“For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I am also known.”
I Corinthians 13:12
I’ll be 41 years old next month, and like the typical human male of our species, I’m getting older with each year that goes by and — well — I’m beginning to wonder how things are going to be functioning in this “temple of God” that I’ve been blessed with, when I’m further along, than I am, now. (see John 2:19 for that reference) I have been feeling as if my eyesight has been degrading, lately because, everything has been seemingly, a bit more blurry.
I sound unsure because, for a while I was, extremely unsure; I really couldn’t tell what was going on. But after copious amounts of pontification… skrrrrr…
…um; after a ton of thought… and study, I may have ironed out — at least a few — more of the details.
The wild part is that it doesn’t feel entirely, isolated to my actual eyeballs; because, even the things I focus on, in thought — like goals, or concepts — desires, even — have lacked their definition.
Have you gotten to experience the post I titled; “You’re Clearly Not Perfect“? It’s post number 44 on the list through the “MORE READS” link located at the bottom of each post, as well as on the FROMDEATHTOLIFE.blog homepage.
I would advise listening to that podcast first — before this one — because we’re going to jump back into some of the ideas we began to explore back then. The ‘blurry’ vision phoenomenon, I have been experiencing, has lead me right back to the wildly interesting mechanics of light and the way we perceive the things around us. Color — specifically — as in, ‘how a rainbow exists’, still has me, entirely geeked out; and it makes a lot of sense when relating to why things may seem a bit fuzzier than normal, lately.
So, are you ready for it?
The blurry issue became, quite a bit more noticeable, shortly after the embarrassing camping trip, that I spoke of in the last post. I believe — actually — it’s because of how my family is responding to those — and all the other — pretty difficult days we been having.
I’m serious; my bride has been doing things, and making choices that are beginning to highlight some really interesting qualities of the woman I married. Some qualities that I, myself, have been ignorant to — and longing for — for a very long time, now; which is how we, once again, arrived at the subject of rainbows.
Don’t leave!
I am getting somewhere with these things. I’m not just talking nonsense; at least as far as I can tell. 😁
You see, what I’ve been really chewing on, is the fact that white light is the input-material — the ingredients — for all of the other colors of light. This seems counterintuitive to me because, white light, just seems like less information than any other color, but even my AI friend and digital companion, Max agreed, white light is more information than any other color.
Well, then the word ‘pigment’ comes up; but I am trying, super hard, to get to the similarities between how light works and how our ‘preferences’, and ‘desires’ allow us to see the world around us.
How our minds are able to extract information is, sort of, kin to how pigment, selectively, reflects only some of the light that comes from the sun.
God sends His perfect white, sunlight (complete with all the nutrients, information, and warmth we could desire) — sealed in little packets — delivered on consistent, dependable lightwaves; and in turn, the things on the earth sort and decide how the light rays will land and what it is we will be able to perceive when the light finally reaches our eyeballs.
Basically, God sends the message; the elements and molecules on earth, sort the information and finally, we gather only what is left for us to perceive. Then are we allowed to begin our own interpretations, in order to calculate what it all could mean.
I’m going to step out of the box here and read a good portion, straight from the NLT version of James 1, in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. The words may seem cryptic, but just notice how many times the writer bounces back and forth between the concept of ‘light’ — using words like, ‘sun’, ‘shadows’, or ‘lights’ — and biblical concepts of maturity, endurance, and faith.
He starts the letter off by mentioning that he is writing to the ‘scattered’ tribes of Israel, but we’ll start in verse 9.
Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.
God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us His true Word. And we, out of all creation, became His prized possession.”
That’s James 1:9, allll the way through verse 18.
I love where it ended; “out of all creation, we became His prized possession.”
In Zechariah 2, He calls us “the apple of His eye,” like I mentioned in the last post;
God really does love us.
Anyway, this is the partial conclusion of what I’ve come down to:
I believe — not only are we incapable of gathering the information we need to rightfully assess and maneuver successfully through this life but, even if we had the required, properly-functioning abilities to do so, we would still not perceive the truth, because — the fact is — the truth is being hidden from us.
The way that light “scatters” to reveal its ingredients as color on any given surface, leads me to believe that, it’s the same way we experience things on a daily basis; “scattered;” over time.
If we were to assign each experience we live through, with a different color, I believe — by the end of our lives — we would see all of the colors in the rainbow. More so, if the same soul was able to live every given life on this planet that has ever been born, they would eventually live through every single color that has ever existed.
Often, in a time of reprieve, when things are not tempting me to lash out or to worry in fear, I’m able to look back at the events in my life and — through the filter of God’s Word — I can, somewhat, make out the masterpiece He is creating.
It’s much like the experience of watching a movie. If I were to turn, any decent movie on, then only watch it — to the halfway point — the story that we would have watched, probably would not make any sense. I’m sure we would end up thoroughly confused.
God tells us to persevere to the end and then we will understand the meaning of our experiences. Until then, we are so finite, that we will, also, need His perspective on things, as we only live one lifetime.
We get further perspective from Him; though His Word.
My Bride and I, been married for almost 18 years. Together we have five, wonderful, healthy daughters. There are things in our life that we don’t necessarily prefer, and some things that look, real bad. There are also things that may be coming that look really, really good. And yes, there are future things, that have the appearence of bad.
There are — also — some truly incredible experiences, from our eighteen year past that, when redeemed by the outcome of the sovereign plan of God, make all of life worth living.
On the camping trip — a couple weeks ago — I could only see one color, on one day, in one mood, from one pair of eyes. I forgot how to hear God.
As my wife responded kindly, though, I started seeing something unfamaliar. What I thought I was looking at, had changed. Just like how when God wiped the slate for me by removing me from my home — a few years back — had shaken up my idea of what life was to me, my experiences — recently — have begun scrambling my idea of what a wife is and, what it means to have a family.
I’m getting new information.
And similarly to how God is slowly revealing Himself to me through — what we call — life, I am also gaining further insight on other, important things.
It’s really filling in some blanks.
I’m not denying that my eyes may be losing strength from old age, but I honestly think our ability to see is increasing, around here, too.
Well, I’m going to let you go, now. I feel I’ve put enough on your plate.
As you walk away though, remember the verse up, at the top of this page; I Corinthians 13:12.
We have to start paying attention, because we don’t have all of the information.
I hope you’ve had some fun, this time.
God bless you all.
See you next week.
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