blindness, Church, college, Family, grace, Hope, Jesus, life, Truth

To See The Way

35 Comments

A college student in an electric wheel chair was moving up the sidewalk beside our local university.

She controlled her chair with one hand while tapping a cane back and forth in front of her with the other.  She was partially paralyzed, and on top of it, blind! Yet there she was, out in public, on her own, making her way from place to place!  Amazing!!

I respect her immensely for doing what seems impossible to me!

She reminds me of a blind friend named Randy I knew in college.  Randy was 7 or 8 years older than me and had lost his sight his senior year of high school when he caught a rare virus.

After extensive rehab, Randy moved to an independent living apartment on campus to attend college.  He was a super nice guy, inspiring really, and had lots of friends.

One cold winter night while driving to the library, I saw Randy on a sidewalk facing the road, desperately waving for help.

I turned in the next drive and quickly circled back to him.  Getting out of the car, I called out his name and asked what was wrong.  He recognized my voice.

We All Need Direction

I’d never seen Randy rattled before, but he was inwardly shaken, and visibly shaking outwardly from the cold, blustery night.

He’d left the library where he listened to tapes of books in a special room.  He knew the route by heart and successfully tapped his cane to and from there daily.

However, several people stopped to talk to Randy along the way.  After talking to the 3rd or 4th person, he became disoriented. The cold wind further distorted the sounds and his sense of direction until he was totally turned around.

He’d wandered in a light jacket for 30 minutes trying to find his apartment building.  The last 15 minutes, Randy just stood on the curb waving at cars going by hoping someone would stop, tell him where he was, and point him in the right direction. RabBits 26

No one did.

I helped Randy into my car and drove him to the front door of his apartment building. His front door was less than 150 feet away.  He was SO close, yet so far away.  As a blind man, he might as well have been a hundred miles away.

Sighted people do the same.  People look, desperately searching for help, needing someone to stop, tell them where they are and point them the right way.

Sometime, somewhere, someplace today, we’ll pass them. All of us, we’ll pass them.

The thing is, everything on the outside looks just fine.

Inwardly though, sometimes people are blind.  Some don’t even realize it.  They want to go the right direction, but they really don’t know which way to go.

They’ve tried it on their own, in their own way, own strength, but it hasn’t worked.

They need a light to shine their path, but they can’t see. On the outside, they look fine, but inwardly they wave and wave hoping someone passing along will stop and point them in the right direction.

May we, may I, have eyes to see those who need someone to stop and show them the way home. No matter how far away they are, whether a hundred miles, or a hundred and fifty feet, there is a straight and narrow way home. There is a way.

Eyes to See His Path

35 thoughts on “To See The Way”

  6. The story gave me shivers! How many times I overlooked someone in need when I could have helped her or him! I am in a situation now that I can assist anyone that needs help! We all need help at times! Thank you for sharing this story with us!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  7. Jeff, I like how you paralleled the story of your friend over to a story about blindness of another kind. I like how kind you were to the man who was blind, too. I cried thinking about him standing out there in the cold. I get lost very easily, and as old as I am, and as mature as I am, for some odd reason, I still cry whenever I am lost and I don’t know where to go. For, I am terribly directionally challenged! So, I really empathized with your friend. And, I still jump when startled by sudden noises or by someone entering the room and speaking to me when I did not see the person coming. I am not very tough. But, when I am weak I am strong in the Lord. So glad for your sensitivity to hurting people. Thank you! Sue

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. Jeff, so many of your writings touch my heart, and so I just share from my heart how they touch me. Thank you for your tender heart, or I should say, thank the Lord for your tender heart, for I know it must come from him.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply

          1. You saw someone in need. You didn’t drive by. You turned around and you helped him. I honor that. You saw someone lost and you helped him to find his way. I value that. I don’t know you beyond that. I am just saying “thank you” for caring. That’s all.

            Like

            Reply

  8. This is a beautiful post. Not to bring everything back to horses but….this past weekend I took part in a clinic with Linda Tellington . She has worked with horses and riders since the early 60s and is now 82. One of the horses in the clinic was very anxious. The owner had previously trained with someone who believed in “controlling and dominating” the horse. Linda turned to us and said :”If I was this horse I would be crying.” He needed help and Linda showed the owner how to calm him and give him more confidence. I was glad that they came to the clinic and I hope the owner will use the methods Linda showed her and give up the other intimidating tactics so the horse will not be crying . I have a post going up tomorrow morning about the clinic. Thank you for your lovely post, and the kindness it encourages.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  9. This is a touching post, and reminds me to be alert to those that need my help, or even a little kindness. They may not be waving their arms, or crying out, but if I’m attentive, I may see hints of their inward hurts. Sometimes these moments may lead to sharing spiritual truths as well.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  12. I too have a huge amount of respect for people with real physical challenges who at some point decide that they are going to live their lives to the fullest, regardless. Your post was inspiring and thought provoking!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.