COVID-19 Devotional: Having Vision

Today’s COVID-19 Devotional thought comes from Stephenie Carr as she mulls over what it means to have vision in the midst of a trying time.

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“Stephenie Carr here again from the Royal Servants Alumni Department.

Trust me, these days I am the last person that is going to tell you to turn off Netflix or stop doing whatever activity you’ve found to occupy yourself and keep yourself sane in the midst of this quarantine. In fact look, I have my own 2000 piece puzzle going right here.

However, I have been mulling over a challenge that I received a few days ago from this book I’ve been reading called, May It Be So. It’s a book of prayers and images, short prayers and images, that you can just look at and mull over. And the one that particularly stood out to me was this one. It says:

May I have vision in and through my seasons of trial rather than search for ways to escape.

There is a lot going on just below the surface. And it is 100% fair to call what the globe is going through right now a “season of trial.” I keep wondering what does it mean for us to seek out a vision of what God might be offering us through this? How might our vision be different having experienced this season? How might God be holding up a mirror within this season for us to see ourselves in a new light? And as I think about this, it makes me wonder: Gosh, is there a time for me to turn off Netflix? Is there a time for me to not just bide my time away by doing mindless activities, or accomplishing things that I might not need to accomplish, but instead maybe spend some time thinking about what God might be teaching me in the midst of this season? Again, not telling you to turn it off completely, but just wondering maybe, just maybe, God has something to teach us in the midst of this and if we pay attention, if we don’t try to escape the pain of it, maybe we’ll come out on the other side with different vision.”

Further Study:

Luke 18:35-43

Reflection Questions:
What was it the blind man wanted? Are there clues to how desperately he wanted it?

What was Jesus’ response? What and why did Jesus ask what he did?

In what way did the blind man demonstrate faith?

What was the blind man’s response to Jesus’ healing?

In what ways is there evidence that it was more than the man’s physical eyes that were opened to new vision or sight? How does Mark allude to more than just physical sight or the sight of the blind man? (Hint: read verse 43 again).

If Jesus asked you, “What do you want me to do for you?” what would you say? How would you respond if he did it?

In what ways might new sight, or new vision, be a gift to you (and by extension, the world around you) these days?

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Originally Published April 10, 2020