For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. I Corinthians 13:12
I’ve always sensed that Jesus was alive and that He was guiding me. At the same time, life has been a process of learning more about who He really is. For me, this process reminds me of going to the optometrist. The doctor starts with my previous correction and then refines it until I’m able to enjoy beauty, read, and function normally. I’ll never experience 20/20 vision but I’m able to see so much better than I naturally could. Walking with Jesus over a lifetime has been like that for me.
Jesus Meets Me Where I am
My uncorrected vision is 20/800. I can see vaguely but can’t function. (Even the doctor tells me my eyesight “isn’t great.”) As bad as my natural eyesight is, the doctor is able to correct my vision to what it needs to be. In the same way, Jesus has met me where I have been and has led me to where I needed to be.
Jesus Shows Himself in Others
When I was a child, I saw Jesus as He related to me. As I’ve grown, I’ve seen Jesus in relation to all believers. Seeing Jesus transforming other believers has been a very precious gift.
Learning to See Takes Trial and Error
Learning to see Jesus more clearly hasn’t progressed in a perfectly straight line. When the doctor asks, “Is one or two better?” I sometimes doubt that my answer is correct, and can get off track. Sometimes bumps in life have been really hard, and I’ve reverted to former ways of seeing — which reminds me of times I’ve lost my glasses and had to make do with an older pair. Like the doctor, Jesus is patient, allowing me to make choices. I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but, as a result, I’ve learned to see more clearly.
The Best is Yet to Come
Thanks to Jesus’s guidance and the gift of sight he’s given me, I can marvel at just how wonderful He is. Scripture promises that we have much more to look forward to:
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. We know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. I John 3:2 NIV
“Thank you, God, for sending Jesus, who gives us healing and hope in this world. Thank you that we can be confident that, one day, we will see you exactly as you are and that we will be like you.“
by Sherry Sommer
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