Seeing 20-20 in 2013

After about a week's worth of vacation, I'm back to my normal routine... almost. I get to enjoy today off work, the first day of 2013. I'll be back in the office tomorrow, getting things planned and preparing for a new year of music, learning, and growing in my faith. There is a lot I'm looking forward to in the upcoming year, but one of the early joys I'm excited about is my eye appointment tomorrow.

You see (pun intended), I wear glasses and contacts. The sad thing about this is that my eyes are always getting worse. The last time I had them checked was the latter half of 2009, so I really have no idea how bad they've gotten. I think it's finally time to see what the damage is and get an updated prescription. As I'm writing this, I'm not wearing any glasses. The screen is zoomed up to 175% so everything is a bit clearer. Yeah, it's about time to go to the doctor.

I'm always amazed at what the world looks like right after getting new glasses. It's like watching a black and white movie, then switching to color all of a sudden. You start to notice that there are individual branches on trees and lines on the sidewalk. It wasn't like these things weren't there before, just that you didn't notice them. Having the correct view of things, and a clear view, changes a lot.

I don't know what kind of resolutions you make at the beginning of a year. Maybe they are fitness related. Maybe you are trying to beat a character flaw, like getting angry too much or being impatient. Maybe it's a tech goal like going wireless in your home or finally getting a smart phone. Maybe you want to make more money or spend more quality time with your family. Maybe it is a spiritual goal like reading the Bible everyday or praying more. Whatever the goal is, it must be seen clearly in order to be accomplished.

If you aren't seeing your goals clearly, then how do you know if you've done them? You may think you are being successful when really you are only half way there. If you view being fit as simply a number on the scale and not living a healthy lifestyle you may believe you've gotten healthier when really you are just making yourself sicker. If you view character as only stopping certain behaviors, then you won't work on growing the good character traits that should be in your life. If I think I've painted a masterpiece, but did the whole thing without my glasses, I'm probably a little deceived about how good it really is.

The Bible is our ultimate set of glasses. When we look at life through that lens things should get clearer and clearer over time. Unlike our physical eyes, our spiritual eyes can become stronger the more we use our Scripture glasses. That is one of my goals this year.

So, Happy 2013! I hope it is a year full of clear sight, accomplished goals, and Christ-like focus.