Squinting in the pulpit

I was blind. Legally. For almost a decade.

Then, in a quirk of irony, I could see.

Now, as I wade into my forties, my vision is starting to fail again.

I now use glasses to read screens and to drive at night.

It’s not an emergency, I’m just getting old.

But, I do wonder how it would have effected my preaching if I was still mounting the pulpit every fortnight.

In the classroom, I’m almost unaffected. 

Whilst I take my glasses to every lesson, I almost never need them during class. For some reason, during school hours, my vision is still capable for me to educate  the youth.

In fact, whenever a student spots me in the staff room with my glasses on, they are usually confused by my spectacles.

Nonetheless, if I was teaching a morning lesson or a night class, I’d be in the need of vision assistance.

And these are the timeframes when I’d be preaching in a church.

Of course, the answer is simple. 

I’d just wear my glasses.

I’d admit that I’m getting older and pop on my eyewear.

No. Big. Deal.

But, this change wouldn’t happen overnight.

It has taken me a few years to get used to wearing my glasses when required.

So, would I have adopted my glasses sooner once I noticed it affecting my preaching?

Or, would I have just enlarged the font on my notes?

Would I, inevitably, have been put in a position where I couldn’t actually comfortably read my notes?

If so, how would I have dealt with this catastrophe?

Would I let anyone know?

Would I just try and wing the sermon?

Now, on the other side of my declining eyesight, I’d have no qualms in wearing my glasses to preach or read the Bible.

But that one Sunday when I’d have failed due to blurry words would have left me pretty red-faced.