One of the subtle, often subliminal messages we get from medical people is that we’re getting older. I don’t think much about aging until one of them says something like, “Well, you know that as we get older, things change a little.”

A year ago I got the message. My eyes were getting older. I suddenly had jagged flashes of light, kinda like lightning, in my left eye. I found the best opthamologist in this area and got an emergency appointment. He dilated my eyes, checked the pressure and looked deep into my soul! (g) His words to me still ring in my ears. “As we get older, the vitreous sac shrinks and pulls away from the retina. Sometimes this results in a retinal tear. In your case, your retina isn’t torn, but we’re not out of the woods yet. Wait a month and if it doesn’t get worse come back and I’ll look at it again. IF it gets worse, call me, night or day and get here as soon as possible.” It didn’t get worse. Evidently my vitreous sac completed its shrinking drill without tearing my retina. PTL for that.

Monday, I kept an appointment for my annual eye checkup. Everything was still in good shape. I told the doctor that I no longer had the floaters in my left eye that were so prevalent when this event first occurred a year ago. I explained that I’d taken Dr. Dirt’s advice (an affectionate name given to my wife, Pat, by our grandkids because of her strong reliance on natural remedies and organic food, grown in good dirt) and started taking a couple of eye supplements.

Macular degeneration has a genetic component and is quite prevalent in my Mom’s family. My Mom is now blind due to macular degeneration. I believed that a side effect of these supplements was that I’d lost my floaters and so informed the doctor.

His answer? Au contraire! He said that the supplements were probably excellent for macular degeneration, but that the floaters were still there. He explained that our brains are so magnificent that they learn to ignore the floaters and we don’t “see” them any more. I asked him if this worked kinda like editing pictures in PhotoShop and he said, “Exactly right”. Now I understand.

Try reading I Corinthians 13 soon. See how we’re asked to treat wrongs done us by others. Bet you can find many scriptures that encourage us to overlook minor wrongs and, above everything else, have a forgiving spirit. The wrongs and shortcomings we “see” in others, may be overlooked if we allow the mind of Christ to become our mind.

Please let me know what the Lord says to YOU through this piece. Your experiences and responses are so important to me.  Use the “Leave a Reply” box below and I’ll get back to you.

SOME SELECTED RESPONSES TO “COMMUNICATION”

– I sent this on to my sister who only recently had to move into a wheelchair because of Post Polio Syndrome. I think she will surely appreciate the wisdom you send! Thanks.

– Sounds like you finally got a ‘handle’ on your problem. Certainly if there was anyone who could ‘handle’ the situation it was — you. Glad your efforts were not ‘stalled’ any longer and you finally got to ‘close the door’ on your problem.

– Boy, your new Inside Out gets me all worked up. It reminds me of an ordeal that has been going on here in my city that really has me ticked off. This lady is wheelchair bound. The corners of the sidewalks were NOT wheelchair friendly. They had curbs and were not sloped down so a wheelchair could go up and down them. So, she took her little girl in her lap and road her wheelchair on the streets. The city tried to bring her up on charges of child endangerment. Can you believe that?

OH, I was so angry. Me and a bunch of other people stormed our city council. Well, needless to say, the charges were dropped against her, and the sidewalk corners were fixed for wheelchair access within a couple of weeks.

We just couldn’t believe that they were going to bring her up on charges when it was THEIR fault that she had to be riding in the street in the first place. Honestly, some people just don’t stop and think and use their heads about how totally inconvenient and impossible certain things are unless they ‘re also set up for the handicapped to be able to use.

Well, your story is a lot like this one, only happily there were no charges or nasty people trying to sue you over something. God bless ya, and may all your other encounters be wheelchair friendly.

– Ah, I can easily relate, fellow chair-rider! Now that I know I can truly use the facilities, I will much more likely try. I also know who to thank – you! Kind persistence can be a wonderful thing. I have a story about B_______ Department Store that would take far too long to tell, but I can say that if the store management has not changed, either in policy or in person, those of us in chairs will be able to make our way through their store. It also required a great deal of time, patience, and kind persistence.

Is this what God was referring to with the parable of the woman and the judge? If so, I will keep praying. In the meantime, thank you for a job well-done, and one that has meaning for far more than yourself. I must check at the Mall office to express my gratitude as well, just to reinforce the message of kindness.

– My reaction to this piece is “walk a mile in my shoes…” Was that a song? Hope you had a great Turkey day with friends and family. Yes, we have much to be thankful for. I saw a sign at a local church that read: Thanksgiving is an attitude of gratitude. Good one. Both our daughters were home for an afternoon and it was great!

– What is it Paul said though perhaps be wasn’t applying his words to your exact type of suffering (not being able to close the john door)…”rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces PERSEVERANCE” and perseverance is certainly what comes to mind with your mall stall door story! Good for you for hanging in there; am sure others will appreciate it, too.

– Gee, this sounds like my job and convincing the big wigs that the process or program they just installed is moving backwards instead of forward and that they need to sit with me to watch how long it takes to do something now for 30 minutes that took before 1 minute. Then, they don’t come sit with you and they discuss it for 12 months and then THEY decide it wasn’t such a good idea while in the meantime you have figured how to work around and haven’t been doing it their way for a year anyway, and then THEY come up with the same process you have been using and try to say it was their idea to change it and you just nod your head and say “Yes, sir, good job. I couldn’t have thought of that myself.”

Same thing when God has tried to show me something and I don’t get it until I have run into the wall about 20 times and then say “Oh, ok, God,what was that you tried to say again? Then, you do it HIS way and it is soooo smooth. AMEN.

– That was priceless. I’ll bet they finally got it right just to get rid of you. hahahah! Good story.

– Wow, mmmmmm…. Communication. I have a lot of trouble with men understanding what I want done. Some just don’t listen, some refuse to do what I ask…. some just don’t seem to understand and it makes me wonder if I am lousy at communicating.

Our communication with God is interesting. We know He hears us if we have all sin confessed but hearing Him and what He wants for us can be the tricky part. We have His word in the bible to guide us, and the Holy Spirit…. but sometimes it feels like one of those old paper cups attached by string….or was that tin cans?…. and you can’t hear anything…..

Funny your article was on communication. This week, I’ve had quite a time with hubby and other men in my life. This happens with ladies, too, so I am not picking on men!

– I enjoyed your latest writing on the Mall Stall Door. Unless we can walk in another persons shoes, we don’t know the obstacles others face and they don’t know what we face each day. I also enjoyed many of your Christmas archives. I am looking for a way to minister in a Christmas letter. Keep up the good work of inspiring us all.

– I guess you could say, Jerry, that once the mall maintenance people were thru “stalling” and finally fixed the problem, you got “hooked”. Or perhaps the crew was playing “hooky”. The bottom line is you had a “handle” on the situation.

– Perseverance! B__ was at the mall and found your stall door. Thought about leaving a note; thought again and gave me the report. Congratulations!

– I just read about your bathroom stall story and wondered if you and my husband could communicate.

C____ is suffering with extreme pain from a postoperative collapsed disc He has been disabled since September 1998 and hates it. He is on a Duragesic Patch that is enough for a cancer patient. He is a big guy (275) and was a hydraulic technician. At first, he walked with a crutch, then Canadian crutches, wheelchair for longer distances and now a Rascal Scooter. (I think it’s cool that you have named your chair and have such a good attitude)

We have been through many rough times and now seem to be settled emotionally with his disability. However, he would rather be working.

– Since I have done my time in a wheelchair I am empathetic to all the access issues. Even when I was in the Rehab hospital, the bathrooms were not accessible. Since my job involves all of the building construction in Maine I have cured that particular problem. We were the first state to have mandatory ADA review for all building projects. I hear often , “We don’t let people like that in our building so we do not need accessible facilities.” It is hard to legislate attitude, but we are trying hard to see that our buildings are fully accessible.