Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. ~Isaiah 41:10
If you are age 50 or above, your eyes, more than likely, require help in order to comfortably read a book or focus on the details of a photo. I can't function if I don't have my readers with me everywhere I go. They are indispensable to me.
So, why do I wait so long to put them on a lanyard? Honestly, it is a preconceived notion of mine that only "old ladies" wear their readers around their necks. I don't want glasses dangling from an outdated-looking chain, advertising my age faster than my face can. How vain is that? I know I need to get over myself because I tire of leaving my glasses in another room or having them flip out of my shirt collar and crash onto the floor every time I bend over to empty the dishwasher or make the bed.
Resigning myself to the prospect of attaching a chain to my readers, I'm pleasantly surprised to see a friend at church wearing a much subtler lanyard to hold hers. So unobtrusive, in fact, that I have never even noticed it before. And there is NOTHING old lady about her! When I ask where I can find a lanyard like hers, W. actually sends an Amazon link to my phone right then and there. I place my order that very afternoon, and I'm so pleased with the purchase!
Yes, wearing the lanyard does take some getting used to after all these years of going without, but the relief of securing my readers so that I know where they are at all times makes any adjustment required of me seem trivial. The glasses are upheld by the firm grip of the lanyard and the fear of being dropped is dispelled.
When we trust in God completely, we are held securely by His righteous right hand. We know beyond the shadow of a doubt that He is who He says Hi is. We can lean into His strength when we are weak, and rest assured that He will help us through every earthly struggle. Just as the lanyard's hold on the readers is sure and certain, God's hold is infinitely firm, tenacious and forever.
Jesus is always there to offer His righteous right hand. Will you accept it? Are you already walking hand in hand with the Lord? Please share in the comments.
Amen!
I needed this post today ... and it has nothing to do with readers and lanyards! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
I'm so gratified this post spoke to you today, Victor, and met you where you are today.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
His righteous right hand is holding me.
ReplyDeleteAmen, and again I say, amen!
DeleteGrace and blessings!
What an interesting application, Martha! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Diana.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
Apt metaphor, Martha. (I'm also realizing that, while I used to think I was becoming my parents, now I'm becoming my grandparents.)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you liked the metaphor here, Glynn. And you're so right - we are becoming our grandparents whether we like it or not.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
I'm not to the lanyard stage so I just have my reading glasses stashed all over the house and have one left in my office. To help me out in the car I have sunglasses that have a magnifier embedded in them. I'm just glad I can still see. More glad that I am held in His hand.
ReplyDeleteI did think about going that route, Bill, with readers all over the house, but this seemed a great compromise for me. I, too, am so grateful for my eyesight and especially, that I know God is hanging tightly to my hand.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
Good with the lanyard.
ReplyDeleteI'm truly loving it, Christine.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
What a good idea. I don’t wear readers. I wear the progressive lenses and they work for me. Before I got them, I was having to take my glasses off to read. I was misplacing my eyeglasses or I’d place them in my lap while reading and then get up and they’d fall to the floor. I was thinking that I would have to put my glasses on a chain but then I changed over to the progressive lenses.
ReplyDeleteYes, God holds me right in His hand. Amen!
Since I have my near-sightedness corrected in one eye via cataract surgery and I wear a contact in the other, readers are my only option, Debby. My husband does have those progressive lenses for his eyeglasses just as you do and they work well for him, too. It is a nightmare when we misplace our reading glasses, and I'm thankful for my new lanyard.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
I don't need glasses to read. In fact, I never needed to wear glasses until last year....when I was 67!!! I have been wearing glasses for just over a year now...I am near sighted so I only need them for distances and for watching television.
ReplyDeleteYou are one fortunate woman, Linda! I've been near-sighted since I was a kid, so have always needed glasses/contacts to correct my vision. See my answer to Debby above.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
Those chain glass holders are making a big come back around here. I see a good many people wearing them. Thankfully, I do not have to have readers and I can see great at a distance and great close up. On the other hand, my daughter is beginning to need readers. My husband wears Click-its. Glasses he wears around his neck and they click together when he needs to use them. I am extremely grateful for God's firm hand on me...
ReplyDeleteThat's so interesting about the chains making a comeback in your neck of the woods, Shug. Oh, and you are so favored when it comes to NOT needing glasses of any kind. I'd say that's pretty rare. I have seen those Click-its advertised on television, too. May God continue to firmly grasp you hand, my friend.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
You mean I'm not the only one???? I, too, am constantly reaching for my readers b/c I don't want to look like "that" old lady. Right now I'm making do with Dollar Tree readers -- one in every room, but will be looking online for those you're modeling.
ReplyDeleteLove this analogy; yes, I want to take His hand and walk where He leads.
No, Myra, you're not the only one! Did you see Bill's comment above? He does the same as you do. I might have had a "collection" to spread around the house, but I'd have to make sure one pair stayed in my purse. So pleased that you liked this analogy, my friend.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
Mine are always on my face - since first grade. I feel naked without my glasses. My Joe, however, always had his hanging from a pocket or collar and dropped them often. I may have been able to talk him into a lanyard like this one. So happy it is working for you!! And Amen to the strength of God's hand!! xo
ReplyDeleteI figured you didn't need separate readers as you are a glasses wearer, Terri. And I can certainly identify with dear Joe and his dilemma with his when he was here with us. We can rest assured that he is in the strong arms of the Lord and we can know that strength when we grasp His hand each and every day.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
I'm with you, Martha. Praise God for his gentle yet tenacious grip on us, keeping us secure!
ReplyDeleteGod keeps us secure and safe at all times, Nancy. We have to choose to accept His hand when He offers it.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
Great thoughts here, Martha. I have my glasses perched on my nose during all waking hours. I used to remove them when somebody was taking snapshots, but now I'm over even that (most of the time).
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Barbara, and I think your glasses look wonderful on you. I'm glad, too, that you enjoyed this post today.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
Nice thoughts and nice photos.
ReplyDeleteYou can thank my husband, Danny, for the photos, Nassah. So glad you enjoyed this post.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
Whatever makes your life easier, God is there to guide you. He doesn't need to see you struggle when there is a simple solution. Glad you decided to accept it. Blessings, Martha and enjoy the week.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right, Bill. God never wants to see us struggle when there is a simpler and much better solution to things. And if He is for us, who could be against us?
DeleteGrace and blessings!
What a beautiful story there Martha. I loved it. God is always with us!
ReplyDeleteAmen, Sandie! God is always with us, indeed.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
Beautiful thought and analogy, Martha!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Cheryl.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
I do have reading glasses all over the house, nice ones, I don't think they make me look like an old lady, but maybe I'm just denying that, haha. I have been walking with the Lord for 25 years now and I have asked him to keep my eyes steadfast, spiritually speaking and in a natural sense. So +1 reading glassed for the last ten years!
ReplyDeleteSeveral people have said the same about having their reading glasses all over the house, Marja. So happy to know that God is keeping your eyes both spiritually and physically healthy. That's great news!
DeleteGrace and blessings!
As my grandma would say, "I declare," Martha--we must be related in more than a spiritual sense. I got by with a mono-vision setup with contact lenses for a long time, but then being a rather slow writer and spending long stints at the computer, I began to have some double vision. It wasn't really bad, but, like you, we watch the news a lot and seeing one liberal democrat once in a while was bad enough, and I sure didn't want to run the risk of seeing two of them if I could help it :). A friend at church had a pair of readers that come apart between the lenses and are held together with magnets--called "Clicks". Unfortunately, I had to have readers with prisms installed to correct the double vision, and they couldn't accommodate my prescription.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow--sorry to go on and on, but I love the conclusion about God's provision and how He holds us in His gracious, loving, and providential hand through every challenge, large or small. Blessings to you and Danny, and your new lanyard--and I'm quite sure nobody mistakes you for an "old lady".
Thanks so much, Ron, for sharing you eye saga here today in such great (and might I add humorous) detail. Double vision must have been so frustrating, to say the least, and I'm glad your prescription worked for you. I'm delighted with my new lanyard and its usefulness. And once we put our hand into God's eternal grip, we can rest assured that He will never let us go.
ReplyDeleteGrace and blessings!
What a great analogy, Martha. I'm thankful the Lord's holding on to me with His righteous right hand. And love the way the lanyard looks with your glasses--super classy. God bless!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked the look and this post, Karen. We can both be so grateful that God's grip on us is always sure and fast; He won't let our feet slip.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
Good thoughts! When I wore glasses, they were on my shirt hooked between buttons or on top of my head.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you enjoyed the post, Annie. So, you don't need glasses anymore?
DeleteGrace and blessings!
What a beautiful reflection! It's amazing how even small changes—like using a lanyard—can bring such relief, just as trusting in God brings strength and security. Loved reading this! 🙏
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Veronica! Yes, trusting in God does give us safety and reassurance as we know He is holding onto us and will never let go.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
Great post today but I especially love reading the Isaiah verse. That one I needed to read today. Thank you for blessing me today!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad the verse from Isaiah spoke so profoundly to you, Jean, and that it blessed you. Wow! It never ceases to amaze me how fellow bloggers are touched in so many ways. I know your posts always touch my heart.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
I have long known that Jesus is Lord. Even in my eighties He is there, guiding, hand in hand, healing and letting me know he is there. He is gracious, loving and kind at all times.
ReplyDeleteHugs and Blessings
I couldn't express that better if I tried, Jim. So true!
DeleteGrace and blessings!
Bom dia, Martha
ReplyDeleteQue legal a ideia do cordão, a mensagem que você passou aqui é muito importante, caminhar com o Senhor é bênção, Ele sempre nos ajudará, um forte abraço.
May we all seek God's strength to hold us firm in all that we do, Lucinalva.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
(((grinning))) Thanks Martha, have a beautiful day.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Linda.
DeleteGrace and blessings!
I think there are pretty chains for eyeglasses available. Yours looks like a strong and sturdy solution! God bless you!
ReplyDeleteThey certainly are, Mrs. White, and I'm so very happy to have them.
DeleteGrace and blessings!