It's been a long time since I posted on here. Sorry about that. Here's a lesson that the Lord taught me today. I just had to share it. :)
Five days ago I was at the beach. It was a warm day for the
beginning of October, and I had just come from body surfing in the frothy
waves. Nearly all the students from my college were relaxing on the beach, and
I joined a group who were playing hacky-sack on the sticky, wet sand near the
water.
As we tossed the hacky-sack around, I started to think that
playing this game in the sand might not be such a good idea. Several times I
almost kicked sand into my eyes, but thanks to quick reflexes, my eyelids blinked
shut just before the sand hit my face. I decided to play just a little longer
before hitting the waves again, but the next time I kicked the ball, my left
eyelid was not fast enough. A chunk of sand, about the size of half a teaspoon,
flew straight into my eye.
For the rest of the afternoon several of my friends
(including staff members who were doctors) tried all they could to clean out my
eye. By the end of the day, they had poured three full water bottles and about
half a bottle of saline solution through my eye. After all that, we were sure
we must have gotten all the sand out. I had stopped crying sandy tears, but my
eye still didn’t feel good. It burned, and every time I moved it or closed it
or blinked, it hurt.
As the days went by, my eye appeared less red and irritated. I started to think that maybe I was imagining the pain, or that I was
a wimp or a hypochondriac. Back at college, when I passed people in the hall,
they would say things like, “Glad to see your eye’s looking better!” or “The
eye looks healed up!” but I didn’t feel as good as I looked.
Still, I felt no need to go to the doctor. I had friends on
the beach who were doctors, and they said my eye looked fine. I had scratched
my cornea before, and it had healed on its own after a while, so I figured
that’s what had happened this time too. I didn’t think there was anything the
doctor could tell me that I didn’t already know. I didn’t think he could help.
But even though I ignored it, my eye tortured me.
Unexpectedly, I would blink or look at something quickly, and my eye would
start to itch and water with pain. I couldn’t sleep at night because it was too
painful to close my eyes. I was exhausted. Finally, while talking to my mom on
the phone, I admitted that after four days, my eye hadn’t gotten any better. Immediately
she insisted that I go see the doctor. I laughed and said I would go, just to
please her, but I doubted the doctor would find anything wrong.
This morning I went to the doctor, and he took a single grain
of clear sand out of my eye. He saw what no one else could see and did what no
one else could do. He believed me when I said it hurt, and he healed me. He
helped me free of charge.
The grain of sand had been tucked under my upper eyelid,
hidden away, just like sin is hidden in my heart. No one can see the small sins
in my heart, and no one could see the small piece of sand in my eye. I may
think I’m a good person, and other people may think I am a true Christian, but
sin can hide in places that only Jesus, the Great Physician, can see. I may not
feel my need of Christ, just as I didn’t feel the need of a doctor, but only
Christ can remove the sharp grain of sin from my heart. Only He can know how I
feel deep inside; only He can offer relief. He offers it free of charge.
“And He spoke a parable to them: ‘Can the blind lead
the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not
above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his
teacher. And why do you look
at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own
eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when
you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye?
Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see
clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye,’” (Luke 6: 39-42).
I didn’t see the problem with my eye, and it took me five days to
come to the doctor for help. How often do I not see the plank of sin in my own
life, and how long does it take me to admit my need of Jesus? Only He can heal
me from sin. May I always be quick to come to Him for help, even for freedom
from the smallest unseen sins.
