I could not even begin to explain how God has shown Himself in detail to us the past 3 days. I think it can be summed up in the word, "Light." Here's an attempt to summarize the past weekend.
On Friday, Sean and I decided to spend our date day getting our Christmas shopping completed. Well, actually.....almost started. Outside of a few things ordered online, I hadn't done much of anything, and miraculously wasn't stressed at all about it. Evidence of the Lord for sure. We aren't big shoppers, and usually keep it to a few things per child, but at this point, the girls did not have ANYthing. So, it was time to "just do it." We stopped for breakfast around 8am, then headed towards the mall. We were excited to get there early enough to beat the crowds. After shopping in one particular store for the girls (and striking gold I might add-the entire store was 50% off that day! Yes, Lord!), Sean noticed his vision was becoming very dim. He's been having some vision problems, and even saw his opthamologist a couple of weeks ago back on the shore. The doctor said there weren't any serious problems, but Sean should find a doctor once we got settled and follow up if the problems continued. Still, on this day, it was noticeably different. Within minutes, and I mean MINUTES, Sean said there was something like a veil that had come over his right eye. We instantly left the mall, and started making some phone calls to see about getting into a doctor here in Raleigh. Since it was the Friday before Christmas, we ran into several snags, but God in His amazing detailed work, managed to get us an appointment within a couple of hours that day. With a retina specialist! (Who we found out later is THE best in the area! We got so many comments from the nurses at the hospital about him!) We walked into the office at 1:00. By 1:30, Sean was diagnosed with a detached retina and his sight had gotten much worse. The doctor tried to get an operating room open for that evening (since Sean had eaten breakfast), but they were booked, so we were scheduled the next day. He didn't feel there would be a big window of time that would change the situation in just a few hours, so he sent us home and had us come back the next day for surgery. In the meantime, the doctor gave us his cell number (who does that?!) and told us to call him if we had any problems. He told Sean to expect that by the next day his vision would be all but gone in that eye by the time we got to the hospital for surgery. He was right. Despite being prepared for this, it was VERY scary for Sean to actually experience darkness in one eye. The thought of losing his sight was not only a great fear, but a realistic one. It actually wasn't about losing his sight anymore. It was about regaining it.
Throughout these hours, God poured out His Spirit, and gave me an overwhelming calm. I literally felt His presence. I know also that many were praying for us and God was responding to each of those prayers. The night before surgery, I opened up my "Jesus Calling" devotional and read it to Sean. We had tears as the Lord gave to us specific words about "sight" and believing without seeing. It was so so sweet!
Yesterday was the day of the surgery. The doctor said everything went very well and he's very hopeful that Sean's vision will be restored in time. (He even called us at home to check on us- again! Thank You, Lord!) It may take several weeks for it Sean's sight be restored completely though. He said within time, this veil is lifted and the vision becomes clearer. It was like a curtain that would slowly open up in his eye until his vision was clear again..
I couldn't help but think of the darkness in our life without Jesus. There is a veil over our eyes that keeps the light out. There was a veil over the whole world until Jesus appeared. Our Messiah. With Christ, we have a light of Hope. A promise. A light that doesn't just shine, but enlightens us and through the Holy Spirit remains in us. When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple was torn. There is no longer a curtain that keeps us from the Light. We have a clear vision of our Savior and His light in us. No matter what darkness is all around us, we carry this Light. If we only look at the darkness of our circumstances, it can be discouraging, but if we take the light of Jesus into them, they are no longer dark. There's light! There's hope! This thought completely changed something uncertain and scary in our weekend into a stage for God's glory as we looked at our circumstance through the light of the face of Jesus. We could trust He was right there in the midst of something the enemy sought to destroy and kill.
While this veil of earth remains, we have a light to shine this year at CHRISTmas. We hold the flashlight, friends! For our own lives and for the lives of others. One day this curtain will be pulled back as Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and our Father take center stage and every knee bows and tongue confesses that "Jesus Christ is Lord!" There, God will be glorified for all of eternity. Remember, you hold the light, believer. How is Jesus unveiling Himself in your life? How will you shine His light to others?
"For God, Who said let light shine out of darkness made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ." 2 Cor. 4:6
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