Level

So, that little gas bubble is still there, hovering harmlessly in my left eye, too small to continue its job as a band-aid for the surgical incisions in my retina.  When I tilt my head down, just a little bit, I can see the whole thing, floating there in the center of my vision, like a little round ball edged in black.  If I look through the bubble, I can tell what I am seeing through it, like looking at an object underwater.  When I gaze ahead normally, I still see the top of the bubble; I can see most of the room above the bubble now, although it's quite blurry even with my glasses on.  Little black floaters dart about in my periphery like annoying little gnats, disturbing my solitude.  Lines that should be straight appear to be wavy, and the space above the gas bubble shimmers, with rays of light spreading from its surface like the rays on a child's colored yellow sun. 
gas bubbles : heart of the bubbles in a glass of champagne, romantic background
For the time being, it is less distracting for me to walk outdoors, or read, with my offending left eye shut tight.

Since it is too small to do it's original job, it seems to me that my little gas bubble has found a new job for itself--it has become my own, personal level.  You know what a level is, a tool that shows a carpenter whether his handiwork is straight and plumb like it should be.  My private level moves whenever I do, sliding from one part of my eye to another as I tilt my head, reminding me that it is there, ready to indicate whether I am facing the world head on or lying down on the job.  
I am thankful that I only have one gas bubble in my eye.  And I am glad that it will be completely gone in a couple more days.

O O O O O O O O O O O O

I think that God has given each of us our own personal, permanent level, not in one of our eyes, but within our entire being.  Sometimes we call it our conscience.  If we pay attention, our conscience reminds us when we stray from the good that we should do.  Additionally, God has given us the law, found in his ten commandments. Martin Luther said that the law acts as a curb to help control violence in our world, a mirror to show us our sin, and a guide to show us what we should do and not do to lead a God-pleasing life.  The law doesn't introduce us to Jesus, our Savior, but it certainly shows us how much we need him.
  gas bubbles : bubbles in the blue water, abstract background
Sometimes, we are tempted to close our eyes to shut out the influence of the law in our lives; we try to ignore the urging of our conscience to do what's right, just as I shut my left eye so I can better concentrate on the things I want to do.  But when we open our eyes again, our conscience is still there, nudging us to turn back to God and pay attention to his law.

Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart.  Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.  Psalm 119: 34-35


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Three Weddings and Too Many Funerals

Image
It's been fifteen years since my middle daughter, Meagan, married Andy. Fifteen years of living and working in and around Gering, and five, almost six, children later, everyone they know would say that they are happily married. Their wedding was big and formal, and held in our church, like many weddings were then, at least here in Gering, with a sit-down dinner and dance afterward at the Civic Center. They both grew up here, and were well-known in the community, so many local people attended their wedding. In addition, they each had large extended families who were willing to travel quite a distance to be present for their big day. It was a memorable day, for sure. Fifteen years ago, our family was quite small. They both settled in to teaching, living in an old house on Andy's family's farm before building a house at the same location about ten years ago. Now, Andy continues to teach at Gering High School, while Meagan has been focusing her teaching skills on her own childr
Read more

Introducing Anna

Image
Anna Elizabeth Tyler was born almost three weeks before her due date, at 10:53 a.m. on Monday, October 30th, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. She weighed 5.45 pounds, and was 17.25 inches long. Her entrance into this world was more dramatic than we had hoped, since she had to spend eleven days in the NICU to monitor her breathing. But, after the initial scare, she is nursing well and growing appropriately at home. Anna at just a few days old Anna is the only one of our eight grandchildren who has spent any time in NICU. At one month of age, she is still small, but she is finally outgrowing her preemie clothes and moving on to newborn sizes. It's hard to be more than 1200 miles away from family when they need help, but contemporary forms of communication make that much easier than it used to be. Nevertheless, Bill and I were glad to join our daughter, Erin, her husband, Reed, our grandson, Will, and baby Anna, for Thanksgiving. We got to see for ourselves how their whole family is thriving.
Read more

A Little Covid

Image
Like so many of you, I am tired of hearing about Covid-19. As I look back to 2020 and the intervening years since then, I can't help but think that our government, along with many others throughout the world, may have overreacted, insisting on too many, perhaps unnecessary, restrictions. However, the fact remains that I am currently quarantined at home because, for the first time, I officially have Covid. I would never have known I have Covid except that it morphed into a sinus infection. So, I dutifully made my way to Urgent Care because I knew I would need an antibiotic to get over it. And, of course, I had to have a test to rule out Covid and Influenza A. Except, even though my vaccinations are up-to-date, the test was positive for Covid. My Covid symptoms have been minimal, probably because I’ve been vaccinated: some fatigue, some sneezing, and a headache that won't quit. Initially, I passed off those symptoms as my normal allergy symptoms, aggravated by the windy condition
Read more