The fast pace of life can sometimes “cloud” our vision to recognize a need for change. As people and the world evolve, we should too. There can be multiple factors that influence our reason to resist it, but just like our actual vision changes over time, we must accept that life happens the same way and we should not become complacent in our growth. The hardest part about change is not change in itself, but it is how we respond to it.
I have worn glasses my whole life. As a child, my mother used to fuss at me because the lenses of my glasses were always smudged. As a carefree kid, I didn’t have time to clean my glasses. As long as I could see without my eyes crossing up, I was fine. Similarly, we keep going, not sure about anything but we are just “riding the wave.” The danger though is that we are not always prepared when major things interrupt our lives because it does not seem to be important, and we refuse to see them.
One day, my uncle looked at me and said, “Juanita, can you see out of your glasses because they are really dirty?” I looked up at him and said “yes”- yes, my glasses were dirty and yes, I could still see. I will admit that sometimes even when I acknowledge that things are not right in my life, I still tend to say, “It’s ok, it will be fine.” The truth is we all need a reminder that we will eventually have to deal with our shortcomings. Honestly, many of us do not see the need or feel we have time to work on ourselves. People of faith need to address things like negative attitudes, behaviors, and habits because it draws us to transform into the people God calls us to be. The good news is we are not alone, and we have help.
My uncle then says to me, “Let me see your glasses so I can clean them.” So I gave him my glasses to clean. When he finished, he gave them back to me and when I put my glasses back on, lo and behold, everything was clear!
What if the approach to the changes that need to happen in our lives starts with God doing “cleaning” in us? What if we strive to avoid life’s distractions and have faith that God will help us to see our need for growth?
Union United Methodist Church
7582 Woodrow Street, Irmo
803-781-3013
Sundays: Traditional Worship at 9:00am; Contemporary Worship at 11:00am