The clarity was remarkable.

What had been blurry for so long was now in focus.

I was looking at the world through a new lens.

Literally.

Two days after my cataract surgery, I was able to read a line that previously would have resembled a fuzzy caterpillar.

Not being able to see without the aid of glasses or contacts since the 5th grade, the awe of this new gift remains.

Things in the distance were clearer than they had ever been.

Reflecting on this experience, it seems almost parallel with how we walk in this world.

Knowing God helps us to see ourselves and our circumstances with remarkable clarity.

Some days we may feel unseen and unvalued.

But our Creator knows us intimately and know our worth.

“Before I shaped you in the womb,

    I knew all about you.

Before you saw the light of day,

    I had holy plans for you:  Jeremiah 1:5 MSG

“What’s the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. And He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk. You’re worth more than a million canaries.”   Luke 6-7 MSG

There are days we may feel unloved and unworthy.

But when we view ourselves through the lens of His great love, we see He sent His only Son to go to the cross in our place.

 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave His Son, His one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in Him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending His Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in Him is acquitted; John 3 16-18 MSG

Not knowing what lies in the days ahead can often fill us with fear and anxiety.

But when we look through the lens of faith, we can see our heavenly Father clearly in the distance.

“I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”  Jeremiah 29:11 MSG

Friends, when we walk in faith it is like viewing the world through a new lens.

What had been blurry comes into focus when we are seeing everything through the lens of His love.

Things in the distance are clear because we can see our Father already there waiting for us.

The awe of this gift remains.

My prayer is that you see the world with this clarity.