January 13, 2020

Dr. Bradley sent the following devotional. It truly blessed me. I hope it blesses you.

We are well into the year 2020, and I am seeing it from a brand new perspective. For the first time in more than 30 years, I am facing the year 2020 with 20/20 vision. New lenses make a difference. Cataract surgery is amazing! I’m calling it “20/20 in 2020.”

I am reminded of the story of the young couple who moved into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they were eating breakfast, the young woman looked out the window to see her neighbor hanging the newly washed laundry outside. “That laundry is not very clean,” she said. “She obviously doesn’t know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry detergent or maybe her machine is worn out.”

Her husband looked on but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comment regarding the dingy laundry and the neighbor’s lack of clean laundry skills.

About one week later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband: “Well, Look! She has finally learned how to wash correctly. Maybe she is using a new detergent or maybe she even has a new washing machine.”

The husband said, “Well, my dear, I got up early this morning and washed our windows, and now they are crystal clear.”

And so it is with life. What we see when looking at others depends on the purity of the “windows” through which we look!

I love the fact that I don’t have to wear glasses to see except when reading. The only problem I am having with my “new eyes” now is that I can see all the wrinkles and blemishes in my face. That’s terribly disturbing and depressing! That’s the only time I miss my “old eyes.”

Jimmy Cliff has a song that goes:

“I can see clearly now the rain is gone

I can see all obstacles in my way

Here is that rainbow I’ve been praying for

It’s gonna be a bright,

Bright sun-shiny day.”

Proverbs 15:30 says: “Bright eyes encourage the heart; good news nourishes the body.” May it be so!

Prayer: Dear Gracious Heavenly God, make me clean. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

If I could get Dr. Bradley to play the organ and preach on Sunday mornings, my life would be a lot simpler. But now that I’ve thought about it, once the congregation heard him, they would begin to wonder why they are paying me.

For my job security, I think I’ll keep Dr. Bradley at the organ.

I pray your day is filled with joy and laughter.

Tom Robbins