Little children accept the world around them, just as it is. Their own perspective is the only thing that they know. Because of this, they often have no idea when they aren’t really seeing things clearly. One 4-year-old had severe issues with socially acceptable behavior, and more than the typical fidgeting and impulsivity that we would expect from young children. It wasn’t until he went to the eye doctor that the boy found relief. The first time he put on his glasses, he looked outside. “The TREES! Those Leaves! The leaves are MOVING! The leaves are REAL!” This child could finally see clearly. He had been walking blindly through his days thinking that what he was seeing was “normal”. How frustrating it must have been to try to meet expectations asked of him. What joy he had every day to discover the new things in front of him that he could now see clearly!

Before our Savior rescued us from sin, we walked around blindly. In fact, we couldn’t even see our own sin. We were so consumed by ourselves, our own selfish desires, that we couldn’t see anything else clearly.

But the God that helps us to see things clearly loves us always, and will continue to be forever faithful. He saved us by sending his son, Jesus, to die on the cross for every sin of every person. Jesus saved us from the venomous devil, the devil who wants us to be filled with doubt, despair, depression, sadness, and, ultimately, a death that will separate us from our God. The devil wants to cloud our vision and take us from our Savior.

Sometimes, even after we remember that we need a Savior, we continue to fall back into sins that we have committed, even sins that we repented of and resolved to never do again. Oh, how weak we are when we try to fight the devil on our own! How frustrating—and impossible– it is to try to meet God’s expectations of a life without sin.

But we can see clearly now! We can see that God and his forgiveness are real! When we call to God with a heart of repentance, he heals us of our sin, every time. Now that we see clearly, we have such great joy. We are no longer weighed down by sin and despair, but are filled with the true joy and peace that only God can give us. With this joy in our hearts, may we look for opportunities to share that same joy with others.