Monovision Moms

How’s your vision? I have noticed that being a mom can cause a certain type of blurred vision. No, I’m not talking about the bleary eyes you feel after many a sleepless night—either up with a baby or waiting on (or worrying about) a teen. It’s more than that.

I have needed vision correction nearly all my life. From my much-hated elementary school glasses all the way though many years of contact lenses to the infamous bane of “middle age,” reading glasses. Fearing I needed bifocal contacts, I visited my eye doctor. He had a different recommendation: monovision lenses. What on earth was that? Simple, he said. Your dominant eye is corrected for long distance vision, your other eye for closer-up vision. Of course this conjured up pictures of covering one eye while I drove—or being cross-eyed. But it worked!

It's what we moms need. One eye on the big picture, the long view. The other eye on what’s just in front of us. Here’s what I mean.

Long-distance Vision

I just returned from a long trek to Kodiak, Alaska, to celebrate my son Lars’ retirement (yes, retirement!) from 20 years of service to his country: 10 years as a Marine C-130 pilot, 10 years as a Coast Guard C-130 pilot. A very proud and grateful mama. When Lars was my only pre-schooler who could successfully lie to me (the others certainly tried, but it showed all over their faces), I could never have imagined this day. That he would grow up to be a man of God who demonstrates outstanding courage, leadership gifting, and integrity. 

But long-distance “mom vision” means even more than that. Keeping our eyes on the big picture means continually trusting God with our kids’ future, whatever it may be. Remembering that our children are His, not our possession but on loan from God. And it is He—God—Who loves them more than we do. It is He that will never leave them no-matter-what (even if they find themselves in Iraq, or Afghanistan). And it is He that is ultimately in charge of their lives. Not us—mamas! Isn’t there some relief in that?

Close-up vision

But right now I suspect your “mom job” feels very immediate, in-your-face constant, relentless. We need God’s help for near vision, too. When you feel alone, you aren’t. God is right there. He listens to your deepest heart cries. He runs alongside you in your crazy-busy mom days. He picks you up when you fall. He carries you when He needs to. I know. I have been carried.

Reminding ourselves of these things clears our vision. It allows for monovision. It helps us see what is right in front of us. Those precious, exasperating, exhausting wonderful kids He gave us.

How’s your vision?