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Thursday, January 24, 2008

Four Eyes are Better than None

When I first laid eyes on Graham's new glasses, and felt the thickness of their lens, I wondered if his quarter-sized eyes would still glisten like an emerald forest, but more importantly, I feared that his eyes might catch on fire when he looked at the sun.

I was reminded of the first time I met Lacy. She lived down the street, and I knew her both as the girl whose fluffy poodle got swallowed by a German Shepherd, and the girl whose glasses were so thick, her eyes looked like tiny marbles swirling in a pool of water. Everyone knew that when she turned her glasses around she could gaze into the past, and that she was the only girl on the block who could wish upon a star, and see something waving back.

I was surprised to find that glasses have come a long way, and that even the strongest prescription can make a fashion statement. Graham walked into the eyeglass store looking like an average boy, and walked out looking like a child-star who just grabbed the world by the cheeks and said, “Look at me, I’m created in God’s image, and He is adorable!”

On the way home, Graham noticed that trees looked taller, houses looked wider, and of course he noticed that my face looked bigger too. It must be disturbing to see your mother’s face expand before your very eyes, while her airbrushed appearance changes from Grace Kelly on her best day to Danny Bonaduce midway through puberty.

He sat in silence for awhile, looking out of the window, breathing in the beauty of the new world blooming before him.

I felt his excitement, thankful for the opportunity Graham had to observe the world around him. Looking down at the little man in the shiny new glasses, I understood that we’re all given attributes that not only make us different, but that also continually shape who we are. God didn’t make a mistake when he created Graham’s quarter-sized green eyes, but rather each cell of this little being was carefully crafted so that one day, this four-eyed man would glorify God.

In the Psalms, David illustrated the formation of a child within its mother’s womb, telling how God wonderfully crafted each part of our being:

"Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother’s womb...bit-by-bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day." Psalm 139:13-16, The Message


The formation doesn’t stop at birth, in fact, throughout life, the Master’s hands curiously continue to shape us.

Life is a recipe. We are given several ingredients to put into our baking pans of time, and those are the things that we sift through, separate, measure, and yes--sometimes those things are whipped and beaten by the world around us. As bad as one thing may seem in this little life growing before me, I see a delicacy that the Master Chef is creating.

I always thought my occupation as a stove would be done after the fourth bun popped out. I hadn’t understood that I would always be an oven as long as my children are rising under my care.

The way I see it, is that I’ll keep the fire burning for as long as I possibly can, and if my pilot light ever goes out, I’ll just hold Graham’s glasses up to the window to ignite that fire again!



Read my monthly column here at CWO:
"Live Well! Reshaping your Body, Spirit, and Soul."

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20 Comments:

Blogger Denise said...

I really enjoyed this, bless you.

January 24, 2008 at 12:39 AM  
Blogger Mocha with Linda said...

Love the analogy that it sometimes takes being whipped around and beaten some in life to be made into the Chef's delicacy.

Thanks for sharing!

January 24, 2008 at 6:36 AM  
Blogger Merrie said...

Such a sweet reminder that He is the potter and we are the clay and it is up to us to yield so He can make of us what He wants.

January 24, 2008 at 8:51 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is such a great post! I love the analogy!
Blessings

January 24, 2008 at 9:39 AM  
Blogger Kelly said...

What insightful thoughts! Beautiful.

January 24, 2008 at 9:58 AM  
Blogger windycindy said...

Thanks for another inspiration to start my day! Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com

January 24, 2008 at 10:10 AM  
Blogger Mary Lou said...

Wonderful way to "see" things. From one who has worn glasses most of her life and does not mind them. I love to see. Isn't God good to provide glasses so that we can see the beauty that He created for us. And His goodness continues to allow us to "see" with our heart all He has for us...thanks for putting it the way you did. Mary Lou at dlowran1(at)comcast(dot)net

January 24, 2008 at 10:55 AM  
Blogger 2nd Cup of Coffee said...

Loved the oven analogy!

January 24, 2008 at 11:33 AM  
Blogger Praise and Coffee said...

Darlene,
This is so good! I love the way your write.

What a great message to remind us of, thank you!

Sue

January 24, 2008 at 1:21 PM  
Blogger Cory said...

Wonderful article. Thank you for sharing it. Take care and God bless, Cory

January 24, 2008 at 8:45 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Oh Darlene,

I want to write like you when I grow up. This story is brilliant and beautiful on so many levels and it hit at the very heart of our existance.

God bless you Darlene for you perspective and your eloquent way of sharing your life with us.

You are a gift. Love you girl, Lynn

January 24, 2008 at 10:37 PM  
Blogger Tammy said...

What a great post! Very sweet!

January 24, 2008 at 10:48 PM  
Blogger b said...

Thanks for the great thoughts on how God has made us each so unique and special. B.

January 25, 2008 at 5:42 AM  
Blogger Lisa @ The Preacher's Wife said...

What a great thing when we can find true joy in the person God made us instead of the one we wish we were...

This was great..!

Lisa

January 25, 2008 at 8:44 AM  
Blogger Joyce said...

You brought back memories of when one of my girls got glasses in the 3rd grade and as we were driving she is telling us she can now see the words on the window of a fast food place. Thank you for this post.

Love and Hugs,

January 25, 2008 at 9:35 AM  
Blogger Heather said...

Darlene, I remember that day well - I was eleven years old and I never knew you could actually see the blades of grass or that trees were more than green blobs - they had intricate leaves on them. Oh what a valuable spiritual lesson here - to have fresh eyes each day and see all that God is doing.

January 25, 2008 at 10:20 AM  
Blogger Cindy Swanson said...

Wonderful post, Darlene! I also had to chuckle, because my siblings and I have all had to go through the glasses phase. You did a great job of applying an every day story to our lives.

January 25, 2008 at 12:19 PM  
Blogger lori said...

Darlene...
I was the girl with the BIFOCALS when I was 8....
and I LOVED the analogy....
Darlene, you never cease to amaze me with your details and perspective...
what a beautiful heart!!!
love you!
lori

January 25, 2008 at 6:28 PM  
Blogger concerned parent said...

My daughter Brooke did just get her glasses recently and I thank you for sharing the story it reminds of her. I too am grateful that lenses have changed since we were kids.

January 28, 2008 at 8:55 AM  
Anonymous maryleigh said...

Paragraph 2 was so great, but then so was 3, 4 and all the way to the bottom!

June 8, 2009 at 11:38 AM  

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