February '25

If you've had a calendar for the last year or two, you may have noticed a slight difference in this one.  Instead of just scripture, I decided to mix it up a bit and include some favorite hymns.  Here in February is the first of six that we will explore in 2025. 

Be Thou My Vision, O Lord of my heart

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art

Thou my best thought, by day or by night

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light

Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word

I ever with Thee and Thou with me my Lord

Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son

Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one

Riches I heed not, nor vain, empty praise

Thou mine inheritance, now and always

Thou and Thou only be first in my heart

High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art

High King of heaven, my victory won

May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's sun

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall

Still be my vision, O ruler of all

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall

Still be my vision, O ruler of all

Before we go any further, take a deep breath.  

Ask the Spirit to speak.  

Bask in the beautiful lyrics.  

I wonder what stands out to you in these words.  What phrase or tone catches your attention?

The entire hymn is beautiful, so we could spend lots of time covering each phrase.  I'm going to share with you what stands out to me and pray you find encouragement in it.  If a different phrase stands out to you- I encourage you to spend time asking God about it.  He may have a beautiful blessing for you in this Irish hymn that has nothing to do with my words. 

Be Thou My Vision, O Lord of my heart

I have worn some type of corrective lenses since I was in 1st grade.  I rocked a pair of pink speckled frames throughout elementary school.  When I got a little bit older, I discovered contacts and wore those for years.  That was my "struggle" with vision until I was 30 years old.

It's a story for another day, but I was 30 when I got a traumatic brain injury that would change my life forever.  I don't think I fully realized it at the time, but I couldn't see much when I was in the hospital.  The pain in my head was overwhelming, so the vision and hearing problems were pushed down to the bottom of my body's priority list.

I don't remember much from that first hospital visit.  I remember it in bits and pieces with lots of gaps in between. One of the pieces I wish I could forget was a conversation with the doctor when it was time to be discharged.

"The floor and walls are moving like an escalator."  

The look on her face said it all.  She didn't need to say anything.  I got the message loud and clear.  For our purposes, let's just say: her reaction was more hurtful than helpful.  She sent me home unable to walk, use the toilet on my own, or feed myself.

I couldn't see anything like I used to- nothing looked the same.   Every time I tried to walk it was as if the floor was moving and in an effort to balance I would inevitably fall.  I fell a lot in those early days of life with my "new" brain.

It was a couple of years later before I finally had a doctor that understood my vision problems.  

Contrary to the medical world's popular opinion- I wasn't crazy.

 The TBI had severely affected my vision.  My eyes were no longer communicating with my brain.  They were not properly aligned in my skull.  They were constantly fighting against each other instead of working together for one clear picture.  There was damage to the muscles behind my eyes.  I could go on...

After thousands of dollars and week after week after week of therapy- my eyes still didn't like me very much.  I got better at hiding it, but the issues didn't go away.

I've learned to live with my eye problems by not to trusting what my eyes see.  That may sound funny, but what I mean is this: when I looked down the floor multiplied and moved around like a pinball machine.  The truth is, the floor was not moving or multiplying.  It was my eyes playing tricks on my brain.

Why am I telling you all this?

Because our hymn starts with this line: 

Be Thou My Vision

What do you think it means for the Lord to be your vision?

Like I already mentioned, I've learned to not trust my eyes.  Often what my eyes see is not the reality I am walking in.  I think the same can be said for our spiritual eyes and our circumstances.

In 2 Corinthians 4: 17-18, Paul tells us "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but things that are unseen are eternal."

How do we do that?  How do we look at things that are unseen?  I'd like to suggest to you that it is similar to vision problems.  Instead of pink speckled frames, we need the Word of God and His Holy Spirit to help us see clearly.  You may not know the feeling of the floor "moving" under your feet, but perhaps you know that wearing glasses can be helpful.  If you wear any kind of glasses, I think you can relate to what I am getting at here.  Perhaps you know that things look a little bit clearer if you wear the glasses vs not wearing them.  Maybe you wear them to read or maybe you wear them all the time- regardless the principle is the same.  Things look clearer if you put those specs on.  If you don't need glasses, what is something you use to help your daily life?  Electricity? Clean water? A home with working heat or AC?

This chart shows the exact same thing.   The only difference is one is using the "lenses" to see clearly and the other one is not.  If you were put on the spot to name the bottom row, which image would you look at?

I'd like to suggest that it is only with the Holy Spirit we can see clearly.  

Without Him, the charts look like this:

Again, I ask you:  If you were put on the spot to name the bottom row, which image would you look at?  Without the help of the proper "lenses" both appear blurry.

What do we do when life feels like the image above?  When it is blurry and uncertain and we don't know where to go next?  I'd like to suggest something "crazy."  May I suggest, you don't trust your eyes?

Perhaps instead of believing that the floor is moving like an escalator, we choose to not trust what our eyes are telling us.  We can choose the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 

(Hebrews 11:1)

Faith comes from God, therefore it is only with His help that we can look at the things unseen as Paul suggests in 2 Corinthians.

"For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but things that are unseen are eternal."

Can you trust His eyes when all you see is the moving floor?  What I didn't mention earlier is that I need help when the floor moves.  When my brain taps out and I can't walk on my own- I need help trusting that the floor isn't going to fall out from under me (yeah, even today- it's a thing).  I had to learn to trust my family and friends who literally held my hand as I took steps. 

It's hard to take steps when the floor is moving and everything is blurry. 

This brings us to the 2nd phrase:

O Lord of my heart

I'd like to pause here & ask you the same question I ask myself with that phrase: where is your heart  Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, "for where your treasure is there your heart will be also."  Where is your treasure?  What is stored up in those heart rooms?  If He is not the Lord of your heart, stop here and talk to Him about it.  Ask Him to examine your heart and what is kept in those rooms.

Be Thou My Vision, O Lord of my heart

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." -Hebrews 12:1-3

I wonder what is holding your gaze today.  I wonder if it feels overwhelming and like it will never be over.  That's kind of more where I land this week- my vision keeps getting fixated on circumstances instead of the One on the throne.  Often before I realize it, I'm so consumed in looking at that "moving floor" that I can't even raise my head to see anything else.  I love these verses in Hebrews because they tell us exactly what to do when we find ourselves caught up in something that is "seen."  What do we do when that happens?

LOOK TO JESUS & CONSIDER JESUS

LOOK TO JESUS because He is the founder and perfector of our faith.  We can't do any of this walk without faith.  What do you do when you find your self with a fraction of a mustard seed?  LOOK TO JESUS: He is the founder and perfector of the faith you need.  He will not turn you away any more that a good parent would turn away a little child asking for help.

If you feel weary and fainthearted, may I urge you to CONSIDER JESUS?  Ask Him to show you His perspective on your situation.  Ask Him to be your vision.  

One time I did this and didn't really expect Him to respond.  I asked Him to help me consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, because I was weary and fainthearted.  He answered me in a way that took me by surprise.  If He can do it for me, could He do it for you too?  If you feel like no one else gets it: ask Him if He does.  Take it a step further, ask Him to give you a verse.  Ask Him to show it to you in scripture.  Be bold in your asking.  His word is living & active.  And my dear reader, He loves you so very much.

"Since then we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.  Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." - Hebrews 4:14-16

 If you are interested in the history behind the hymn I recommend this resource.