Believing is Seeing

“Every closed eye is not sleeping, and every open eye is not seeing.” ~Bill Cosby, American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist (b 1937)

We had finally set aside enough money for Teresa to purchase a pair of contact lenses. Her sight had never been very good and she wore a strong prescription to make the necessary correction. They were the same glasses she had worn since before our wedding, so even the prescription was no longer correct. Today was the “final fitting” for her new “gas permeable” lenses. 

The car glided into the parking space at the Sawmill Plaza shopping center. The plaza was a quaint little strip mall near our home in Dublin, Ohio. Teresa was headed for Buckeye Optical. Our daughter, Angela, and I were headed for “Doubles,” a family bar and restaurant, for chili and the football game. The name Doubles was not due to double size drinks, but because it had televisions at both ends of the bar. 

Once we were safely on the sidewalk, we discussed the logistics as to how we would “meet back up” after our respective tasks. Then we headed off in opposite directions. 

The bar was busy and the Ohio State Buckeyes were winning. On game day, practically every television and radio in Columbus, Ohio, was tuned to the game. College football was a religion in this town and Woody Hayes was their saint. 

Angela and I sat at the bar eating eastern-style chili (with beans) and munching on peanuts. Annie, who ran the place and was particularly fond of Angela, paid special attention to her, always making sure her Pepsi was filled. Checking my watch, I realized that the appointed time of our rendezvous had passed. I left the money on the bar with the check. The two of us headed out the door and onto the sidewalk slipping on our jackets as we went. 

We turned left in the direction of Buckeye Optical, which was only a few doors away. To our surprise we saw Teresa standing in the middle of the sidewalk staring straight down at the concrete. “Oh no, I hope she didn’t lose a brand new contact,” I thought.  “Teresa, are you OK?” I asked, quickening my pace. 

Teresa looked up at us, beaming. “Do you know there are designs in this concrete?” she asked, almost mystified. “Huh?” came my less than thoughtful response. She walked past us staring at the sky. “And there are all kinds of detail in the clouds.” Slowly I began to realize that my wife’s eyesight had been so bad that she had only been able to see general outlines and little detail.  

She examined Angela and me for a long time, as if seeing us for the first time. “Are you ready to go?” I asked finally. “Yes, I guess,” she responded in a surreal tone. 

On the way home she pointed out details in objects she had not seen before. And I wondered if she would have married me if she had known what I really looked like! 

Several weeks ago, I found myself in an awkward position. I was asked to describe someone I had known for a long time and I realized that, although we had been acquainted for years, I was unable to provide an accurate description of the person. When I encountered him again recently, he caught me staring at him. “What are you doing?” he asked in surprise. “I’m trying to actually see you,” I replied. 

True perception goes well beyond making visual contact with something. Speed reading, fast-forwarding, Cliff Notes and the like have provided us with edited versions of the world. But in our rush to see more, do we really perceive less?   

Would we run through the Louvre or the Getty museum and then confidently pronounce that we had “seen it”?  What details are we missing in life? Are we closing our eyes or are we just moving too fast? There are reasons they put observation benches in galleries and museums rather than jogging trails! 

Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, “Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.” Teresa’s experience with her new contact lenses taught me that we should not only stop and smell the roses, but that we should take a good look at them as well.  

God put many beautiful things in our world for us to enjoy and marvel over. They can be as grand as sunsets, vistas and oceans or a simple as the veins in a leaf or a single flower. We only need to stop and see them.   After all, seeing may be believing, but believing is also seeing.

Dear God: Remind me to admire your creation today.

You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle. ~Paul Coelho, Brazilian lyricist and novelist (b 1947)

©2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.

“90 Second Stewardship” is a reflection on being a Christian Steward in a secular and sometimes harsh world. This reflection is written by James E. Carper of Simi Valley, California. All rights are reserved. You are welcome and encouraged to forward this e-mail to family and friends provided the”© 2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.” is included along with this message. Organizations, whether for or non profit, are required to receive written approval before reproducing these reflections. If written approval is given the “© 2012 James E. Carper. All rights reserved.” must be included along with this message.