When I was in middle school, we noticed that I was having trouble seeing things in class, so my parents took me to get my eyes checked. Lo and behold, we discovered that my vision was very poor, and I was in severe need of corrective lenses.
I remember the exact moment when they put proper lenses on my eyes. The minute I had them on, I was was able to look through the front doors of the office and see the trees across the street. Not only that, I could see the leaves on the trees — even their definition, their color, and their shape. I was truly astonished. I remember asking ‘Is this what you’re supposed to see? Does everyone see the leaves?!’ I walked through school that next day, and was amazed that I could now recognize faces in the hallway — previously, everyone had been a blur. I had no idea that it wasn’t supposed to be that way.
My view of the entire world changed that day, with the addition of a lens.
Have you heard the little saying, “If the whole world stinks, check under your own nose?” It is true that we can go through life with complaints and ungratefulness in our hearts without it having anything to do with what we’re complaining about, but rather, the way we are looking at it.
What are some things in your life that you find uncomfortable right now? What are the things that are a ‘thorn in your side’, irritate you, or cause you to complain? What is something that you are unsatisfied with right now?
Could it be that we could look at them differently? If we chose to put on a lens of gratitude through which to see our situations, it would change us. It would bring joy. With a heart of gratitude, God can make things clear to you; the things that were once blurry He can define. He can help you see things that you didn’t see before, give you a renewed perspective, and give color to what was dull and grey. It’s the way we are supposed to live; it’s the way He designed us.
The spirit of our Western world is one of ingratitude. We pray for a new house, a job, a spouse, friends, etc., only then to become ungrateful later when we have to clean it, work harder at it, or see that that person may not be perfect. ‘Keeping up with the Joneses’ is the disease of so many, and has become a habit and a culture that has creeped over even into the church world.
My brothers and sisters in the Lord, this should not be. Let’s distance ourself from looking like the world, and let’s look like Jesus. May we learn to be content, like the Apostle Paul, in whatsoever situation we find ourselves, and recognize the things that are truly important. We have health, life, and people to love and who love us. We have a Savior that died for us and set us free. We have the best, most important, and ultimate gifts. The rest comes and goes, and we should never set our sights on them.
Tomorrow, when we sit down at our Thanksgiving meals, let us all be conscious of putting on a different lens; one that causes us to see with the clarity that thankfulness brings. My prayer is that we would then not let it stop once the calendar day of Thanksgiving has passed. Let’s always see through the lens of gratitude year round, noticing even the small details of life for which we should be thankful.
Even though my vision was corrected at that initial meeting, I still have to go in for check-ups every now and then. We also should continually do a check-up of our lenses as well. Circumstances affect our vision all the time, causing it to sometimes shift and change; we must take our eyes back to the Word of God on a regular basis and let it diagnose us and get our vision back to seeing 20/20.
Put on a new lens of thankfulness. It will change you. Exercise the muscle of a grateful heart today, being diligent to tend to it and not let it weaken. In that, you will find great strength and victory. Let’s ask Him today to make us more thankful than we’ve ever been before.
“There is joy and meaning to be found in serving God, who has given us more than we could ever pay back. The character to live in celebrational gratitude is the key to happy significance” -Mark Rutland, President of Oral Roberts University
“I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.” –Philippians 4:11-13, The Message
I had the EXACT same experience in first grade. They put the lenses over my eyes and I looked across the street at a tree and amazed that I could see LEAVES. My eyes have only gotten worse, but my prescriptions have gotten stronger. I can still see the leaves. Beautiful analogy of Thanksgiving.
~K
This is so good!
You never know what to expect when you read a post. I read yours not expecting it to affect me the way it did. Of course your message is encouraging. When you talked about your response when you got to see after receiving your new glasses made me cry. My baby, Tribeca, was three when she started wearing glasses. She said Wow! when she first put on her glasses and held her hands up to them to see them. I cannot imagine what she had not see her previous years. She could not say it like you just expressed it. I wonder if I was a blur to her all those years. It shouldn’t be anything to cry about now, but I thank God for the intelligence of those who made corrective lenses available.
I personally am told my vision must be viewed through rose colored glasses. When I actually got to try a pair of sunglasses with a pink tint, I thought, wow! what a great way to view the world.