Fleeting moments of sleep evaporated into the shadows of night as I awoke and stared again at the clock. How many more hours and minutes until 5 a.m. when we had to rise to make our early morning trek to the medical center?
Although I believed and hoped the results would be positive, I struggled with a certain amount of apprehension and uneasiness about my upcoming eye surgery. As sleep continued to dodge in and out, my restive mind floated prayers into the lost moments of slumber.
The next morning passed in a swirl of paperwork, eye charts, needle pricks, IV lines, and high-toned beeps, which later morphed into a semi-conscious blur of Velcro strapped limbs, dazzling lights, bright colors, and drippy eye drop residue.
At home after the surgery I was alarmed when my vision was fuzzy. It was worse than it had been a day earlier—not better.
“It’s not supposed to be this way,’ I told my husband. “Everyone says I should see better right away.”
In my Bible study the week before, I had read Revelations 1: 8 where Jesus said “I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last.” The study question had asked, ‘What does this mean to you?”
I responded that, since Jesus was in the past as well as the future, for me it meant that wherever I went Jesus would be there with me.
Lying in bed that day, I reflected back on my response at the Bible study. Jesus was with me.
Yes, I knew this was true. He had been with me throughout the surgery and he was with me now.
One by one, scriptures dropped into my mind:
“Perfect love casts out fear.” (1 John 4:18)
“Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
“The Lord is near.” (Philippians 4:5)
I lay back on the pillow and closed my eyes. I would be fine. God was in charge. I just needed to stay focused on Him.
The next day at my follow-up visit, the doctor checked my eyes and explained the reason for my slow recovery, assuring me things would clear up soon. Gradually the blurriness subsided and within the week my vision was restored. Colors popped. The world appeared in high definition.
Life is full of scary incidents. It may be surgery, illness, or unpaid bills. It may be a spouse leaving and asking for divorce. It may be a child in rebellion. But all the while, Jesus is with us, taking care of us. Nothing escapes his notice, and nothing is beyond His power. He is capable of so much more than we can imagine.
In the midst of unsettling times, God is teaching us to trust Him. He wants us to lift our eyes to Him instead of fearing the outcome of menacing circumstances rising up around us. He wants our restless minds and troubled hearts to rest in Him. He is bigger, stronger, and smarter. We worship an all-seeing, all-knowing God, who isn’t intimidated by the mud pies the world slings at us.
We are never alone. God promised to be with us always. And Jesus keeps his promises.
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid? Matthew 27:1
Speak Your Mind