Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen.
The Christian life is to believe โinโ the Gospel which is โImmanuelโ – God with us.
Romans 10:9-10 โฆif you ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ with your mouth the Lord Jesus and ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฏ๐ in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Jesus accomplished perfect obedience to God in the Law and performed miracles. He remained obedient unto death and exited the Old Covenant. He was the only person able to say, โIt is finishedโ. Because of His righteous act, death has no legal claim on Him. Ever.
This is why God resurrected Him. It is proof that the Old Covenant of Sin and Death is finished.
When we believe โinโ Him, He who is the New Covenant Representative we are betrothed, engaged. By the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we are being prepared for the Wedding.
We know we have the Holy Spirit when we exhibit the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
Just as Jesus is the 2nd Adam, He remained faithful and finished the covenant. We the Church are the 2nd Eve. Even though weโve sinned we are protected by His perfect, permanent, irrevocable, eternal grace of Him doing everything right.
Even though the Church has sinned, our sins donโt fall to us. Because of His obedience we are protected by the New and Everlasting Covenant between Jesus and God that canโt be broken because by His grace โit is finishedโ.
John 1:29 โBehold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.โ
Thatโs the Good News.
As someone betrothed, engaged to be married, our duty is to remain faithful until the wedding.
We the church are now and forever like Eve in that narrow moment of time after she ate (sinned) yet before Adam disobeyed God by eating.
Even though we have sinned, we are protected by Christโs perfect obedience to the Covenant of Sin and Death which is finished, permanently and eternally sealed by His blood. Itโs over.
Jesus, the Seed of the Woman, is the Kinsman Redeemer. The Keeper of the Covenant. The Accepted Substitute. Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!
The term โgraceโ is often used but rarely defined therefore not fully understood. Itโs a state of being, a status. Some say itโs โgetting what we donโt deserveโ. But thatโs not a state of being.
To demonstrate, it helps to consider the opposite of grace which is; disgrace. If someone is a disgrace it means they have committed some sort of serious error, totally inappropriate for the circumstances. Disgrace becomes their status because of what they did. It cannot be undone because you canโt change the past.
With that in mind, โgraceโ can be defined as โthe delightful beauty of saying, doing, being, everything right in every circumstance.โ
The adjective โgracefulโ can be seen in an athlete who performs an extraordinary feat, such as a football player who catches an almost impossible pass and makes it look easy. Or a ballerina who moves with such fluidity that it seems purely effortless and natural. Poetry in motion. Itโs not our actions, but theirs. We are โfansโ, beneficiaries of their performance.
Sometimes a person of royalty is honored with the respectful title of โYour Graceโ.
When you plug that understanding into the Bible wherever the word โgraceโ is used it blossoms with meaning.
Jesus is the personification of the grace of God. He said, did, and was, everything right in every circumstance. His words and His actions were in perfect harmony with His Fatherโs will; Love, which culminated in a singularly unique accomplishment.
Itโs not a matter of Him giving us grace for ourselves, but that when we believe โinโ Him we behave like Him. Itโs His grace.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it (grace) is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Jesus is the personification of grace, He is the gift of God from God.
What does it mean to believe โinโ Jesus? By simply asking the question of do we believe โinโ Jesus or โoutโ of Jesus we find the answer. Itโs not enough to just believe He existed. When we believe โoutโ of Jesus weโre walking in darkness. We must be willing to come out of the darkness of our disgrace and shame to walk in the Light of His grace, allowing the Fatherโs will be done on earth ๐กโ๐๐๐ข๐โ ๐ข๐ , just as Jesus did the will of His Father.
John 3:20-21 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.
When we are โinโ Him we are in His grace of the New and Everlasting Covenant. Itโs His grace that is the gift of God. Itโs not our efforts โworksโ that finished the covenant. It was His.
Mankind has now endured the rise and fall of empires, wars, adversity, and death. A new nation was formed by God through the faith of one man, Abraham. That nation was given Godโs Laws, a land to live in, and the Promise of a Redeemer.
Within that nation a young virgin is approached by an angel with a message that according to prophecy she would conceive by the Holy Spirit a child and His name would be called Immanuel, which translated means โGod with usโ. She consented.
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
This child from the Virgin is the only direct creation from God since the first man and woman. The Seed of the Woman. The Child was the only begotten Son of God.
The word โgospelโ is often said to be the โgood newsโ. Ok, so whatโs the news? The news was announced by angels to the shepherds watching their flocks by night: Luke 2:10-11 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Good tidings is the good news. The gospel is that God has given to us His Son. The Savior is born. Immanuel, God is with us.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Jesus began His ministry announcing His arrival: Mark 1:15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
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The Bible, ALL of it, is the Word of God. ALL of it is for our benefit. God’s Word finishes us as humans and makes us whole. God is the source of knowledge and revelation.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.
2 Peter 1:20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from oneโs own interpretation.
God exists in three eternal, individual personalities: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. Each is equally God. They are one essence, perfect harmony.
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.
2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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Jesus Christ is the central figure and person in human history.
Jesus is God in human form. His Hebrew name, Yeshua, means “He saves.”
Titus 2:13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…
John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
Jesus is eternal.
1 Peter 1:20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you.
John 17:24 Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
Jesus, born of a virgin
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (God with us).
Fulfilled in Matthew 1:22-23
Jesus is the “Good News”, the Gospel message.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…
Jesus is currently alive and at the right hand of God the Father.
Psalm 110:1 A Psalm of David. The Lord says to my Lord: โSit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.โ
1 Peter 3:22 Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to Him.
Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
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The church is not a physical building. The church is a body of believers in Jesus Christ.
Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. -Jesus
Romans 12:4-6a For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them:
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.
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All of humanity who has physically died, all of the bodies will ultimately be resurrected. The question is the destination.
Daniel 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
1 Corinthians 15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
Revelation 20:15 And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
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Pre Tribulation Rapture: At a designated point in time before the beginning of the seven year Tribulation or the Day of the Lord, the entire body of the church of Jesus Christ will be caught up into the clouds to meet Him in the air.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-5
1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 27:5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
The church will physically return to earth to rule and reign with Jesus Christ during the Millennial Kingdom.
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
2 Timothy 2:12If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He will also deny usโฆ
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for Godโs own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
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Believers can respectfully proclaim God’s truth and love people who disagree with or live outside of God’s laws and precepts.
Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus declared, โโLove the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.โ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: โLove your neighbor as yourself.โ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.โ
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: โYou shall love your neighbor as yourself.โ
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Human life is sacred from conception to its natural end. God is the Creator of life from before time.
Psalm 139:13-16 For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my motherโs womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.
Job 31:15 Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?
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God sovereignly and purposefully creates each person biologically male or biologically female.
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Matthew 19:4 Jesus answered, โHave you not read that from the beginning the Creator โmade them male and female,โ
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Marriage is between a biological man and a biological woman.
Mark 10:6-9 But from the beginning of creation, โGod made them male and female.โ โTherefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.โ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. -Jesus
Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
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Humanity has inherited a sin nature from the fall of Adam. We are all in need of forgiveness and redemption from our individual sins.
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned…
1 John 4:9-10 This is how Godโs love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
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Salvation is by Faith alone apart from works. One cannot work, earn, or buy their way into eternity with God. He will not accept the fallen individual’s effort or payment.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the Law.
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Satan is a real personality and angelic being.
Jesus personally encountered Satan in Matthew 4:1-11.
1 John 3:8 The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.
Zechariah 3:1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.
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Hell is a real physical place. No one in the Bible teaches more about Hell than Jesus.
Revelation 20:14-15 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Matthew 25:41 Then He will say to those on His left, โDepart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Isaiah 42:5 Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it…
As we celebrate this day of Thanksgiving, let us remember Who gave us life, that we are living, aware, breathing, and awake by the grace of God.
Life is not of ourselves. We are not responsible for our existence. God created.
By His grace, we are all here on this Earth, His creation, He created. God is beyond patient with how we steward His creation. He is beyond patient with how we as humanity treat each other, His children.
Job 34:13-14 If He should set His heart on it, If He should gather to Himself His Spirit and His breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust.
We have life and we should be thankful for our lives.
Romans 14:6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.
On this Thanksgiving, give thanks to the Lord. Because of Him, we have this opportunity called life.
Matthew 7:20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister, Australian Labor Party
Bad move in this hour. The Lord’s hand is in motion and I think the Labor Government in Canberra just signed it’s own job termination letter with this. Former PM Morrison’s folks had better be looking at getting the band back together. Do I write this because Yair Lapid is a wonderful and favored by God? That formulation would be simplistic and more bluntly, silly. I am not going to pronounce on Mr. Lapid’s faith (because I do not know his heart), but by Mr. Lapid’s fruit, Matthew 7:20 for the rest.
The government in Canberra, took the decision under PM Morrison to move the nation of Australia, closer to God’s design and agreement. Which means honoring the covenants God has formed. In the case of recognizing Jerusalem as the eternal capital, it was an affirmation of something plainly evident. It was making right an historical fact, that is apart from the covenantal imperative (the central issue).
Under the dispensation of grace, God will not want the people of Australia to suffer for the decision of it’s leadership especially in the urgency of this hour. Though we ARE in the dispensation of Grace, the dispensation of the law still applies in the conduct of mankind overall.
This period of history is one of an interim judgement.
To make an entire people accountable for the errant decision of it’s leadership, I cannot see the Lord permitting that for very long. The grace that the rest of us are extended (when we make a wicked or bad call) will be given to the Australian leadership. But how long it will remain extended is known strictly to Him.
Genesis 12:1-3 Now theย Lordย had said to Abram: โGet out of your country, from your family and from your fatherโs house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.โ
Deuteronomy 15:1-2 At the end of every seven years you shall grant a remission of debts. This is the manner of remission: every creditor shall release what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother, because the LORDโS remission has been proclaimed.
In todayโs world, the verses above are radical financial and economic concepts. All debt, regardless of size, is forgiven at the end of every seventh year. Imagine, a clean financial slate.
Think about how these verses would influence lending and borrowing practices. Larger loans would occur early in the seven year cycle. Debt structure would not look like it does today. The 30 year mortgage would be toast. Loans would likely be much smaller. Personal savings would be promoted. People would be more inclined to live within their means.
Think of all the debt and credit offering practices: home mortgages,ย carย loans, student loans, and creditย cardsย just to mention a few. Debt is oppressive and restrictive to freedom. Consider how each of the above would be financed or paid if debt was forgiven at the end of every seven years. Consider the change in personal spending habits.
Creditors would be more careful how they loaned their money. There would be less loaning of money. Creditors would likely make less irresponsible loans to customers who do not have the means to pay. If implemented today, debt bubbles would be a thing of the past. At the end of every seven years, everyone would be debt free. If debt payments remained at the end of the cycle, it would be forgiven. Poverty would likely be diminished significantly.
Responsibility would be increased on both the lender and the borrower. These practices would significantly cut into corporate banking profits and affect their stock prices. We likely would not see these behemoth corporate banks that dominate our economic landscape today.
Deuteronomy 23:19-20 You shall not charge interest to your countrymen: interest on money, food, or anything that may be loaned at interest. You may charge interest to a foreigner, but to your countrymen you shall not charge interest, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land which you are about to enter to possess.
Interest free lending would promote national unity and good will toward your fellow countryman. It is a matter of looking after your neighbor and brother. Financial collaboration would be an outcome. People would be more interested in the success of others.
God does not want us to take financial advantage of our fellow man. These loaning practices were built into society by God. He understands the capacity of greed demonstrated by humanity. Donโt shaft your neighbor.
These financial concepts are nowhere to be seen in todayโs economic world. Most people are not aware these statutes exist. Would our lives be economically easier if this were in place today? What a concept, it is a universal blessing from God if one loans interest free to their countryman.
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The ultimate example of Godโs release or remission is in His Son. Jesus forgives us of our debt, sin.
John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, โBehold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Our transgressions are forgiven as a matter of grace and mercy. Ephesians 1:7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.
He has paid our debt without charging us. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It is His payment that allows us to possess eternity in New Jerusalem (Revelation 21).
Why do we believe the words of those that hurt us, but canโt see what those thatย love usย see in ourselves?
If you think those that are hurting you love you, you need to understand that they donโt know how to love. Thatโs not love or truth. ย So many lack confidence in themselves because they only hear about the negative that some may see.
Focus on the good in others & build them up. Believe those that are building you up & try to see just a portion of what they see. Praise the positive you see in them. Give them confidence. Confidence is appealing.
Be confident in yourselfโฆ
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those that hear.
…I sat in a meeting listening to their plans to reach out to the community. At last I had a moment to speak. I asked, โWhat about the homeless, the addicts, and the prostitutes who exist outside here along this street?โ And thatโs where it began.
We started Brown Bag Fridays. We took sandwiches, sometimes burritos, and sometimes $1.00 double cheeseburgers. We would drive up and down the streets of the area and ask if they were hungry. Rarely did anyone say no! But in the rare event that they did say no, we would say, โYou can always save it for later,โ and they would take it.
We expanded, collecting coats and jackets and socks. We would go out on Christmas Eve and pass out goodie bags and food. On Thanksgiving, we would put together a hot Thanksgiving meal and drive up and down the streets, giving out hot meals.
This was my passion, my calling. I knew it. I knew in my heart that these folks needed us. They would at least eat when we came through.
I would often meet up with my friends, the people I had coexisted with on the streets. My journey on the streets, through all those years, gave me an understanding of their lifestyle. I could empathize with them and understand their needs. I had walked in their shoes and had survived. Now I was filling a need, helping these people to not feel invisible, the way I had all those years. How many times had I wished, even prayed, for someone to pull up beside me and hand me food, with no strings attached? How many times had I wished that someone would help me without preaching at me first, not turn me away for having no shoes? Now I had this huge passion for acceptance, to see those people accepted right where they were.
By this point I was totally blind, completely without sight. I heard her voice. It was her, my nemesis. On three different occasions with three different pimps, we had both worked for the same guy at the same time.
I thought, What will I do? I am blind. I canโt defend myself! My heart raced.
She called me, using my street name, โHey, Ellie! Iโm so glad to see you. Iโve been waiting for you. Iโm starved.โ
I handed her two sack lunches, and she said thanks. Then she hugged me and kissed my cheek, and said she loved me. She thanked me again.
This is what I had seen in my vision. Those were the words I had heard 17 months prior. The church, my church, was the very church where I had been invited in all those years ago, the only one of those three churches that never ran me off or made me feel unwelcome.
Again, seeing it all brought full circle as I look back through the years, I see that God was always preparing a place for me. God knew the journey I would take, and He knew how it would be used for His Glory.
No matter what your story, no matter what your past, God is preparing a place for you. He knows the journey you have taken and will take. He knows how it will be used for His glory.
Romans 8:28 โAnd we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.โ
My blindness proved this promise true in my life. My blindness taught me how God created us to work together as a whole for Him and His work. In no way do I see that as a punishment. I learned to see people without the clutter of visual judgment.
Faith believes in something you canโt see or touch. You just know that you know that you know that you know. Grace is getting what you donโt deserve, and mercy is not getting what you do deserve.
When I was sighted, I lived in such a deep darkness. No words can explain it fully. Today my life is full of light. Do I still have hurt? Yes. But God has taken every experience of my journeyโprostitution, addiction, prison time, abuse, violence, all of itโand restored me to such a place that I can now help others. Those very experiences provide me with a point of connection to those trapped in the middle of such lives and those on the other side. I get to help these individuals understand what their lives can truly look like.
God has used all of the trauma and the disparity to shape me in so many ways. He has given me a unique voice to lead others to see the underbelly of our society more clearly and help them find ways to better serve these individuals. He has used my experiences to break my heart for the kinds of things that break His. For that I am thankful.
I have invisible scars I will forever carry, but my God is so amazing that when those things are placed in His hands, He can provide healing, love, and restoration. He can change hearts and mend wounds and hurts. He is far better at it than I am. I mean, letโs look at the gravity of it for real.
God is the Creator of all, the King of the entire universe. If He can forgive my mistakes, if He can wipe my slate clean and see the good in me, if He is for me, then who can be against me? I canโt allow human beings who canโt see me as He sees me to inflict harm to my heart as I follow His path for me. After all, it was not a human being who kept me safe on the streets. It was not a human who recovered me from the hopelessness, disparity, and suffering. It was God. I couldnโt see that while in the middle of it all. But I see it now. He was there. He is why I survived.
Being blind has its challenges. I had to relearn everything I ever knew. However, what I knew was defective; it was broken. I mean, I lived in a park outdoors, digging in trash cans and urinating outside. I slept in dirt and washed with random water hoses as Iโd sneak into peopleโs backyards. So, I missed out on a lot of seeing stuffโlike what was in stores, or what โnormalโ things looked like. But take me to my old hood, and I have the visions engraved in my memory; just as my skin holds my scars, my mind holds my trauma.
Because of many of my experiences on this earth, I truly struggled with hope, love, trust, and faith. However, the loss of my sight is something I see as a tool to draw me closer to God and better understand Him. It helps bring me to a place to receive Him as the guiding eyes in my life.
So my blindness grew me. My blindness helped me see. It truly was a blessing. While it is something tragic to some, something others see as a punishment, to me, it is a gift. I am not saying that living without sight isnโt a challenge. It is a nuisance, for sure. But I have vision without sight. I know many sighted who have not learned to walk in faith, and I know many sighted who have neither vision of hope nor the ability to see. Frankly, it is a much greater travesty to live without the vision of hope than to live without physical sight.
