I am not blind
I woke up in the middle of the night, with my eyes crusted over! Oh no I thought, am I like paul, slowly I peeled away the crust from my eyes. Next I tried opening my eyes prying them open with force and pain, no I am not the next paul, I could see!
In the morning I realized I had gotten pink eye in both eyes. Our host had it a few weeks earlier and a common thing here in Guatemala. So I texted my co-leader, she showed up shortly after with a concerned voice and some eye droplets. The rest of the day I thought about life and what it would look like to be blind. I thought about the last images I had seen, being blind to things in this world and being blind from things out of this world.
My last images if I would have gone blind, would have been from the weekend. Something I get to do on some weekends is explore a joy in my life. To explore Gods earth, his creations especially his people he created. During my time wondering if I was blind, I thought of the things I saw over the weekend. I saw a hummingbird one of my favorite birds. I saw peas, rows and rows and rows of peas, I saw my friend eating raw peas for the first time! I saw laughter, telling katie a joke I had learned, late night encounters with obstacles, laughter from kids that where helping carrying logs to a truck. I saw water, water everywhere from a huge lake I got to explore inside and out, I got to see a huge water fall in the distance. I saw a lot in the weekend and I know I appreciated some, but if I would have gone blind oh would I cheerish these memories the more.
Am I blind to the things of this world? What is blind to not see something, to not notice it to not recognize things that are true. Once upon a time I justin had not traveled outside of my small world I could saw the farm and my friends and family, yet I was blind to the outside world and her pains. Fast foward to even this trip alone I have seen a lot and heard a lot. I am no longer blind to the pain of prostitutes working and there only prayer is for more work. I am no longer blind to people sitting in corners looking for a hand out or some help. I am no longer blind to seeing children with laughter and smiles and yet growing up in a district that has metal bars on every shop and most people have lost someone from being shot. These things are hard to see and even harder to find answers to for the people who are in tough situations. But there is a hope a hope that is unseen.
Am I blind to this world that there are powers I cannot see. A God who walked on earth who healed the blind with some mud and spit. I can live this world being blind to God, giving special moments to chance, coincidence, luck, crazy luck or to the creator. The truth is many and most times I am blind to what God is doing and doing in my life. I am stuck staring at a broken branch or some sap that got on my hands. When in reality the tree is bearing fruit by a hundred fold! Where God is flexing his love his sacrifice his truth. Am i blind, No. But just because I am not blind doesnt mean I am not missing what God is doing for me, for the city of Guatemala, for the people who speak spanish, for this world.
I am blessed to see and blessed to have an opportunity to seek. What do I want to seek, I wanna seek the light the love that can only come from God and yet is present in every person and in every creation. Yes even in the April snows!
So the challenge, think and write down what would your favorite images be if you went blind tomorrow?
Think what things you are blind to of this world and pray for them. And finally finally ask God where he is present moving in your everyd day life.
Love Justin
