Wow! I Can See Clearly Now

I recently attended a talk given by Unity of San Francisco Minister DeeAnn Morency. She asked the question, “What if no one or nothing in the universe was against you?” I contemplated what that would feel like. Aside from the obvious—it would feel pretty darn amazing—I thought a little deeper and realized it wasn’t an impossible or even improbable idea. Romans 8:31 says if God is for us, who can be against us? We often think that forces outside ourselves are vying to destroy us. The universe is out to get us, right? That could be the only explanation for everything I was seeing as undesirable in the world. “That job I didn’t get? My broken down car? That health diagnosis? See? I just can’t win,” I thought.

These stories we tell ourselves become our truth. What we fear or dislike or regret becomes a story that haunts and taunts us, leaving us feeling less than enough, unworthy of love, justified in failure. But let us remember that we are the authors of these stories. After listening to Rev. Morency’s talk, I had to consider that I, as the author of my own stories, could not only choose to write the story I wished to tell, but I could change the course of my destiny by seeing the universe through a “corrected lens.”

I was reminded of a recent situation in which I noticed that I was struggling to read, as my vision had become blurry. It had been a couple of years since my last comprehensive exam, so I scheduled an appointment with my Opthamologist. She assured me that my eyes were healthy, but I would need a stronger prescription to see better. Because my eyesight is so vital, I didn’t question or deny that my vision needed correction. I simply ordered stronger lenses. Corrective lenses now make my vision crystal clear, and I am grateful. Why, then, was it so hard for me not to see the universe through corrected lenses—God’s lenses? Carol Hegedus of Inner Image and the Collective Wisdom poses an interesting question: “How are you attending to the emerging story of your life?”

My emerging story had become a fictional tale of contradiction. On one hand, I trusted a doctor’s diagnosis of
my need for vision correction. Yet on the other hand, I hadn’t considered God’s urging that I needed to correct my vision of how I saw the world. It really was ironic. I always saw myself as a man of positivity. Outwardly, I expressed this positivity with words of love and light. But inside, I was struggling with how I viewed the world. How had my crystal clear vision become clouded and obscure? Watching the news, it seemed the world was just a dog-eat-dog rat race! Good guys weren't whining, and perpetual optimism seemed to be just for people living in denial.

I was focused so intently on being the person I thought everyone else wanted or needed to see, that I became visually impaired spiritually. The inner battle I was having with my shadow self, created an identity I didn’t recognize. Not being authentically me left me blaming others when I fell short, thinking all my problems were “out there.” I have come to realize that I was living in denial. The tall tale I had concocted was one of self-deception.

I will see myself the way God sees me.

You’re probably wondering what I did to make this vision correction. Thankfully, I have always relied on being in communication with God. Prayer has been my go-to since I was a little kid sitting in my Grandma’s living room. Whenever I shared a concern, she always said, “Let’s pray about it together.” I’m so fortunate to have always felt God’s presence active in my life. My vision may have been impaired, but my ears were just fine. God’s still, small voice deep within my soul had always come to my rescue, urging me, softly but persistently, when there was something that was mine to do. A Course In Miracles says that how we see the world is a
projection of how we see ourselves. And this undesirable reflection we see of ourselves is really just our resistance to love. Could my vision of this so-called opportunistic universe have just been a product of my vain imagining? I really didn’t need to think much further for the answer to that question. Somehow, I had managed to convince myself—even with all the love in the world around me from my Mom, grandparents, siblings, and friends—that I was unlovable. How could Jesus love me? As a kid in Sunday School, I was always told that I was born of sin, and no matter what I did to absolve myself, I would always be a sinner. For too long, my life felt like a horror story.

Here’s the Truth. Every horror story needs a hero. And every human needs salvation. Metaphysically that means we need to activate the gift from God that frees us from all limitations and points the way by which our minds and bodies may be lifted up to the spiritual place of consciousness. As we awaken to our knowledge of God, our minds are cleansed and our vision corrected. This truth is what restores the innocence we never lost and sets us free. With new “glasses,” I see a world transformed. I spring forth with mighty faith to do what is mine to do. And as for my story, I stick to telling only facts.

Fact: God is for me. Fact: Nothing and no one is against me. I am worthy of love, and I receive it. I am love, and I give it. From this moment on, I will see myself as God sees me.