New Focus, New Beginnings

At my yearly eye examination, the optometrist inquired whether I had noticed any change in my ability to read small print. “No doctor, all is looking clear,” I replied. Then enter the busy season of Christmas preparations and I found myself squinting into my tablet trying to make out the fuzzy characters. “How much must I zoom in this screen to make this thing legible?!?” Wrapping and labeling presents, I wasn’t sure whose name I was scribbling on the tags. I have lived with severe nearsightedness since my teenage years but this struggle with close vision was a new, uninvited obstacle. But nothing to be alarmed by says the eye doctor when evaluating my aging eyes. Some of you perusing this article through your readers know the experience. While incredible technology through laser surgery has proven effective to remedy many types of visual refractive errors, not all blurry vision can be fixed.

“Fixing my eyes” is a practice I wish to pursue in this New Year. No, I have not committed to Lasik surgery. But I do endeavor to reorient my focus on the revealing and revelation of Jesus. How might we experience this year differently if we wake up each morning to fix our eyes upon Jesus?

One opening to seeing differently is accomplished by identifying experiences of new life and restoration. Rather than focusing on our litany of problems, we can reinterpret our experiences to see where the Spirit is healing, reuniting, and presenting new opportunities. Perhaps you and I can begin a journal where we record these glimpses of heaven meeting earth, where God is at work amidst the mess that threatens to discourage.

Fixing our eyes also takes the intentional effort of naming areas in our life where the Spirit of Christ seeks growth. Perhaps we should be asking what spiritual practices, routines and roles needs to be reworked this year to stretch our adherence and witness to God. How might our priorities and investment of energy and resources shift to better align with our passion to follow Jesus?

Fixing your eyes upon Jesus is a practice of altering the atmosphere around you. What rhythms of breathing, prayer, reading, or making of music might move you from an environment of nervousness to peace? How can we see the day with gladness and joy as a blank slate for exciting interactions, opportunities to speak encouragement, and occurrences for love?

While I need to find myself a nice pair of reading glasses, I will also be praying to the Lord of all direction and comfort, “Be thou my vision!” And I’m praying for your beautiful new year in which you may see all things with the eyes of Christ.