Psalm 121 Glasses by Emily Owen

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My six year old niece and I were chatting recently, mostly about books. I’m pleased to say the family has a budding bookworm.
Then she said something I didn’t quite catch (I am deaf and need to lip-read).
“Pardon?”
She looked at me and said,
“Aunty Emily, you need to put your glasses on so you can read me.”

She hadn’t noticed I wasn’t wearing my glasses until something went a bit wrong.

She’s not the only one.
I think I sometimes forget I’m not wearing my glasses, too.
Not my real glasses – if I’m not chatting to six year olds about books, my real glasses are usually firmly on my nose – but my Psalm 121 glasses.
My ‘lift your eyes up’ glasses.
I forget.
A pair of glasses and a pen on an open notebook next to a laptop
As I sit,
frustrated,
staring at a blank screen,
not quite catching the words I reach for,
I forget.
Forget to put those glasses on,
so I can read Him.
What is God asking me to write?

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
Certainly not from a blank screen.
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
The One who made me.
He will not let my foot slip—
he who watches over me will not slumber.
The One who knows me.
Indeed, he who watches over me
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The One who sees me.
The Lord watches over me—
the Lord is my shade at my right hand;
The One who protects me.
The sun will not harm me by day,
nor the moon by night.
The One who guides me.
The Lord will keep me from all harm—
he will watch over my life;
My blank screen life when I forget, yes.
And my Psalm 121 life, too, when I remember.
The Lord will watch over my coming and going
- my eyes behind my glasses meet His gaze -
both now and forevermore.
(Based on Psalm 121)

“Aunty Emily, you need to put your glasses on so you can read me.”

My glasses don’t miraculously turn me into a lip reader who never makes mistakes.
Who always catches things first time.
Who never, in trying to follow someone’s speech, draws a blank.
But they certainly help.
Because, so long as I am looking in the right direction,
they help me see.
Just like Psalm 121 glasses, in fact….


Comments

  1. Lynda Alsford22 March 2018 at 07:34

    I love this Emily. I need to remember to put on my Psalm 121 glasses. As I start to write my blog and newsletter again after a break I need to sit with my Psalm 121 glasses before I begin.What a lovely analogy. Thank you very much for writing this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Emily Owen22 March 2018 at 11:03

      Thank you for that encouragement as we both try to remember to put our Ps.121 glasses on.

      Delete
  2. Unknown22 March 2018 at 16:40

    I too love this Psalm and your original slant on it. I will endeavour to remember to put on my Psalm 21 glasses every morning.

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  3. Sheila Johnson22 March 2018 at 17:18

    I've often forgotten when I have my glasses actually on my face and I'm still looking for them!! Thanks, Emily

    ReplyDelete
  4. Annie Try23 March 2018 at 13:02

    Thank you Emily. What a beautiful thought-provoking post.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Tracy Williamson23 March 2018 at 17:56

    Thank you for that very thought provoking post Emily. I am always taking my literal glasses off and then struggling to see (and to find them) and I do often forget to put on my Psalm 121 glasses too. Life can be stressful and its so important to wear those glasses as much as possible .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Emily Owen24 March 2018 at 11:30

      I rarely take my literal glasses off but I certainly had a lesson when I did.

      Delete

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