Operation Take 3

As I sit here recovering from operation take three on my vision, I can’t help but ponder spiritual lessons.

Almost two months ago I experienced a miracle of sight when I underwent Lasik eye surgery. Yesterday I was operated on for enhancement to both my eyes as my severe astigmatism meant I couldn’t get full results in my operation back in September. What the surgeon doesn’t tell you this time round — probably deliberately so that you don’t freak out before the operation — is that it hurts at least twice as much.

The reason I say operation “take 3″ is because it took two goes this time to get my left cornea flap replaced right. After the first take, it shifted once it had been replaced, so the surgeon took me in for a second time saying that it is quite crucial that it remains in the right place.

No kidding!

When they removed the protective clear plastic shields from my eyes the day after surgery back in September, I was astounded at my new vision; when they removed the plastic shields the day after surgery this time around, I was completely blown away. With 20/20 vision in my right eye, and almost the same in my left — a result that is actually better than what I got while wearing glasses —  I am absolutely amazed at how most people see everyday. Normality!

Many spiritual parallels spring to mind, but the one I want to share is this:

To speak metaphorically for a second . . . When we are unsaved, we walk around this life like a short-sighted person does: we look but we don’t truly see anything. We see bits and pieces of sin and are mildly concerned at it, but the conscience is too seared to really care; we very seldom, if ever, look to far-sighted things, namely our eternal salvation and what happens when we die; our minds and hearts are hardened and calloused to the evil surrounding them.

Then we gain the light of life and salvation through Christ and suddenly our hearts and eyes are opened to the way God sees things, of which we discover more and more as we seek after Him and He reveals His heart to us. Our vision is sharpened and we marvel that others cannot see this blatant sin that is destroying their lives.

We see the sickness and we hold the cure, which, to the unbeliever, more often than not appears extremely foolish.

A verse comes to mind to counter that last part:

They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. — Revelation 12:11

But what we must always remember is that it is so easy to drift back to the old life. Focusing too much on short-sighted things and dabbing one foot into the enemies’ camp quickly takes a toll.

What’s in the heart will always come out. Never forget just how horrible the pit is that we have been dragged out of and rescued from.

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