Clear Again

Liam squinted at the pitcher, ready to send the ball soaring. But three swings later, he heard the umpire call, "You're out!" Liam hung his head and walked off the field. Why can't I hit the ball like I used to? he wondered.The next morning, Liam sat next to his friend Colson during Sunday school as their teacher, Miss Bryan, started the class in song. When they finished, she held up a card. "This is our new memory verse for the month. Liam, can you read it aloud for the rest of the class?"Liam squinted at the card. "You--Your word is, is…" His voice trailed off when he couldn't finish.Miss Bryan looked to Liam's left. "Colson, can you help Liam out?"Liam's face flushed as Colson read the verse perfectly. He wondered if he would ever be able to do anything right again.Miss Bryan pulled Liam's parents aside when they came to pick him up at the end of the hour. Later on the car ride home, Dad said, "Liam, we're going to schedule an appointment for you with the optometrist.""The optom-what?" Liam questioned."The eye doctor," Mom said. "Miss Bryan mentioned you had trouble reading the verse today in Sunday school. She thinks you might need glasses, which could explain why you've been struggling in baseball."A few weeks later, Liam took his new pair of glasses out of the case and put them on. Instantly, the world came into focus. He spent the entire day moving his glasses up and down to see the difference. Everything looks so crisp! he thought. His thoughts circled back to the verse Miss Bryan had taught them: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. The Bible makes things clear just like my glasses do, Liam realized. It tells us who God is and how He sent His Son, Jesus, to save us. When my way is unclear, I need to read God's Word and trust Him to guide me. "You're up!" Colson said.Liam shook himself from his thoughts, walked over to the plate, and smiled. Because this time, things would be clear again. -Olivia Summers