When I was a kid, I wondered about the x-shaped sign that said: Crossing Railroad. Obviously, we were crossing the tracks. I could see them.
“No,” Daddy said, “You read it wrong. It’s Railroad Crossing.” What was the difference? The tracks and road were crossing each other, right? This sign made as much sense as the farmer who hung COW signs on his herd so hunters wouldn’t mistake the animals for deer.
I finally figured out the subtext—the meaning behind the words: Watch out, or you might be the deer caught in the train headlights and be left on the side of the road.
Out in the country you might find one of those cute little x-signs, but they’re rare. Now we have flashing lights, a sounding gong, and a gate that drops down. Why? Because some people don’t even see the sign, let alone read the words and understand the message.
Vision is great until it keeps me from seeing the danger of my actions. In the first grade, I was so focused on getting home from school, I ran across the street. This wasn’t a problem until I fell, heard the squeal and smell of burned rubber, and felt the tire pinch my ankle.
That’s one reason I’m trying to focus on what God wants me to see, because the life I save will be my own.
“If you were blind,” Jesus said, “you would be blameless. But because you say you can see, you remain blind.” — John 9:41 from Eyewitness: The Life of Christ Told in One Story