the little squinting owner realized they had been lost along the way. I wonder if they searched for them, or if it was just one more in a long line of lost glasses.
I was fortunate to be born with great vision. My 20/20 was a point of pride as I grew older. Oh, in the long hours of reading and few hours of sleep days of seminary I used readers from time to time due to eye strain, but my vision always tested out the same.
When I moved to Dallas, I found an eye doctor that I really liked. When in my late 50’s I tested 20/20, she said with a smile, “Congratulations! I have never had a patient your age with perfect vision.” I replied, “Do you think that was a compliment?” But then the day inevitably arrived. I now wear glasses everyday. All the time.
In the church of my childhood, one of our favorite congregational hymns had this beautiful line, “Open my eyes that I may see glimpses of truth thou hast for me.” We all go through life looking through the lens of our experience. It is the only way we know. All of us see and experience the world a little differently. But the reality is that all around us are “glimpses of truth”. All of us are surrounded by glimpses of God. All of us are surrounded by glimpses of love and beauty beyond our limited field of vision, beyond what our lens has revealed before. God wants to open our eyes to the world right in front of us that we are not able to see at the moment. It is with this improved vision we find life in all its fullness. It is is with this improved vision we find each other.
What beautiful truth might I catch a glimpse of today?
Peace.

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