Our eyes and the ability to to see is such a blessing.
When my mother lost most of her eye sight I began to have an increased appreciation for my eyes. I watched as my mother took a large magnifying glass and held it up above each word in order to read. She could barely read it, but word by word she tried. You see, mother loved reading. For as long as I can remember mother was surrounded by books. Watching her struggle to see the words on the page was truly painful.
Mother had always been one to appreciate the sunsets, cloud formations, trees, tulips and lilies, butterflies and, well, everything. My heart broke as she no longer could see to sew, or write. As her vision diminished she would say frequently, “Appreciate your eyes Shauna.”
While visiting the library as a young girl, and looking for books that might be of interest, the librarian suggested that I might enjoy reading biographies and autobiographies. Together we walked to the section that contained them. She reached up upon a shelf and pulled down a book. “I think you’ll enjoy her,” she said with a smile. It was Helen Keller’s autobiography. It was then I was sent on an adventure of a life lived in true darkness, yet lived in light. Something within her words touched me profoundly, and continues to invite me to seek and appreciate more. Let me share just a particle of her words that have forever made me look a little closer to those that influence my life.
“If by some miracle, I were granted three seeing days, to be followed by a relapse into darkness, I should want to see the people whose kindness and gentleness and companionship have made my life worth living. First, I should like to gaze long upon the face of my dear teacher, Anne Sullivan, who came to me when I was a child and opened the outer world to me. I should want not merely to see the outline of her face so that I could cherish it in my memory, but to study that face and find in it the living evidence of the sympathetic tenderness and patience with which she accomplished the difficult task of my education. I should like to see her eyes. . .
I have often thought about Helen and her three day adventure of sight. To see a little baby’s face .... “So that I could catch a vision of the eager, innocent beauty.” Or the moment when she walked “ in the woods and intoxicate my eyes on the beauties of the world of Nature, trying desperately to absorb in a few hours the vast splendor that is constantly unfolding itself to those who can see. And I should pray for the glory of a colorful sunset.”
‘Glory of a colorful sunset.’ I wonder just how many of us take daily a moment to appreciate it. I remember my parents rushing to the back gate of the yard while encouraging and inviting us, “Come see the beautiful sunset!” Somehow I always felt that sunsets are like heaven’s goodnight kiss.
Because I can see: I love bursting sunrises, polka dots and pink balloons, I love lady bugs and butterflies, white Shasta daisies and yellow ones too. I love watching Autumn’s leaves float to the ground, and giggle as children jump into piles of crunching wonder. I love my sweetheart’s blue blue eyes and forever love those six pairs of eyes that looked to me in motherhood. I am so blessed to see the ‘glory’ of it all. Today I shall embrace the blessing of sight, and savor, and store all the memories of glorious creations around me. My sweetheart smiles as he holds me tight, he says “I’m imprinting.” I pray that by some miracle I shall have archived enough pictures in my mind to last an eternity.
Yet, above all the wonders of this earthly existence, I pray that some day I shall be blessed to see the face of God. ... and like Helen expressed... “to study that face and find in it the living evidence of the sympathetic tenderness and patience - patience with me.
Helen found God in her dark and silent world and He opened her life to all the possibilities.
“It’s wonderful to climb the liquid mountains of the sky. Behind me and before me is God and I have no fears” ~ Helen Keller
I love my life! I only get but one moment to step upon this earth, so I am embracing it! Grateful for liquid mountains and tender feelings of the heart that allow me to see more clearly, perhaps the way God wants me to see.
So for this moment, I draw back the curtains and look at the sky. It’s a cloudy day. The wind is blowing the leaves from the trees. It’s a perfect day, planned, and prepared just the way God wants it to be. You see, I believe that God is in the details of our lives. May we all find the ‘glory’ within the walk.
Enjoy your Sabbath
Love Always,
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