[This is my first post of two in my “Vintage Wednesday” series on “Cows or Tombstones” re-written/updated from a blogpost back in May of 2011.]

When I was around eight years of age my parents discovered that I was quite near-sighted. Here’s how it happened. Snow was falling while we drove away from a friends’ house after Sunday lunch. Looking out the car window I spotted what I thought was a herd of cows in a nearby field. My heart of compassion melted for those “poor critters in the snowstorm,” and I shared my sentiments publicly. My mom and dad both gasped and laughed at the same time. I had mistaken tombstones for cows—we were simply passing by a cemetery.

Obviously it was high time for me to get glasses. I did, and before long I was also wearing contacts, facilitating a better experience in sports and saving significantly on frames and lenses.

Some time ago while living in Kentucky, I traveled to Louisville to see if I would qualify for LASIK eye surgery. According to the Joffe Medi-Center, there are basically three steps to the standard procedure. First, the corneal flap is created and lifted; second, an excimer laser reshapes the cornea; and third, the flap is replaced. All this is done in a matter of minutes. Recovery and regained sight is almost instantaneous.

Before I take you through my experience with LASIK let me tell you about my condition. Without corrective lenses (contacts or glasses) I could hardly recognize someone standing five feet away. My prescription for glasses was around -8.25 and for contacts -7.5. I was seriously impaired without correctives lenses.

Without clear vision, we're all impaired, whether physically or not. The former is easy to correct, the latter—not so much! In terms of the non-physical, if I don't know where I'm going, any road will take me there. If I aim for nothing, I'll hit it every time. 

I've heard many folks quote Proverbs 29:18: “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” (KJV) I think the Message version best captures the meaning of this verse: “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.”

Bottom line…I need to see what God is doing in our world and join him. When I pay attention to what he has revealed and align my actions with his vision of the present and future, my way forward is blessed! As with LASIK, my vision can be corrected almost instantly if I choose the right basis for seeing (truth) and the right motive (God & others-oriented vs. self-oriented).