The Way I See It

I finally came to the realization this week that I’m either going to have to buy a bulk case of reading glasses or invest in large print. I made an even more discouraging discovery. Large print takes up more paper, so it costs more money. As I was scrolling down the options for comfort print, large print, and gigantic print Bible, the prices just kept going up.

            I partly blame the Gideons and Foster Grant for my disappointment. I jokingly tell people I have so many Bibles because the seminary I attended was in such a bad part of town, even the Gideons did drive-bys. This week, as I sat in front of a stack of Bibles (most of them acquired while I was in seminary), I couldn’t believe how difficult it was to read the print. I remembered that reading the Gideon Bible in the hospital after my head injury and with scratched glasses was easier than trying to get ready for a Bible study now. And where were my clearance sale Foster Grant reading glasses? Nowhere to be found.

It’s All In the Eyes

            I also blame my eyes, but the truth is that seeing happens in the brain. It’s true. Our eyes do not see images. Our eyes are made up of thousands of light-sensing cells that send light information to your brain so your brain can make it into an image. Things like depth perception and giving meaning to symbols are all information your mind assumes based on the light information given to it from the eyes. Your brain is doing all the “seeing”.

I’ve had more than one student with a traumatic brain injury that affected their sight. None of them had anything physically wrong with their eyes. The problem was always in how their brain interpreted the data sent to it by the eyes. One of the teachers for the visually impaired I use to work with once told me, “The eyes are relatively easy to ‘fix’. The bigger problem is everything else they’re connected to.”

It gives insight into how someone can “have eyes but cannot see” (Isaiah 44:18, Jeremiah 5:21, Ezekiel 12:2). It seems to be a common problem, and not just for the Jewish leaders in the Bible. Even today, we fall into the trap of seeing the obvious with our eyes, but refusing to believe the truth based on those observations.

I was talking with one of my kid’s friends recently. His mom was complaining because he had a D in math. He had several missing assignments and was looking for his lost math book, but he still managed to blame the teacher because she “didn’t like him”.

Maybe you laughed or rolled your eyes, but I’ve actually had quite a few parents come to me with similar complaints over the years. These were adults who could look up their kid’s grades on the computer, see the missing work, but still choose to ignore the facts. You don’t have to look far to find people who can see, but at the same time not see what’s right in front of them.

My 20/20 Vision

            I have to admit that if there is one area of my vision that has improved of the years, it’s hindsight. Many of you can probably relate. I’m not talking about the eyes in the back of my head (which my kids are convinced I have). And I’m not talking about the ability to recognize things from behind (see cartoon below). I’m talking about the ability to look back at an experience and learn from it.

Taking time to examine things in hindsight is a valuable learning tool. So many times I’ve sat down with a student or my kids after a mistake or failure of some kind and asked them what they learned. That’s what good teachers do. I could have yelled at them or made up some terrible punishment, but natural consequences are often a useful form of punishment, and it’s important for a child to learn how to learn from their mistakes. Very few people are born simply knowing how to learn or analyze things.

Of course, learning never stops with the kids. For adults, hindsight can kick in a little faster, but that still doesn’t always help us make the best choices. I remember one day in particular when a student came in obviously not feeling well. Within minutes he was throwing a tantrum, and we were clearing the other students from the room. I remember locking eyes with all three of my paraprofessional staff members, and I’m pretty sure we were all thinking the same thing- based on experience, we should have seen that coming.

The Value of Hindsight

Being able to look at things from the past helps us make better choices in the future. Not only do we learn what NOT to do, but our experiences shape our perspective and attitude. Again, hindsight is a tool. How you use it is up to you. I know people who look back at the difficulties in their lives and their poor decisions and choose to blame others or play the victim. I also know people who have done just the opposite.

            My kids finish the school year next week, and I’ve been looking back over the last 9 months and evaluating what I’ve done while they’ve been gone. Last summer I knew God was leading me out of the classroom, but I had no idea what He was leading me to do. For the most part, it’s been an adventure, though I’d be lying if I said there weren’t times when I was afraid and anxious. I never imagined I would write multiple children’s books or write some curriculum for a major publisher. Looking at things in hindsight fosters a spirit of gratitude and awe at how God works.

            Looking back has helped me move forward. Yes, I’ll be moving forward with a GIANT PRINT Bible in hand, but with a clearer understanding and vision for what God has done and what He continues to do. (Jeremiah 29:11) 

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