Weak Eyes
| Now Laban had two daughters;
the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful. Gen.
29:16, 17, NIV. |
Like so much
else, if the eye does not get exercised, it will become weak and not develop.
What caused Leah to have weak eyes (also translated "delicate") Scripture
does not explain. It certainly was obvious, and as a result she had to
vie with her sister for Jacob's affection. Possibly Leah suffered from
not having her eyes straight, properly called strabismus. Perhaps it might
also explain why her father, a herdsman, had chosen his daughters' specific
names: Rachel means "ewe" and Leah "cow." A cow's eyes are set widely apart,
appearing divergent.
Unfortunately, strabismus
is not merely a cosmetic problem, but may indicate something serious such
as a brain or eye tumor. Tragically, even if nothing else is wrong, strabismus
by itself often results in severe and permanent visual loss from amblyopia,
or "lazy eye." Strabismus developing during adulthood causes severe double
vision, but in a child the developing brain can suppress one eye. Over
time this eye weakens and after a critical period remains irreversibly
damaged.
Amblyopia was first noticed
in donkeys bred and raised in dark coal mines. Although they had normal
eyes, their brains never developed vision. Amblyopia can also develop from
an uncorrected blurry image or significant opacity in the eye. Approximately
one person in 50 has preventable amblyopia.
When the condition is recognized
early, as simple a treatment as patching the good eye forces the lazy eye
to exercise and thus develop normally. The relatively simple operation
to straighten the eyes will make them look good and, more important, continue
to see well! If the amblyopia is neglected, an injury to the good eye can
result in total blindness.
Neglecting Leah's eyes may
have caused much needless suffering, and its baleful influence marred the
history of God's people. Neglected abilities and talents will also atrophy,
resulting in permanent deficiencies and limitations. Blunders during the
critical formative years will have long-term consequences that could have
been completely avoided.
| Is there anything in my life that if
not corrected early could cause permanent physical, psychological, or spiritual
damage? |
|