From Reverend Janie – Sight and Vision

Sight and Vision

In the year 1812, in a small village near Paris, France, a 3 year old boy named Louis was playing in his father’s shop. His father was a harness maker. The young boy had an accident with one of the tools and was rendered blind. He was sent to the Royal Institute for the Blind in Paris where he was taught a cumbersome method of reading called “raised print”. This method consisted of pages where the alphabet was enlarged to 3 inch and raised from the page. Because of the size of the print the books were very large and expensive to make. In all of the school there were only 14 books.

At the age of twelve, Louis set about to create a system that was less cumbersome and less expensive to make. Using thick paper and a stylus (much like the instrument that blinded him) he created raised dots in 26 different patterns representing the letters of the alphabet. The system was easy to learn and inexpensive to produce.

Millions of people have benefited from this system. His name was Louis Braille. Although he was blind he had great vision.

Louis Braille could have lived his life in a very different way. He could have grumbled to himself that the system of reading that he had been taught was very limited. He could have lived his life simply complaining and never doing anything to change things. You have probably heard the saying, “You are either working on the solution or you are a part of the problem.”

At the age of 23, Louis Braille went on to be the organist in the largest church in Paris.

Sometimes the words sight and vision are used interchangeably, however, I am using two distinct meanings.

• Sight -- the perception of objects by use of the eyes
• Vision -- the act of anticipating that which may or will come true

We use sight to see what can be done or needs to be done in this world. We use vision to determine what is ours to do in this world. It is easy to see much that could be done to improve conditions in our world and with the use of prayer and wisdom, we can determine what is ours to do.

How do we become a person of vision? Here are a few helpful steps:

• Listen to your heart and feel what you are enthusiastic about. What is your passion?
• Ask God to show you a vision of what is yours to do
• Make a loose plan allowing God to make changes
• Hold the vision

Helen Keller was asked the question, “What could be worse than being blind?” To this she replied, “To have sight without vision.”

It is easy to see ways that we can help; ways that our particular gifts could be used to help our fellow humans. Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision the people perish.”

It is important to set goals. “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you there.” It is a fact that each one of us is going to end up somewhere. Why not set an intention, hold a vision and reach a destination on purpose?

When we are called to do a certain thing in life, God gives us everything that we need to complete that calling. God does not call the qualified; God qualifies the called.

In order to be true to our vision many times we must move out of our comfort zone. We must venture out of the familiar. Along with the desires of our heart come all of the mechanics to fulfill that desire. We will be given everything that we need when we need it.

When we pray and meditate it is not to change God’s mind or to coerce God into anything. It is to align our mind with the mind of God. God already wants nothing but good things for you. There is no need to beg and plead. There is only the need to align our mind with the mind of God. Jesus said “Ask and it shall be given unto you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door shall be opened to you.”

When our heart is surrendered, there is no wrong way to pray. When we receive a vision for good, it is from God. All good comes from God. When we pray and hold the vision we are expressing God’s good in the world. We are God expressing in this world. We are God’s eyes, ears, head and heart. We are God’s hands, feet and voice. We are God’s representatives.

What stirs your heart? How can you make this a better world? There is something that you can do in a way that no one else can.

Hold your vision in your heart. Your vision may be similar but it will never be exactly like anyone else’s vision. Hold your vision close and know that God has given you everything that you need to be his representative in your world.

Rich Blessings,
Rev. Janie