When We See Clearly

And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. Mark 8:24, KJV

Lord, I know what it’s like to see “men as trees walking.” A tear fell onto my Bible as I traced the words of Mark 8:24. For the past five months, recurring bouts of iritis had caused blurry vision—both during and after treatment—and weakened my sight. When my ophthalmologist diagnosed me with chronic iritis, I wondered if I’d ever see clearly again.

Then I remembered the man who saw “men as trees walking,” and I went to Mark 8:22-26. It brought peace and a surprising new perspective:

* Jesus didn’t heal the man in the town. Rather, He “took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town” (verse 23). Jesus often bids me leave my comfort zone, for it’s in the unfamiliar that I realize where my confidence lies and who my Source should be. But no matter how unfamiliar or rough the terrain may be—the possibility of losing my sight or moving into fiction writing, or stepping out to market a book—I’m not alone. Jesus takes me by the hand and leads me.

* Healing didn’t come instantly (verses 23-24). I don’t know why Jesus spat on the man’s eyes, put His hands on him, and asked what he saw. But the man’s answer resonates with me: “I see men as trees, walking” (verse 24). I don’t always understand the whys of life—a devastating diagnosis, the young life snatched away, the broken relationship, or why the query didn’t get a positive response. One thing I know—healing will come, sometimes in unusual, unexpected ways.

* Jesus restored the man. “After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly” (verse 25). On the day when I come face-to-face with my Lord, and gaze into His eyes of love and compassion, all else—that I could see or not, the reviews that stung, the slow book sales, the bruises of rejection--will fade in the light of His glory. All that will matter is that I sought Him, and followed His leading whether it made sense or not. That alone brings focus like never before.

So my sole resolution this year is to abide in the One who called me so I may know Him better and follow where He leads.

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully…”1 Corinthians 13:12 (NIV).

When Anita Mellott isn’t homeschooling, she writes to encourage others (From the Mango Tree ). She has more than ten years of experience as a writer/editor in the nonprofit world. Her book of devotionals for homeschooling parents will be released by Judson Press in summer 2011.