I Can See

I am often asked if I can see with my right eye. Before responding I close my left eye and and check. Then I smile and say, yes.

I went for three months after my surgery unable to close my right eye because my face was paralyzed.  It was a miserable experience because my eye refused to close even when I taped it .The only relief I could get was to wear a patch.  The eye doctor finally told me that if I didn't do something in the next two weeks I would loose my vision permanently in that eye.

A couple of nights later I woke up and found that I was unable to see anything with that eye. I felt panic rising up in me. The taste of fear made me physically sick. I felt small, alone and afraid.  My prayer was short but desperate, "Please, please Lord, don't take my vision!" I had nothing else to say and fell asleep still unable to see.

The next morning I opened my eye and I could see.  The terror of the night before had been replaced by a deep sense of gratitude.  In the midst of my struggle I knew that the Lord was near. He had not been deaf to my cry for help.  The answer to that prayer was like a light shining in the darkness to help me find a path to joy.

Sometimes it's a battle not to be depressed, but when I find myself starting to go in that direction I close my left eye and let the vision in my right eye show me the truth. I have found that gratitude can heal the blindness of sorrow and help you see a pathway to peace.