Seeing with God's Eyes

Last week my husband and I both underwent a routine medical screening test that involved our eating a restricted diet for 5 days. (We did it at the same time so as to minimize the meal-planning inconvenience.) We both found the restricted diet very annoying: we could still eat full meals, but we couldn't always have everything that we liked, and we had to postpone our regular Friday night pizza because we couldn't have some of the ingredients. Can you think of anything much worse than that? (Sarcasm intended.)

When we were done, during my nightly prayer time, I thanked God that it was over, even though I knew that was a pretty trivial thing to be thankful for. And then God spoke back to me and made me realize what I should REALLY be thankful for. When I say he spoke back, I don't mean I heard a voice or anything like that. But it was like our senior pastor Scott Dudley describes it: thoughts that are like our own thoughts but yet are not our thoughts. That's what came to me. And here's what God reminded me of.

Instead of thanking God that I didn't have to be on the annoying restricted diet any more, there were other things that I needed to thank him for, and for which I truly am grateful. First, I live in a country where there is such great medical care, that I have screening tests available to me so that I can prevent dangerous illnesses such as various types of cancer. If I lived, say, in the Congo, I might not be able to have a test like this and would run more risk of serious disease. Second, I have plenty of food to eat; I am not in danger of starving, as are so many of the world's poor people. Third, I have such a diverse selection of food at my disposal, that I can vary my diet if I need to restrict it, and when I'm done with the restricted diet, I can go back to eating food that I enjoy. Many people around the world have to eat whatever they can get. I get to choose what tastes good to me. And last, the screening test had a good result; I'm not at risk at this time.

It really put the whole thing in perspective for me. When I looked at it with God's eyes, I saw that what had been annoying to me was actually a blessing, and that there were other blessings that I had failed to notice. It showed me that praying is something I need to do more often, if only to ask God throughout the day to help me to see with his eyes. And when I see with his eyes, the result that I want going forward is that it will lead me to act in ways that accord with his will, including doing more to help those who do not have the food and medical care that I have.

Taking the Ring

In The Lord of the Rings, the hobbit Frodo has come into possession of a powerful magic ring. If this ring falls into the hands of the evil Dark Lord, all of Middle-earth will fall under his power. What is more, no one else can use the ring without falling themselves into evil, and the ring cannot be destroyed except in one way: it must be cast into the fire in which it was forged. Unfortunately, this fire is the fire of a volcano in the heart of Mordor, the Dark Lord's well-guarded land.

Frodo takes the ring to Rivendell, home of Elrond the Elf, where he listens as a council of wise and powerful representatives from many peoples and places of Middle-earth debate what to do about this ring. The council realizes that the only solution is for someone to secretly take the ring into Mordor and throw it into the volcano. But at that point the council is stymied. Who could do that? No one, it seems. At length Frodo speaks, almost in spite of himself.

"I will take the Ring," Frodo said, "though I do not know the way."

This is my favorite quotation in the entire three-volume story. I like to consider that taking the ring can stand for God's purpose in our lives. In that case, it is what every Christian is called to do. Frodo the hobbit is the smallest, least learned, least powerful person present at the council, yet he is the one who steps forward and volunteers, not even knowing how to accomplish the task.

And that should be our response to God. Sometimes we may feel he is asking us to do something too hard for us, or something we don't understand. But if God has asked it of us, he will give us the help we need. Indeed, Frodo received the help of eight companions who accompanied him as he set out for Mordor, including the wise and powerful Gandalf, and more help was given him on the way, but he did not know that he would have that help when he first spoke.

When the angel told Jesus's mother Mary that she would have a child before she was married, doubtless this seemed hard to her. But her response was not unlike Frodo's: "I am the Lord's servant," said Mary; "may it be as you have said." (Luke 1:38) I have often thought of that when God's will seems hard.

Now whenever I feel that telling people about God's amazing love is impossible in a climate where Christians are viewed as intolerant bigots, I also think of Frodo setting off on the road to Mordor to do a seemingly impossible job, and I say to God, "Nevertheless, I will take the Ring, God, though I do not know the way!"

On this blog, I hope to write about what I discover as God shows me the way to take the ring.