Behind the “seen”

A precious friend and I shared a hug, knowing it would be the last time we would see one another. Literally. She was scheduled for surgery, and after she came out of it, her eyesight would be gone. Cancer had robbed her of vision, but it couldn’t take away her smile as she opened the care box in front of her. It was filled with items that she would carry along on the tough journey ahead. My friend wrapped herself in the handmade prayer quilt as tears rolled down both our cheeks. We hugged, and I reminded her of the impact she has made in my life.

That visit stayed with me and changed my perspective on what I see every day. It’s easy to take for granted the blue of the sky, the color of a cardinal, people going about their day. But now, tones seemed more vibrant and sounds clearer and distinct. My senses had been bumped up a notch.

I cried out to God on behalf of my friend, and as I prayed for her, He brought another friend to mind. Jenna had also lost her sight, yet I could walk into a room quietly and she would instantly know I was there. “Hi Lisa! I see you!” And then her beautiful laugh would begin. “I know you are there!” Her senses were so sharp. She had lost her sight, but not her vision. Jenna and I talked about the mountains in life that we climb. Hers was losing her sight, one that I couldn’t imagine.

“Mountains are not leveled overnight,” Jenna said. “Crooked paths with their twists and turns are not suddenly made straight. God can send miracles that will make our paths smoother, but it seems He mostly chooses to combine His miraculous touch with our persistent prayer, and a little elbow grease!” Jenna continued, “Losing my sight was not at all what I had ‘envisioned’, but what I gained was a clearer vision than I had before. God has given me 20/20 vision! I see Him more clearly now and feel His presence stronger than ever. Was I disappointed at first? Yes! Of course! I was distraught and heartbroken and filled with questions. But what was ahead of me on the road was an outcome I couldn’t have imagined. God saw the mountain, and instead of me going around it, we climbed it together. I guess you could say God was behind the ‘seens’ working for my good all along.”

Jenna shared her story over and over and told it with such passion. She is a vibrant person who has touched countless souls by sharing her journey. If you talk to Jenna, she will tell you she found her purpose through that difficult journey and discovered treasure in the darkest of places. She now focuses on those treasures and shares them with others.

On the drive home from my care visit, I thought about my friend who was facing a surgery that would take away her vision. I asked myself how was I looking at my mountains? Did I view my circumstances the way Jenna did? We can either look at our mountain with God in the background or look at God with the mountain behind Him. If God is in front, we gain a crucial perspective on our problems. But if God is in the background, the hard climb ahead of us dominates everything. I am learning to flip the lens, realizing that God is behind the “seen” in ways I can’t fathom. As I look at God in front of my mountain, my vision is 20/20!