“Search for the Lord and for His strength; continually seek Him.”

1 Chronicles 16:11 (NLT) 

My husband always had perfect vision … Better than 20/20 even. 

Until, he turned 40. 

For some reason, many people begin to experience difficulty trying to read small print close up after that magic age. He thought he might be immune to that fact of life, but he wasn’t. 

Much to his dismay as he moved through the early part of his 40s, it became more and more difficult to read the words on a page. Everything was blurry. He finally became so frustrated that he gave into the idea that he needed reading glasses. 

Being the loving, supportive family that we are, on his next birthday we gave him an entire set of reading glasses, one for all the major rooms of the house. Little did we know our little joke really contained a lot of truth. He constantly misplaced his glasses. He would yell through the house, “Has anyone seen my glasses?” Generally this question continued increasing in intensity the longer the hunt lasted. Life could not go on until those glasses were located.

I wish I had kept track of the amount of time we spent over the years looking for his glasses or how many times I had to assist in the search. To be honest we had many great laughs at his expense (and obviously still do).

I, on the other hand, have always had poor vision. So I never commiserated with his pain and agitation. Until now. Even with corrective lenses, the words on the page are blurry. Now, I too need reading glasses. I don’t leave home without them. They make things so much more clear. Consequently, there have been a few search and rescue missions for the spectacles on my behalf as well. 

So we are quite the pair (no pun intended), my husband and I … Before we leave the house I always make sure he has his glasses and that mine are tucked away close by. It has become a habit. 

Such a simple thing that makes life easier.

I wish I relied as much on The Lord. When things in life are unclear, I should automatically reach for God. But I don’t. Just like my vision, I take Him for granted. 

For much of my life I have just known God is there – His strength sustaining me with little or no effort on my part. However, as I have grown in age and life has become more complicated, sometimes I am not sure where God is. When the circumstances of life shift things out of focus, I strain to regain clarity. Ultimately, it is then – when life becomes so blurry that I get frustrated – I find myself looking for God. As it turns out, He is right there. Right where I left Him. Just like my glasses. The problem is I do not faithfully seek Him first. 

Just like I need my reading glasses to correct my blurred vision, I need to continually seek God, His strength, and His focus for my life. Only then will my life become more clear. 

My prayer today is that I always search for God first and that this practice becomes a habit. I want to focus my life through Him.