Just the other day, I was introduced to a phenomenon in the eye called “floaters.” It was all quite innocent enough. I made a trip to our local REI to buy some gear for an upcoming trip to Alaska this summer. When I left the store and got in my truck to leave, I noticed something in my left eye. I thought at first it was an eye lash or stray hair ( I have a bunch of those), or, debris on my sunglasses. I continued to see these small, and as yet, unnamed objects floating all over my left eye. I got home rinsed my eye but they were still there. I couldn’t get rid of them. Then in the morning, I started to see flashes of light out of the corner of my left eye when I turned it a certain way. To be honest, I freaked. I made an appointment with a local optometrist to see what was going on. I found out a lot about the eye that day. After all was said and done, the doctor politely told me it is all part of the “aging” process. Floaters can start at a very young age, but are typically more noticeable in the age group 50-75. To my great surprise, I also found out this phenomenon is unbelievably common but there is really NO treatment for it. So, for the rest of my life I am treated to my very own Rorschach blotter test!
Discussing things a little further with the doctor, I learned that floaters can be symptomatic of something far worse such as a detached retina. This is what concerned me most as I have had several concussions during my life and head injuries are the leading cause of detached retinas. I was relieved to find out my eye was fine.
As I came to grips with the aging process (once again) and my new floater friends, I figured there must be a blog in here somewhere. Then it hit me like a two ton heavy thing!
It may be a stretch, but while “eye floaters” impair our natural vision, “sin floaters” impair our spiritual vision.
My guess is we all have something in our lives that impairs our spiritual vision. A few of my spiritual floaters are worry, lust and guilt. Worry left unchecked turns to anxiety and self-obsession. Lust left unchecked turns to temptation and self-gratification. Guilt left uncheck turns to shame and self-loathing. All impair our vision of Jesus and what He accomplished for us on the cross!
One of my spiritual mentors, Dallas Demmitt uses Romans 5:1 (from The Message) to encourage others in their understanding of who they are before God. I love it and use it with others as well because it does provide us with clear vision.
“By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him–we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus.”
What are the “sin floaters” that impair your spiritual vision?
My prayer today is that we continue to exam our lives for spiritual floaters as they can be symptomatic of something that is wrong or getting progressively worse. Even more than that, that we come to a clear vision of who we are as children of God in-spite of these floaters!