Linda Burch, Member 40+ years, Good Will Class

Proverbs 20:12, 27 (NKJV)
12  The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
      The Lord made them both.
27  The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord,
      Searching all the inner depths of his heart.

Reflection:
The sky exploded! Spinning black and white circles filled the air before falling to the pavement in front of my car. Then they vanished! What was wrong with my eyes?

An ophthalmologist’s appointment revealed the “explosion” occurred when a vitreous detachment created a hole in the macula of my left eye. Surgery could repair most of the damage, but I would need to stay face down 24/7 for at least two weeks afterward.

I had the surgery in mid-January of 2006. Two weeks face-down offered the opportunity to review the heartache and struggle associated with my dad’s illness and death in 2005. I was exhausted from caregiving and struggling with decisions about his estate.

Now 2006 had worries of its own. How successful would the surgery prove to be? Would I be able to enjoy reading again? When would my eye heal enough for me to get back on my feet? I am happy to report that the surgery was a success and turned out even better than expected.

Fast-forward to the Summer arrival of Dr. Tom Pace as the new senior pastor at St. Luke’s. That first Sunday, he began the tradition of opening each sermon by offering a prayer asking God to open our eyes to see, our ears to hear, our hearts to feel, and our hands to serve. However, I heard “hearts to heal.” It was three months before I became aware of my “slip of the ear.”

Looking back, I realize I heard his prayer the way I needed to at that time in my life. My heart required healing before it could move to new feelings of thankfulness, joy, and peace.

Proverbs 20 tells us God made our hearing ears and our seeing eyes and has given us his lamp to search the depths of our hearts. As we move into 2021, let us use the eyes and ears of our hearts to view the world around us. Let us look and listen for the positive and good in each other and our world.

Prayer:
Oh, God, thank you for our hearing ears and seeing eyes. Please help us to listen and look for ways to make life better for those who cross our paths. Open our hearts to feel the healing power of your love and grace so we may extend it to others. Amen.