22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.”

According to the Texarkana Gazette, spitting is uncouth, but for Jesus it seems to be part of His healing ministry. In this story and at least two other places (Mark 7, John 9), He spits – expectorates – (got to love that word!). Read this short story, follow it up with verses 27-30 and notice the parallel of how some people see Jesus clearly and others do not, left with incomplete vision.

Let’s not needlessly end up with an inadequate vision of God or of ourselves: As the prophet Jeremiah encouraged, Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD (Lamentations 3:30).

Consider the Examen as another tool for your spiritual belt of truth.

Here are the 5 steps to the Examen, this week’s spiritual discipline of prayer (generally taking about 15 minutes to do). Look back in the week to review each area along the way.

1. Recognize that you are in the presence of God
2. Look at your day with gratitude
3. Ask for help from the Holy Spirit
4. Review your day
5. Reconcile and resolve (record observations on paper)