Mystery of the Missing Glasses

 

It was an event filled to the brim with tragedy.  “I was playing basketball,” my son Vincent intoned in a hollow voice.  “The basketball hit me in the head and hit my glasses too.  So, I took off my glasses and put them behind the basketball goal.”

“What happened then?”  I asked, feeling like a private detective interviewing a star witness.

“They vanished,” Vincent said.  “Elliot and I looked all over for them, and we couldn’t find them anywhere.”

"Did they just vanish because you weren't wearing them?"  I asked.

"No, Dad, Elliot still had his glasses on, and he couldn't see them either," Vincent said seriously.

It seemed like a case worthy of Sherlock Holmes, but when he did not choose to make an appearance, Vincent’s parents went out to look for the vanished lenses.  Despite our best efforts and a number of Tantalizing Clues, we discovered no sign of the Lost Glasses.

The next day, we made a more complete search.  There upon the lawn, Elliot made the discovery of his short lifetime – bits of a frame and one lens.  Then, I discovered the second lens nearby on the the grass.

The truth was Clear to be see.  Our Canine Pal, Aria, had made short work of these glasses.

(Fortunately, the lenses were not chewed or scratched and only needed new frames.)

Of course, no True Crime story would be complete without an analysis of the criminal’s Motivation.  This of course, is difficult when the Prime Suspect replies “Woof!” to all questions, but in extensive interviews, it is clear that Aria has a secret desire to read.

There are so many interesting books about dogs.  There’s “Go, Dog, Go!” and the Clifford the Big Red Dog series, and even that classic title, “Harry the Dirty Dog.”  I suppose it is understandable that our Lab would think that the One Thing keeping her from the world of books was simply having some glasses.

For those who are blessed with literacy (I’m guessing that most of those reading this would fall into that category), it is understood that there are no short cuts to learning.  The road to reading is paved with Vowel Sounds, Blends, and Diphthongs.  No special glasses will substitute.

So it is with things like understanding the Bible.  Paul told Timothy “Study to shew Thyself approved unto God.”  He was telling Timothy that the only way to understand Scripture is to spend time with it.

There is no secret road to reading, nor is there is a back way to having a deep knowledge of God's Word.

It is those who read and meditate and try to understand who will receive Knowledge that Passeth Understanding.  For this Knowledge comes from time well spent, not from special glasses.