Dear Pilgrim, do you long to see clearly?

Dear Pilgrim, do you long to see clearly? Do you desire to have clarity of vision? Oh, Pilgrim, you have set your heart on a noble thing…but this is a painful path to tread.

Are we not like the idols we worship – with our eyes plastered over so that we cannot see? Are we not feeding on ashes, misled by a deluded heart, helpless to save ourselves? Are we not like the blind, groping along the wall, feeling our way like people without eyes, stumbling at midday as if it were twilight? Are we not walking in darkness, living in a land of deep darkness?

Oh, but Pilgrim, here comes One who reveals deep and hidden things, who knows what lies in the darkness, and in Whom light dwells! This One, whose Voice strikes with flashes of lightning, who wraps Himself in light as with a garment, who is the Light of the World, He comes!

The Light comes! He reaches out, spits on your eyes, puts His hands on you. He asks “Do you see anything?”

As you open your eyes which have been released from their captivity, light rushes in to your eyes. Light! But having lived in a land of deep darkness for so long, this sudden rush of light sparks a painful reaction! The pain! Oh, the pain! The darkness….it somehow seems more appealing than the light. The darkness...it is familiar, it is safe, it is what you know…..the land of the shadow of death.  As the light brings more sight, you see something….but it scares you, it frightens you. You see people walking around….yet they do not look like people. They look like trees. You are confused, frightened, bewildered. You shut your eyes again, the sting from the light made them water, you wipe the tears from your cheeks. Denial feels safer than the truth.

You face a choice now, dear Pilgrim. A choice to stand where you are, or to run away. A choice to trust Him, or to hide in the darkness. I can see your struggle, dear saint. And now I can see realization crossing your closed eyes as you whisper to yourself "If I say 'Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me', even the darkness will not be dark to you, the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you." You continue to stand where you are, holding onto a mustard seed of faith that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.

Oh, glory! For once more He reaches out and puts His hands on your eyes. You feel the touch. You feel safe in His hands. You hear Him say to you “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” You feel safe. Safe. You dare to open your eyes again.

Oh, precious Pilgrim! Now your eyes are opened, and your sight is restored, you can see everything clearly! The people no longer look like trees walking around – they look like people! You can see them plainly! The sting of pain has gone from your eyes! You have bought salve from Him to put on your eyes so that you might see – salve, ointment, that initially brings the sting of pain, but if only we will resist the urge to brush it away, to persevere, then, oh Pilgrim, then He brings the comfort, the refreshing balm, the soothing touch to take away the pain, to restore sight. Allow Him to brush away the tears from your cheek.

And now that you can see, dear Pilgrim….let the light of His face shine upon you.