Pray, Give Praise, and Sing

Well, first off I’m sorry I’ve been away for a couple of days but I had another eye procedure on my right eye which has been  weak for a long time due to an eye disease for which I’m being treated.  Good news to report.  My left eye, which has been out of focus since birth and which the doctor cannot correct was also afflicted with the disease which troubles the right and as financial provision needs are still a work in progress, he recommended I not do anything about the left and we’d focus on the right which is the eye I rely on for everything.  I agreed.  Last month, the news was far from good in that my right eye after four years of surgery and procedures was once again in need of another procedure. 

To complicate things, the left was much worse than it had been.  I do have some vision in that eye but cannot read with it, do any fine work, etc.  Well, my friends, while the vision is still as poor as always, the health of the eye from the disease was MUCH improved.  He could not explain it, double checked my chart and said “I’m sure we didn’t do anything on that eye . . . right?”  It’s true.  This healing can only have come from one source.  I cannot yet report DRAMATIC AND SUDDEN HEALING in my right eye but it also shows improvement, and I have been urged to go ahead and get new glasses.  Now, I was reluctant since, as those of you who’ve seen a photo may know, my eyes are larger than most and thus a costly fit for glasses.  Given my provision challenges, I hesitated to spend more than the amount of a mortgage payment on a pair of glasses which might last only a matter of days or weeks at best since my sight can change at any time. 

The doctor and his staff did extra tests on me and were able to prescribe for glasses AND were able to help me obtain them at much less than glasses have ever cost me WITHOUT my having to subject myself to questionable shopping mall eye-glass companies with whom I’ve had bad experiences in the past.  I was also given a 90 day warrantee on the prescription which means if my prescription changes within 90 days, I will be given new lenses at no cost to me.    My doctor feels confident that if we continue to treat this eye on a monthly basis, we will beat this disease yet!  Praise the Lord.

I will add here that I have been praying with expectancy for 3 years now feeling certain to the core of my being that healing was coming and the time involved here has not changed that, nor has the many challenges which have come my way, even though they are not all resolved at this time.  The blessings come too.

My doctor and his staff are Christians and this is evident.  At one point just yesterday as I was examined by his staff for glasses, she saw my concern, excused herself for a moment, smiled and said “don’t worry, God has a plan.”  She returned a moment later with the good news that my glasses would cost me far less than the retail price and that I could be seen by the appropriate professional “right away.”  I must say the tears which came to my eyes at that point were not entirely over the news she shared, but to a great degree over her obvious joy on my behalf.  She was so excited for me!

Some days the storm clouds seem to block the sun pretty effectively, but we know there is light in the distance and thus the darkness cannot extinguish it, can it?  I was just listening to a song which I’d never heard before and this song so seemed to sum up much of the happenings in my life in the last few years.  Challenges?  For certain.  Living outside my comfort zone?  You betcha, but at the same time the blessings have been AMAZING and so I look ahead with hope even though I still feel the pain of yesterday’s procedure. 

Our path in life with Christ does include pain, but if we stay on one side and avoid crossing through the painful part of the journey, we miss the splendor of what waits for us beyond.  I’m not willing to miss it! 

So, I thank you for your continued prayers, for sharing my joyful praise of Him, and here’s a link to a great song:

http://youtu.be/8A-2jhdN0Vc 

I’m Letting Go by Francesca Battistelli-Lyrics

 

I was just drawn to this verse from the writings of Paul and I am sharing it with you:

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11