Waiting on God's mighty works (John 9:3) and coping with a sight challenge.

SCRIPTURE: John 9:3b (CEB)

This happened so that God's mighty works might be displayed in him.

STORY:

One of my favorite stories is the one of Helen Keller visiting a college campus where she was asked, “Is it so bad to be blind?” To which she replied: “No, not have as much as to have two good eyes and see nothing.”

OBSERVATION:

It is interesting how the events of one day can change one’s perspective on a biblical story (read John 9:1-12) plus a renewed appreciation for what one of my sheroes shared on her journey through life.

At 11:30 AM yesterday I began to lose the sight in my left eye. After a few hours in the ER, where I discovered that I am normal in every way except for the blindness in the left eye, it was off to see an ophthalmologist who, after a quick exam, determined that I suffered a central retinal artery occlusion. Essentially this is a stroke in the eye.

Is it repairable? Well, that is up to God after all he is still in the miracle business. There is irreparable damage to the eye after 90 minutes of no blood flow to the eye. By the time I saw the ophthalmologist it had been hours not minutes. As the gospel story in John tells Jesus healed a man blind since birth. I’ve been blind for only a few hours in comparison. Did God caused me to go blind? That answer is easy – NO!

The truth of the matter is that what happened can and will show the mighty works of God. God brings miracles into our lives everyday. Often we fail to recognize them, thus Helen Keller’s observation of having two good eyes and seeing nothing. We take these everyday miracles for granted. What I will be waiting for is simply to discover what God’s miracle will be. Sight? Coping with a change of vision? Adjusting to new ways of driving, reading, and handling the simple everyday tasks of life?

At this point, 2:24AM April 19^th, it has yet to be revealed just what God’s miracle will be. And so I wait, willing and ready.

PRAYER:

God grant the patience needed to face the new challenges I will be facing today. I wait to discover how this will bring glory to your name and how it will show your mighty works. I wait. I’m willing to accept whatever I need to face. I am ready to witness your miracle today!