I Want To See
A Restoration Of Sight Produces A World Of Change
by Eric Elkin
Getting old IS everything it is cracked up to be. The only ones fooled by the aging process are the ones too young to appreciate their current circumstances. Fifth graders want to be Sixth graders. Until they learn, teachers in junior high are not as patient as in elementary school. High Schoolers wish to be done with school, or at least high school. Then spend the rest of their lives reliving high school memories.
My younger self wanted to age so badly. I was tired of looking like I was 13 years old. (In my defense, I was 30 at the time.) Every time this wish was spoken out loud, an older adult would warn me. Getting old, they would say, is not fun. Guess what? They were right.
The physical effects of aging are hard to explain until one experiences them. Hair thins, maintaining weight is a struggle, and joints hurt all the time. When I was younger, I never imaged getting up off the floor would require so much time, energy, and pain. Now the suggestion to get down on my knee produces more anxiety than if someone asked me to bungee jump. At least when I bungee jump, I don’t have to bend my knees.
Time is an equal side effect of aging. The older I get, the more I appreciate the present moment. However, I will look back and see where that was not true when I was younger. I took time for granted. The only reason I appreciate it now is the reality that this big merry-go-round called life does come to an end.
Something different spoke to me as I read Jesus’ healing of a blind man. The blind man cries out for mercy. His pleas are loud and obnoxious. People tell him to be quiet, yet, he persists in his yelling. When Jesus finally asks him what he wants, he replies, “I want to see.” Reading it today, I thought the same thing. Jesus, I want to see.
The older I get, the more I realize I watch the same scenarios repeated over and over. Each generation has someone or something they hate only to discover in the next generation; their hatred was misguided. Norwegian Lutherans used to hate Swedish Lutherans; now they just hope to meet a Lutheran. 700 years ago, people thought the printing press was the biggest threat to culture.
Jesus, I want to see. I want to see people abandon hatred for compassion. I want to regain sight, so I see my neighbor as a child of God and NOT a threat to my physical safety. Help me see hope in a world overflowing with pessimism. Grant to me the kind of vision to see hearts who appreciate every breath they take as a gift. I want to see it so I can be inspired to do the same.
Here’s the thing, everything I want to see is happening. The culture does not need to be changed as much as my sight needs to be restored. Perhaps you are experiencing the same condition. If so, stop praying for the world to change. Try inviting Jesus in to restore your sight, as well. You most likely will discover a world of change.
Click to read Mark 10: 46-52
Reflection Questions:
How do you feel about aging today?
What positive things have you discovered from aging?
How often do you wish to go back and re-do an experience to appreciate it more than you did at the time?
What do you want to see today?