Pain is a difficult part of life. For the Christian questions arise as to God's love. For the non-Christian questions arise as to God's existence. These reactions are natural but reveal our lack of understanding of God. Of course pain comes in different levels and the severity usually determines our reaction.
For the last couple of days my right eye has been bothering me. Not sure why. Maybe just irritation or maybe something else. While annoying, it is manageable and though I am not a hypochondriac my imagination does wander a little. I imagine what it would be like if it were more serious. Something that would cost me my sight. My thoughts are quickly turned to a grateful heart because as I imagine life with out sight I realize how precious sight really is to my every day activity.
Without sight I could not work since I am a designer and everything is visually based. I couldn't drive, see my kids, watch a sunrise or more likely a sunset since I am not a morning person. These few thoughts remind me of the blind man that Jesus healed who put it so simply. "Once I was blind, but now I see." These words are echoed in the John 3:16 of hymns, Amazing Grace.
My mind continues in imagining what it would be like with out any of my five senses. I can't imagine life without music or not being able to taste a hamburger. Not able to smell might not be such a bad thing if you are in India or a men's locker room but stepping outside to take a deep breath of clean air is an amazing gift we simply take for granted.
The old saying "you don't know what you have 'till it's gone" is true, but I find just imagining life without something can really cause you to be thankful for what you have while you still have it. It helps you enjoy it more and that pain in my eye is now a blessing as it reminds me that although it hurts, I can still see!