I recently went to have my eyes examined and got new glasses with a new prescription. I had waited much too long this time. The last time I got new glasses (3 or 4 years ago), I did not get a scratch coat on the lenses. They very quickly started to get scratched. The scratches on the lenses were annoying, but I mostly ignored it. Of course, the tiny little scratches continued to accumulate, causing more and more cloudiness in my vision. It seemed that whenever I would think about maybe going to get another eye exam so I could replace the scratched lenses, I would be too busy, or I was pregnant. They say your eyes change during pregnancy and to wait a few months after birth to have an eye exam. This summer I noticed that I was squinting at things, or that I couldn’t make out the time on the clock across the room. I decided it was time for the eye exam, but then there were insurance issues and babysitting issues. I noticed that I sometimes held my head at a funny angle in an effort to look through the part of the lenses with fewer scratches.
So finally, in November, I did it. The eye doctor said it wasn’t a big change. He just “cleaned up” the prescription. Well that “cleaning up” made a huge difference. Putting on those new glasses was amazing. The cloudy scratched lenses were gone, and everything was sharp and clear without squinting. Kyle made the comment that it must be like going to high definition TV. I agree, but add to that the effect you see on the Claritin commercials when they say “Claritin clear” and peel back the cloudy film. Now I notice the effect on my vision of just a little smear, and I quickly clean it off. I love that I can look around and see clearly without any special effort.
I am sure there are gospel lessons to be learned from my story. Probably something about how tolerating even a little sin (scratches) can get in the way of communication from the Holy Ghost (my vision). Perhaps we should learn to put on the whole armor of God (scratch coat on the lenses) to protect ourselves. There could also be something about how when we postpone repentance, we can still repent later and be forgiven. But we miss out on the blessings (clear vision) we could have enjoyed in the mean time.
I will leave the preaching at that, except to say that I am grateful to be able to see clearly again.
