Flashes of Light

Peripheral lightning started flashing in my right eye yesterday in the late morning. 

We have a busy weekend planned, traveling to the old hometown to conduct business at the bank and then on to visit our daughter and her family and drive a potential new car.  However, this morning I knew I needed to see an optometrist before leaving town.

The worst case scenerio?  A torn retina.  I consulted a powerful prayer written by the Optima Elders:  “…Grant unto me grace to surrender myself completely to Your holy will.  Instruct and prepare me in all things for every hour of this day.  Whatsoever tidings I may receive during the day, teach me to accept them calmly…When things unforeseen occur, let me not forget that all comes down from you…”

We do not yet have a local optometrist.  So I called several offices within a 40-minute radius.  One was closed.  Another couldn’t get me in until afternoon.  Bingo, the third was available!

I had a few minutes before it was time to leave, so sat down at the piano and picked out the tune to Kontakion 8 from the Akathist of Thanksgiving, and sang the following words:

How near You are in the days of illness;

You Yourself visit the sick.

You Yourself bend down to the bed of the sufferer

And the heart speaks to You.

In times of hardship and suffering,

You illuming the soul with peace;

You send unexpected help.

You are consoling, searching and saving love,

And to you we sing the song:

Alleluia.

At the time of this writing, I have had the appointment and am back home. I was immediately impressed by the optometrist, and grateful to have ended up in her office.  She ran extensive tests and assured me that my symptoms were associated with an aging issue and would most likely resolve without intervention, leaving a large floater in their wake (and would also repeat in the other eye).  She also talked with me about nutritional eye health, and let me know I have early cataracts forming.

I share this story mainly to emphasize (to myself, as well as my readership) that we truly know little from day to day.  Life requires us to go with the flow, to accept whatever realities confront us, and to trust God to be with us in the midst of them.