Tunnel vision

I learned a neat trick from my grandpa when I was younger; if you make a diamond shape out of the thumb and pointer finger of each hand and look through the diamond with one eye, it has the same effect as bifocals.You can see a 1 millimeter diamond clear as day.

 Now that you've done it yourself, (because I know you have) allow me to make a spiritual application here. when you hold the fingers up to your eye, you may think you can see quite a lot, but really, you can only see a fraction of the bigger picture.

 The problem arises when someone sees only a small part of a situation and assumes that they see the whole situation. This is especially frustrating for people struggling with disabilities and 'invisible illnesses'. It is incredibly frustrating and disheartening when someone makes assumptions based on what they see, and don't give enough thought to what they can't see. If someone appears to be 'lazy' to you, maybe they really struggle with pain and don't make a big deal about it. Just because you can't see something wrong doesn't mean there isn't. I despise the word 'lazy', and I try not to use it, because no one except God really knows what a person is dealing with. Heaven only knows its hard enough to deal with an invisible illness or auto-immune disorder without having to defend your every action (or lack thereof, as the case may be) to everyone around you.

 If this is you, don't give up! Reach up!
  "6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7


 Once you've done that, reach out. Find someone in a similar situation to yourself, if you can. If you can't, then find a godly person who will pray for you and support you. We weren't meant to go it alone, and we are called to be a network of support for one another. If neither of these options are possible for you, then please, don't hesitate to shoot me a line at hearfeltramblings@hotmail.com  with "invisible illness" in the subject line. I'll set you up with a list of Bible verses and websites to encourage you.

The next time you're tempted to judge others on what you can see, try to guide your vision out of that diamond shape and look at the big picture, try to see the situation the way Christ sees it.

 Humans may have a problem with tunnel vision, but God sees everything.


 "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:13

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