Deuteronomy 29:3, the great trials that your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders.

I knew a battle faced me as soon as my feet stepped outside my bedroom door. My youngest daughter was told that she would need to wear an eye patch for several hours a day in order to strengthen her weakened eye muscles. The new spectacles she has been sporting have been assisting her well but, in order to correct the burdened eye, the eye patch must be used as well.

It was all fun and games last evening- hilarity really- when we put the eye patch upon her lens and had her acting like a pirate. But soon the patch began to irritate her and she fussed and cried. Then this morning after some reluctant whining, my husband had managed to secure the patch to her glasses. He then had her quietly absorbed into an activity and the battle I thought I would face had yet to emerge. After a while I looked upon my daughter and thought how lovely she was being so incredibly cooperative,

Too lovely. Too cooperative.

I walked over to my daughter and bent down to her level to watch her as she played. It was then that I noticed she had slipped the eyepatch over just a nudge so that she was able to see out of the lens that afforded her greater vision.

This would be no battle, but a trial. I was educated by the doctor that the patch was needed to strengthen her weak eye. The doctor sympathized with me knowing this would be a difficult experience for both my young daughter and I. But just because it is not easy, that does not mean that it is not necessary.

As a mother, I feel for my child. Though it is uncomfortable, my child must go through this trail so that her vision may be repaired and her eyes will no longer be weak. As a child of God, I know that God feels for me. Though they are uncomfortable, I must go through the trials so that my spiritual vision may be repaired and my spiritual eyes will no longer be weak.

Spiritual eyes allow us to look deeper instead of reacting. Spiritual eyes give us wisdom into a situation that may be creating an emotional storm. Spiritual eyes give us the knowledge to ask the right questions instead of jumping to the wrong conclusions.

And when I was faced this day with a trial of my own, I thought upon my daughter’s weakened eyes. I thought upon the fussing and crying that ensued when she became irritated by the trial she had to endure. As a child of God, I knew that He understood how I felt, but the truth was right there staring at me in the face: though the trial was irritating, I needed to view it through spiritual eyes.

Father, may we count all of our trials as joy- because it is great joy that is poured out upon us when we succeed in dealing with the trial by heeding to your spirit- and your spiritual eyes. Amen.

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