Some people fear the dentist. Some fear going to their doctor. I fear going to the eye doctor. My fear stems, not from having to look through the funny glasses while sitting in a captains chair, that was actually fun. Rather, some of my fear came from the eye drops and the puffs of air they'd put into your eyes. More so, a majority of my fear came from the fact that I had a blind Uncle. This blind Uncle, Uncle Hank, died the day I was born. (Literally...I was born at 8:32 a.m. and at 8:30 p.m. my parents got a call that evening that he passed away unexpectedly.) My fears resurfaced about 14 years ago as my father risked the loss of his vision when he wound up with a detached retina. Throughout my childhood I would imagine what it would be like to be blind verses losing my hearing and realized at a young age that I would rather lose my hearing than to lose my sight. Now, as I get older, the fear comes back stronger and especially in light of some recent serious problems with one of my eyes.
Today's task is not about fear though. Today is about what we miss out on when we lose our sight. Today's task is to see the beauty in the world and bring that beauty to others in our interaction with them. Today is about being positive. It's about finding a "moment" in each day that not only keeps you going, but which you can share with others and maybe impact their life in a positive way.
It's difficult in a world filled with disaster, crime, poverty, and high unemployment rates, to sometimes find something positive in our day to tell others. However, I watched a former colleague of mine one time speak to another colleague (who had been in a foul mood) about something funny and beautiful that she had experienced that morning. It was interesting to sit back and watch the mood of the one colleague change from depressed and negative into one that she just couldn't help smile about. That colleague's mood remained upbeat for the rest of the day. But we don't only have to do that to help others. Instead, if we find something beautiful, funny or uplifting in our life it will impact our own mood. So what if your child or spouse is driving you nuts or that you got in an argument with them...how fortunate that you have a husband or a child when that's what some people pray for. So what if you have bills to pay and not alot of money...you woke up today with a roof above your head and your refrigerator or pantry wasn't completely empty.
Today, I was able to get out of bed and get showered and ready for work. I have a home, a husband, and hot water. So what if my health is not the best...I woke up and I am alive today. So what if I have bills to pay and not alot of money...I will always have bills to pay. So what if I have to deal with an incorrigible client today...I at least have a job. So what! As I sit typing this at my dining room table I can look to my left and glance out the big picture window in our dining room and see the footprints of the squirrels and rabbits that frolic in the snow covered yard. I can see, even though the sky might look grey, that it's the morning time. I can see the trees that fill our back yard and know that in a few months they will be filled with leaves. I can see.
Today I will find a positive moment to share with others. Today I'll imagine what life would like without my ability to see...the ability to see the colorful pallete of the world that God gave us...and I am so grateful that I have my sight. Today I will open my eyes and see the beauty and share it with others.
Who knows...maybe someone will pay that forward today.
I hear a lot of comments about how bad things are today, that we, (as a whole), are worse off now than ever. That's when I think, "But you have a warm house, family, job, cars, just to mention a few. And what about all the modern conveniences of today? When I was a kid, I thought that I was born too late, that I should have been living in the 1800's instead of 1960+. Once we hit the electronics age, I realized that, if anything, I was born too soon. If I had been born in 1980, I would have hit and learned computers at a young age, and probably obtained a degree and worked in that industry.
ReplyDeleteStill, I enjoy the wonderful things that we have today. Even this blog is one of those fantastic things; not to mention email, digital cameras, hybrid cars, etc. It's true, always bills to pay, but who cares, we can put those things aside. Our world is wonderful and beautiful, and we have God who wants us to enjoy it. So enjoy.