I put on my first pair of corrective lenses in second grade. I never like dating myself, so that was like…well…a long time ago. Today glasses can be as much of an accessory as hats, earrings, or shoes, while the corrective part is a nice side benefit. But I grew up in the ‘80s, when glasses were particularly uncool for kids. So the words “four-eyes” and “nerd” became common epithets to my poor ears, although I never grew used to hearing them.

In fifth grade I got my first pair of contacts, and in the late ‘90s I actually went under the knife for lasik surgery. Sadly, the corrective surgery didn’t make a permanent fix, and in recent years I’ve picked up a pair of stylish lenses that I wear while driving at night or going to movies. Although my vision isn’t bad, when the glasses aren’t perched on my nose everything I see is blurred at the edges.

My recent reentry into the world of extra eyes reminded me of something I discovered years ago. I realized that whether I was putting on contact lenses or glasses, more than my vision changed for the better. Sometimes I’d walk down the street with my glasses balanced on my head, and I would pull them down over my eyes to get a better glimpse of something or someone at a distance. When the view snapped into clarity, so did something in my psyche. My soul breathed a metaphorical sigh of relief.

For those of you who have never had poor eyesight, you may not understand. But I think my brain was continually trying to bring into focus what my flawed eyesight couldn’t. I carried a tension I didn’t even know I had, and the battle to see ended when I gave in and put on the very tool that had been crafted to correct my vision. My entire attitude would change for the better!

The sad thing is I still often refuse to wear the things that are made to help me, to give me relief, even when they make me look smart and maybe a little bit cool. It’s really sad how control issues make smart people stupid!

waiting

As far as I know we all do something similar in other, less tangible areas of our lives. I have a tendency, for instance, to wrestle with God for control of His timetable. I want events in my life to proceed in a manner to my liking and my schedule. When that doesn’t happen, which is most of the time, my stress level tends to go up. And I’ve been stressed a lot lately.

A few weeks ago I was reading Psalm 25, where David repeated one word three times: wait.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long. (ESV)

That’s just one part of this beautiful psalm. Meditating on these verses for a few days was like putting on glasses. I’ve been so worried about my schedule for moving overseas, about what people think of me since I haven't moved yet, and about moving forward with my plans for my life, that I stop trusting in God to carry me through these times when I can barely see the road ahead of me. But thankfully He’s still master of my schedule, is more patient than I am, and even soothes my soul with timely psalms.

What are areas in your life where you need to pull the lenses over your eyes, the lenses God crafted to help you see Him and the events around you more clearly? If you’re like me, then I encourage you to ask God for trust, for faith, and maybe a word or two to guide you closer to Him. Don’t be afraid to ask a friend to pray for you, too. God has a surprising tendency to use the people around us to both encourage and convict. Don’t worry…both of those are good things!

An interesting note about that word “wait” in Psalm 25: I read the English Standard Version, but the NIV version translates "wait" a bit differently. The word it uses is "hope."

an update and prayer request

A lot has changed in recent months with the details of my ministry with GEM, some changes expected, some not. But I’m still moving forward towards getting to Europe and should be there within the next month or two. GEM and I need to hammer out a few details, and I’d like to work through those before giving you the full low-down.

Please pray for my patience since the working out of these details has been a long, drawn out process over the last few months. Please pray for wisdom as GEM and I seek God’s will. I should be able to give you some specifics very soon.

I would also appreciate your prayers as Christ City Church—the church plant I’ve been involved with in Memphis for the last few months—has its official launch on September 19. It’s a very exciting time, and all of us involved would definitely appreciate your support. I’ll give you more updates about that soon, too.

Thank you for your prayers!

Your partner in ministry,

Jason McFarland

“...and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8