The challenge of unsearchable greatness -- Diane Mettam

While I have been busy planning for my second eye surgery next week (barring a cold I am trying not to catch - please keep me in your prayers), I have suddenly realized that I will not be able to use my glasses after this next operation.  While the right lens allows me to see clearly, the vision through my left lens is not clear, and I have been getting headaches in my left eye as the vision is continuing to adjust following surgery.  My doctor told me it would be four months before my vision resolved into its permanent new state, at which time I would probably need a new prescription.  When the right eye is operated on, I will have blurry vision through both lenses, so the glasses basically will be useless. 

I will have a new challenge to live with for a time.  I realized that my confident plans of driving again after the surgery are probably not going to happen very soon.  I am very near-sighted, and I don’t trust the vision in my left eye enough to drive safely with my current glasses.  I don’t drive very much, or very far - my longest drive is to my doctor in McKinleyville, about 20 miles on the highway.  Usually it’s just to a shop, or Bible study, or to my volunteer job at school. 

I still haven’t got back into doing much reading - it’s too much strain on my eyes.  And I haven’t been doing much sewing, or fine needlework.  But I’ve managed to knit two charity sweaters, and a hat for a teenage friend.  I just can’t sit and be idle.  And I find I don’t have to look as I knit simple patterns.  I can feel the yarn on the needles and know if everything is going well or not. 

It took several months, but I finally got into the Dial-A-Ride system here in Eureka, so I will be availing myself of that organization for awhile.  I’m not optimistic, based on the application and approval process.  But we’ll keep our fingers crossed.  I live in an area where there aren’t a lot of sidewalks to get to the bus routes I need, to get to the places I want to go, and the streets involved have high speed limits.  It will be a new adventure! 

I used to half-joke that my worst nightmare was that I would be 90 years old and nothing would work but my mind.  My husband half-jokes that I’m getting there!  It’s true that my spinal condition has worsened, and I live more days in pain than not, and my hearing has declined, and my vision needs surgical intervention, and my hands have only 20% of their grip, but none of this really matters, because I am a beloved child of God, and as long as the breath of life is in me, I have something to celebrate, and something to give to the world.

I will extol you, my God and King,

    and bless your name forever and ever.

Every day I will bless you,

    and praise your name forever and ever.

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

    his greatness is unsearchable.  Psalm 145

Thank you, Dear God, that you give the same breath of life to each one of us.  We may not have the same gifts and abilities, but we are all blessed with something.  Some of us have wise minds, some of us have caring hearts, some of have strong bodies, but all of us have ways to serve you and each other.  And all of us are valuable in your sight, and to each other.  Help us to remember that, and to treat each other as the wonderful creations that we are.  We are all made in your image, an image far greater than we can imagine or define.  How wondrous!  How wonderful!  Amen.