Friends
Are there things weighing you down this morning, stealing your peace, shifting your perspective from light to dark? Hear this good news! The darkness doesn’t have to win. Jesus took care of that. He has overcome, and you can too!
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“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.”
1 John 1:5 – NIV
“Staring at the big black dot, I held the buzzer tightly, poised to press when ready. “When is it going to start?”
I felt Dr. Woodard come closer to me, His tall frame bending low to peer over my shoulder. “Are you seeing any little lights?”
“No, not so far.” I could feel him standing right behind my chair, but he said nothing. After a minute or two, I started seeing a few lights and began pressing the buzzer.
“Anita, are you seeing more of the lights now?”
“I’m seeing some now, yeah.”
Dr. Woodard made no comment, but continued to stand right behind me. There was something in his silence that did not feel right. I could sense his concern. Warning bells were ringing in my head. It did not seem like there were enough flashes of light. I thought to myself, “I’m not seeing these lights like I should. What in the world is wrong with me?”*
-APS, from ”Rough Places Smooth: Moments In A Journey Through Blindness”
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I remember that afternoon in the optometrist’s office like it was yesterday, my head stuck inside that circular white dome, buzzer in hand, waiting, watching for the little light to appear. I kept waiting, and still, the light did not come. I remember the sick feeling of dread rising up inside me. I knew in that moment that something was terribly wrong. I knew I wasn’t seeing that little light like I should.
That was the beginning of my journey through blindness. I would soon hear the four words I so didn’t want to hear, “You are legally blind.”
My problem turned out to be a physical issue, one that I am still learning to live with. In learning to cope with the loss of my physical sight, I have experienced many challenges to my spiritual sight. My faith has been tested. At times, the tide of adversity has swept away my resolve and determination. I have held more than one pity party over the years. Perhaps you have too.
Perhaps your hard thing has weighed you down, stolen your perspective, even shattered your once carefree life. Maybe, like me, that hard thing has put you in danger of losing your spiritual sight.
I am continually amazed at how often we choose to dwell in the darkness. We turn to anything and everything to avoid seeking the light . We despair. We fear. We worry. We run away to things that can numb our pain.
We fail to seek God’s light. We fail to follow His leading. We let the world distract us, break us, tear us apart. We bicker. We argue. We moan and complain. We fail to believe that Jesus is still here with us. We refuse to recognize that God is still in control of our circumstances.
But He is. God is sovereign and in control of all things not some things, not most things, but all things. We must stand on the promise of Romans 8:28 which tells us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, NIV).
Friends, stop and look closely. Allow your eyes to recognize all the ways God is working in your life. Turn your gaze back over all the years and see how God has worked it all out. He may not have saved you from the pain. He didn’t always take away the problem. But He has seen you through it, and He will do so again.
On that day long ago, I searched in vain for the little light, yet, try as I might, I couldn’t find it. Thankfully, there is a light that is not dependent on the health of my retina, but rather on the focus of my heart. It is the light of God’s marvelous love for us. It is the light of His infinite grace. It is a light worth searching for.
Friends, let us adjust our gaze and find His light. May the light of the Lord Jesus Christ wash over you. May you feel His comfort. May you know His peace. As you face the trials ahead, rest in the promise that one day all of your despair will be swept away, and only joy and peace will remain forever. That is our hope. That is the hope we can rest in right now, no matter what hard things stand in our way.
The darkness cannot win unless we choose to let it destroy us. Don’t let it! Seek the light instead and find His peace.
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“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”
1 John 1:7 – NIV
PRAYER
O Dear Lord, save us from this present darkness. Be with us as we face our hard things. Let us be in the light as You are in the light. Let us feel Your Light shine on us, washing away the pain, the bitterness, the heartache, the despair. Let us cling to You and know Your peace.
In the Shining Name of Jesus, we pray,
Amen
Blessings,
Anita
*Excerpt from Chapter 1 of “Rough Places Smooth: Moments In A Journey Through Blindness”
© 2022 by Anita Peden Sherer
All Rights Reserved.
-APS 3/6/2023
Faith Beyond Sight 