The simple act of going eyeglass shopping taught me the scriptural lesson that when one part of the body suffers then all the other parts suffer....

25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.1 Corinthians 12:26

Yesterday, I took my eye glass prescription over to Lens Crafters in Maple Grove to look at frames and take advantage of their 50% percent off lens sale. After finding a real potential, I had them take a picture of the frame on my face and e-mail it to me so my wife could offer her opinion of how this would look on me. The clerk that helped me took down all of my information and agreed to hold this particular frame.

I asked him how soon it would take to have the frame ready for pick-up. He said most of their eye glass orders are sent to their manufacturing plant in Houston, Texas which we all know was hardest hit by that big bag of wind better known as 'Harvey'.

He didn't have to say anything more before I began picturing the employees of Lens Crafters being unable to get to work due to the flooded out roads, down power lines, and of course being forced to vacate their homes because of the flooding of those homes.


I pictured these hard working men and woman along with their children getting into rescue boats, and in some cases, being air lifted by the coast guard to shelters they could find for them. I pictured those families sleeping under tables at these shelters, going days without water and food while trying to comfort their children at the same time. I wept for these families.

Then, I began thinking of that verse from 1 Corinthians where we are reminded of the importance of unity-when one part of the body suffers, all parts of the body suffer, when one part is honored then every part rejoices with it.


I weep for those families whose lives have been disrupted by this storm of the century. I weep for Lens Crafters who's daily commerce is disrupted when delays result when 'Harvey'impacted the lives of its employees.


It is interesting that the name of our nation, United States, reminds us of our unity. We're all separate in the form of 50 states, but we're all united for the singular cause to provide freedom and safety for all who could not find it anyplace else in the world- Holocaust survivors, and others who come to America from repressed countries. America is made up of many cultures and though we all come from different walks of life, in America, we're considered equals.

I shop for eye glasses at my home town Lens Crafters and the employees in Houston make those glasses for me, and I weep because I see the suffering of the people in Houston. I rejoice when I hear stories of bravery as others come to their aid and rescue them. Tears of joy flow as I hear the stories of heroic rooftop rescues or the rescue of the dementia patients from a flooded out nursing home.

There is beauty with the word unity. It is what makes the body of Christ strong, it is what makes America great!