Seeing clearly

     This afternoon I looked directly at the sun because it was blanketed by smoke from a Western Montana forest fire.  It was orange and not yellow.  The dazzle that makes you look away wasn't there and there was no discomfort to my eyes.  I began to reflect how that is like the Christians life.  The Bible tells us that we won't be able to see clearly now but will later.  We may want to see Jesus in person right now but his countenance would blind us.  On a normal day the sun shines and we shield our eyes from it's intense brightness.  Looking at the sun would certainly damage if not destroy our sight.  Looking at the Son is an entirely different subject.  But now we see through a mist or fog but then we shall see clearly when we are face to face.  Our eyes won't be bothered when we see him face to face because we too will be resurrected.  Our sight is important whether we see with our eyes, ears, or hands.  The sight that distinguishes the friendly from the frightful work equally with all modes.  The sun hasn't gone down tonight here in Montana and won't for some time.  It will constantly be rising elsewhere and setting somewhere.  Not so with Jesus.  He has risen and only needed to complete the work once.  We were brought from darkness to light by his grace and mercy. 
     When I was a teenager still living and working on the family farm, I needed to weld a piece of machinery in order for it to work properly.  The problem was that place that needed welding wasn't easily accessible.  I didn't have goggles and the helmet didn't fit in that tight place.  So, foolishly, I welded the pieces together (a short weld) and crawled out from under the machinery.  Then was when I noticed that I had temporarily blinded myself.  Three days of a cold washcloth on my eyes solved the problem.  I was very thankful the condition wasn't permanent.  Since becoming a Christian I have engaged the world without protection and have blinded myself from the blessings of God. Sin is like that.  You are tempted to engage sin on it's terms and end up burned (no pun intended).  Like the cool damp cloth, the blood of Jesus is all that we have to heal the damage we have caused to ourselves and others through foolishness.  I know a lot about this and am not proud of that.  When we sin, we aren't alone.  People are involved even if we think they aren't.  When the Christian church sins, the whole body is taken down unless they act and react quickly.  Maybe you have found yourself in this situation.
     Yesterday evening in was in Bismarck, North Dakota helping others to see through that which clouded their vision.  My brother in law is dying.  He has a masticized cancer that is slowly taking the life from his physical body.  His wife, my sister, is disabled and dependent upon others to care for her and that has intensified now that her husband isn't able to take care of her.  My niece was there and is looking at losing her father and isn't dealing well with that at all.  The combination of different people grieving in different ways and at different stages has brought some cloudiness to what they see.  As I was saying my final goodbye to my Christian brother in law, I kissed him and said, "I'll see you on the other side."   He did the same back to me.  He's beginning to see some clearing of the fog just as the others are.  He will surely be missed but his family and I know that he will always be in our hearts.  When we pass from this life to that (for the Christian), we have the sudden clarity to see the Son face to face.  Those moments or years of cloudiness will simply fade away.  I'll be looking at the sun tomorrow as I drive the final leg of my journey home.  Then on another day I'll make the final journey and the cloudiness will fall away and all I will see is Jesus.  How about you?  It's always your choice.