When I was a little girl I was my dad's favorite date to baseball games. Since no one else in our family wanted to go I felt very special. I loved  the smell of popcorn and the sounds of the balls hitting the bat. But I had a secret that I tried to keep to myself.
 
My poor eyesight was that secret.  But one night I asked my dad one time too many, "What's the score?" He told me all I had to do was look out at the scoreboard in center field. Then my secret had to be shared. "I can't see that far." My mind was full of terrible thoughts. I might need to wear glasses and I was only twelve years old. But that's what happened.
 
I wore my new glasses when Dad and I had our next date to the ballpark. I was actually glad I had them. I could see the scoreboard and even beyond. My world was bigger and I saw things I had been missing for months. Through the years my glasses have been a constant companion, and I am thankful for them.
 
There are, of course, more serious eye problems. A friend in our church developed a disease of the nervous system that effected his eyes. Jim could not hold his eye lids open so he appeared to be blind. His whole body was eventually effected with the disease so that he had to use a wheelchair.
 
His mother was his devoted care giver and her grief about him was understandable. It was even more tragic when she kept telling Jim to open his eyes if people spoke to him. He could respond but only with a smile.
 
As the months passed, Jim's mother died of a sudden heart attack. Not too long after her funeral Jim also died..
 
We gathered for the memorial service at our church and several people told about their friendship with Jim. Someone said, "Jim is having no more trouble with his droopy eyelids is he? He's even looking at the face of Jesus" (Rev. 22:4a) We smiled as we remembered the desire of his mother that he open his eyes and greet people.
 
For the Christian there is blessed assurance of that heavenly home where there are no more tears and no more sickness. "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death nor sorrow, nor crying and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" (Rev. 21:4).
 
We who live the Christian life can see Jesus through eyes of faith even before we get to heaven. After my born-again experience, I remember the first time I sang a familiar chorus, "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus" in my church.
 
 Even though I had attended church every Sunday for years this was different. It felt like everything was new since I had asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior and I totally surrendered my heart to Him. I was now building a relationship with a real Person.

Tears of joy ran down my cheeks as I sang. Now I knew that this was possible.