Sometimes the Path is Clear

By Shari Bhandal

Sometimes our vision is clear, at other times it’s very blurry.
Sometimes the pathway is clearly seen, but at other times it’s hard to see where we are going. Sometimes our vision is clear, at other times it’s very blurry. As Paul said, “now we see through a glass, darkly.” (I Corinthians 13:12)

We’ve had a lot of rain lately and on Saturday night I was the driver for Nathan and his friends. I dropped them off in T.A. then went back out to pick them up. I drove them to other places all the while it was dark and raining. Sometimes it was drizzling which required the wipers to be on very slow, or it was absolutely pouring down. Also it’s not fun driving in the company of huge trucks, that shed tons of water, if you are following behind them or if they pass you.
Most of the time, the view in front was very blurred by rivers of water flowing across the glass. Interestingly, the view out of my rear view mirror was clear as could be. Isn’t that the way it usually is? Looking back, everything is so clear – as they say, hind-sight is 20/20! For a while, it was seemingly miraculous - just when I needed it most, the wipers would suddenly come to life and I could see clearly again.

Soon I realized that my best situation was when no vehicle would be immediately in front of me and none passing, so I tried to pace my speed to keep up with the rest of traffic so others would not be constantly passing me and throwing up water. But then, when you get to a hill, the trucks would slow, and I would have to pass them. It was then that I developed a newfound appreciation for 4 wheel drives.

I found this 4 wheel drive to be extremely helpful. When, with its large bright rear lights, the 4 wheel drive passed a truck, even if my wipers did not happen to work right then, I could navigate past the huge spray of water as I fixed my eyes on its red guiding lights.
So, on I drove, all the while thinking of this verse, “now we see through a glass, darkly.”
There are parts of the road you dread, when the rain has increased, the road is narrower, and the wipers have almost completely expired. There is another worry - how would I ever be able to read the sign indicating my exit? Just then, precisely at the right spot, though they had seemed lifeless for several minutes, the wipers kicked on for one swipe, allowing me to see the sign and prepare for the exit.

I now plunged into the darkness of a lonely country road where I found another comforting guide - the little reflectors implanted along the nearly invisible centre line. After another torturous hour of blurred vision, it was an indescribable relief to finally steer the car into the driveway of home.

So, what was the lesson?
Life is often much like travelling down a darkened road with a very blurry vision. It even seems that many efforts are being organized to make visibility even worse – like huge 18 wheelers throwing up clouds of water to make a hard situation nearly impossible.
In our lives, who or what are represented by these large, water shedding vehicles that nearly blind us so that we cannot find our way?

On the other hand, sometimes God:

1. Suddenly makes the wipers work the way they're supposed to,
Without any apparent explanation, suddenly the confusion just disappears – we wake up one morning and everything makes sense at last. Like when I first became a Christian and I was reading the bible. Suddenly the confusion and fog was gone. The wipers worked and cleared my vision.

2. Provides someone to lead the way,
Some people are blessed by having someone available nearby who is strong in faith, has demonstrated a stable walk with the Lord, knows the Word, and is a person who is compassionate and prayerful. We get in behind them and “follow them as they follow Christ.”

3. Places markers on the roadway.
The markers in the roadway represent circumstances outside our control, but which help direct our paths. They may be opportunities which are like open doors, or unsolicited advice from a friend or even a stranger.

There may even be times when there’s nothing to do but pull over and wait out the stormy rain.
There are two companion stories in the Gospels where the first disciples were caught in blinding storms. In one, while they panicked, Jesus was found sleeping in the boat. In the other, the one that most interests us here; Jesus came to His disciples walking on the water. In Mark’s account, it appeared that although He came to them out of His concern for their struggling against the storm, from their view point, it looked as though He was going to walk right past them (Mark 6:48). Not being able to see clearly, they became terrified, thinking that this must be a ghost, and they cried out in fear.

Perhaps, worse than not being able to see is seeing, but not seeing well enough to identify correctly what it is that you’re seeing. In this case, it was Jesus, but the disciples thought it was a ghost, which to them would signify something evil rather than the comforting presence of Jesus.

We want to see the way clearly. We despise confusion and uncertainty. We don’t want to drive through the rain without wipers. We don’t want to mistake Jesus for a ghost. We don’t want to confuse an angel with a devil or be deceived by a false prophet.

So often, there are times in our lives when we feel as though our spiritual vision is blurry. It’s so hard for us to see God and to discern how He might be working in our lives. It gets harder and harder to detect exactly what it is God is calling us to do. Although we start out with clear vision, somewhere along the way, everything gets hazy. Our vision gets blurry. Fatigue sets in. God’s calling becomes vague and we’re no longer certain we’re headed in the right direction. We lose our focus.

Life consists of good days and bad days, sunshine and storms. But soon this life will be over and we will be transported into the eternal kingdom where there is always light. Job 19:25-27
Hope is on the way! God answered Paul’s prayer – He’ll surely answer ours too. When we ask God to lift the blurriness, He does. He imparts spiritual discernment and understanding that causes the haze to gradually evaporate. By either revealing or reminding us of what He has called us to do, He brings clarity to our situation. Before we know it, our energy and strength are renewed. Just ask God to help you see more clearly.

If you are you experiencing some blurry vision today, If the road on which you’re travelling is blurry , if you can barely read the signs or see the lines, Ask God to clear up your vision and to bring your spiritual eyesight into focus.

“Now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”