I've worn contacts for more than 16 years. Never in that time have I ever lost a contact...until about a month ago. I wear gas permeable contact lenses...translation: hard contact lenses. With their light green tint and hard surface, it's difficult to lose them easily even if they pop out. But one fateful night it happened.
It was about a week before my departure for a business trip and I was conducting my nightly routine in the bathroom, which includes the removal and cleaning of my contacts. As I popped out the left contact, it felt as though it was still stuck in my eye. I scurried over to better lighting to see if I could see it in my eye. Not there. Great. Now I've trampled through the house and it's probably lost forever. I shook out my clothes, shook out my rugs, and searched in every nook and cranny as I retraced my steps. Nothing. Sigh.
The next morning in a panic, I called my doctor's office to order a new lens. I was leaving in a week and didn't want to head out of town a cyclops. Sure, I have my glasses, but they aren't optimal for an active life on the go. The nurse assured me I'd have the replacement lens by Friday and so I survived that week with glasses, or one contact. I can function somewhat without my contacts, but only in familiar locations. When I picked up the contact, the nurse said, "Oh I bet you find it when you go home." No way, lady. Not only had it been four days since the escape, but the vacuum had been run since then, surely sucking up the contact remains, if there were any.
I was content and careful now that I was running with both eyes again and in the planning mode for my trip the next week. No time for any other mishaps. On Saturday I had lots of errands to run and laundry to do before my departure. After a busy day on the go, I collapsed in the recliner in my bedroom that night to watch some television before bed. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a shiny object in the carpet right by my bed. Could it be? Surely not. I carefully bent down to pick it up, figuring certainly it was a piece of discardable plastic when lo and behold, my missing contact! After walking over that part of the carpet multiple times since Monday night, this siting of my contact can only be explained by the contact clinging to my clothes as I separated them to do laundry and the lens falling visible on the ground. Or was it something else?
The days leading up to my trip were filled with lots of busyness - preparing presentations at work, taking care of the things in my personal life I'd be away from for the week - causing me to worry and fret. Sure, that contact probably clung to some clothing in my hamper, but I truly believe God had His Eye on that contact. For when I saw that preserved and intact contact shining up at me it was as if God was audibly saying, "If I can protect a silly little contact for almost a week and bring it back to you, can't you trust me with your life?" I can't explain the joy and peace I felt at that moment over the contact discovery. But it was more than a discovery, it was a true revelation of God's Protection and Provision in my life.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" - Matthew 6:25-26
It's amazing how clearly I saw God's Hand on my life when that which helps me to see was lying on the ground.
4 comments:
You're beautiful.
Yesterday I was late for class because I had spent a good 10 minutes looking for my keys. I finally decided to load up the rest of my stuff in my backpack and hoof it. My keys were hooked inside my backpack. There was no reason for them to be there--I had driven to church the night before. I looked up at the ceiling, hastily said, "Thank you! I'll take it!" aloud and walked out the door.
I feel you, my sister Boo!
Thanks for this Rosie. You're absolutely right - we forget what a loving God we serve who cares about the details of our life. Hugs and kisses to you.
Studies have shown that while handwashing is important in reducing the risk of eye infections, most infections occur by storing contact lenses in overused, undercleaned contact lens cases. Clean cases equal clean lenses and clean lenses equal greater comfort.
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