God’s Grace: Pressed Down and Running Over!

God’s fingerprints brush against each day of our lives.  Some days, our vision clears enough to see those fingerprints  imprinted upon the backdrop of our daily walk.

Some time ago, I contacted an optometry office in the larger town south of where I live that specializes in low vision. I wanted to know what products they had to offer. When I mentioned I was looking for a new CCTV – a closed circuit camera and monitor that magnifies anything placed under the camera lens –  that would not be connected to my computer, the technician told me they had a used demonstration model for sale.

I was delighted with the machine she showed me, an Optelec ClearView,  but hesitated, still unsure of my current needs.  It seemed like a lot of money for something I feared I wouldn’t use.  I looked at the assortment of electronic magnifiers, then left, saying I wanted to talk to my daughter who is in her third year of optometry school.  Wow, there are a lot of neat gizmos out there! Technology has made life so much more accessible for the visually impaired. It’s wonderful!  But,. If I was going to spend that much money, I wanted to make right decisions.

Later, I told my husband, “I talked to Katherine and she gave me some good guidelines about the low vision equipment.”

“Tell me,” he said.  But I sensed he was tired and distracted, so I told him I would find a better time to discuss it with him.  Usually he argues with me when I’m that blunt, but this time, he accepted what I said.

Fast forward two weeks.  I either forgot or we were both very busy.  After all, it’s Easter season in a pastor’s household!  On his following day off, we were driving home from shopping and I asked, “Is this a good time to talk to you about the low vision products?” I told him our daughter thought the used CCTV was a great deal, so I was thinking more seriously about it.

“Is that all?” he said. “I’ll drive you to get it tonight if you want it.”  I was shocked.  Even at a discount, it was a pricey little machine.

When we reached home, I called the optometry office.  The machine had been spoken for, but just that morning, the customer, a 96 year young lady reneged, opting for a CCTV with a larger screen.

Fingerprint #1

If I had called her even the previous week, I would have been told the machine was spoken for and I would have let it go.

I confirmed the price.  “Oh wait a minute” the technician said. “I forgot to add the tax.” She gave me the new amount.  It was less than a half hour before closing time, but she assured me they would wait for us.

Are you ready for Fingerprint #2?  When we arrived, she told us she felt bad about quoting the price before tax, so she was knocking about $100 off the price. Wow!

There’s more. 

My husband asked another technician if they could adjust his glasses.  Yes. But while doing that, what we thought was the outer temple case broke. Upon closer inspection, the technician told us the entire temple had broken.  In fact, unknown to us, it was already cracked, but because it broke in her hands, they would not charge us to replace the temple.

God is so good.  If the temple had broke on our turf, we would have had to go to the hassle of finding someone to fix it.  It’s like your car breaking down right in front of an auto repair shop.

God wasn’t done yet.

As we talked, the technician said, “Did you say you are from <name of town>? I live there too.”  She was the sister of one of our church members.

The fingerprint that we treasure most from that day? As we walked out, the technician told us, “I used to go to your church.  I go somewhere else now, but I’ve heard good things about you and I want to come back to your church sometime.”

God fashioned that entire daisy chain of events, even to the timing of when I talked to my husband about the low vision products. He knew my needs even more than I did and provided abundantly. Then He used my need to cause my life to intersect with someone who was seeking to see Him more clearly.

“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” —  Romans 8:32

If you would like more information about low vision aids, I’d love to point you to some resources. Send me an email.