Seeing is Believing

Over the past 6 weeks I have been taking swimming lessons. It's not because I'm training for a triathlon. Nah, that would be way cooler than I can lay claim to. It’s because I simply cannot swim and was like: no more. One of the most frustrating aspects of learning to swim is buying the right pair of goggles. I need goggles because (per an article):

The human eye was not designed to work in an aquatic environment, so when we open our eyes whilst submerged in water our vision is blurred.

However, it wasn't so easy to just go buy goggles. Clearly, I had to make a bunch of mistakes first: 

Goggles #1

The first pair of goggles were pretty basic. Nike. A little pricy. Functional. They did what goggles are supposed to do: kept water from going into my eyes. But I still couldn't really see. Why? Well, because, I wear corrective lenses (i.e. I wear glasses). So I'm like: I'll just wear them over my contacts. However, research informed me that doing so could result in a severe eye infection if pool water was trapped beneath my contact lens. Such infection could lead to permanent blindness. Needless to say: those goggles are now dead to me.

Goggles #2

You can buy goggles with prescription! I got a pair of -2.50 goggles (even though only one of my eyes is -2.50...this would have to do) and they were GLORIOUS! I could see everything in and out of the water! This greatly improved the swimming experience. But over time, the pool water became cloudy. I started to dread the pool, because the water was so gross. It took me weeks to realize it wasn’t the pool...it was my goggles! There are two rules to goggles that I didn’t know about:

1. Rinse the goggles after every use with pure water
2. Do not touch the inside of the goggles

I had already washed these with soap after touching the inside of the goggles numerous times Apparently all of this destroys them...who knew? 

Goggles #3

Same as googles #2 just treated with appropriate care. So now I can see. I bought these goggles with a case! And the water at the pool was magically clean again! 

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins. - 2 Peter 1:5-11

You might be thinking: girl, this is a stretch. But hear me out! 

I was drawn to this scripture because the person who does not add these elements to their faith is “nearsighted.” I’m nearsighted! And so I know what that means: I can only see things that are close to me. If I look ahead to things in the distance? I can’t see them. Spiritually, that means I don’t have enough faith to trust God for my future. I can only see the here and now...because it’s close. If I turn around and look back a ways? I can’t see anything. Spiritually, that means I can’t see God’s love for me in the form of Jesus on the cross. Since I can’t see Him, I forget that my sins were washed away in His blood. I can only see my current situation...because it’s close. 

Sometimes we’re in a situation where we can’t see well, and it’s because we need to add something. With the goggles, I first had to add knowledge: don’t wear with contacts. Then I had to add prescription. Then I had to add proper care. And soon I’m going to add comfort because goggles #3 hurt! But, I’m doing everything I can in order to make sure I can see. 

And we have to be the same way with our faith. We have be the same way with our spiritual sight. Can you only see what’s close? Can you only see what’s now? Then maybe you need to pray about what you need to add.