Psalm 121:5-8 (NIV)
5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is
your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by
night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch
over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and
forevermore.
The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the
attractive young woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps.
She paid the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the seats,
walked down the aisle and found the seat he'd told her was empty. Then she
settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against her
leg.
It had been a year since Susan, thirty-four, became
blind. Due to a medical misdiagnosis she had been rendered sightless, and she
was suddenly thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity.
Once a fiercely independent woman, Susan now felt condemned by this terrible
twist of fate to become a powerless, helpless burden on everyone around her.
"How could this have happened to me?" she would
plead, her heart knotted with anger. But no matter how much she cried or ranted
or prayed, she knew the painful truth her sight was never going to return. A
cloud of depression hung over Susan's once optimistic spirit. Just getting through
each day was an exercise in frustration and exhaustion. And all she had to
cling to was her husband Mark.
Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all
of his heart. When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair
and was determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed
to become independent again. Mark's military background had trained him well to
deal with sensitive situations, and yet he know this was the most difficult
battle he would ever face.
Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how
would she get there? She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to
get around the city by herself. Mark volunteered to drive her to work each day,
even though they worked at opposite ends of the city. At first, this comforted
Susan and fulfilled Mark's need to protect his sightless wife who was so
insecure about performing the slightest task.
Soon, however, Mark realized that this arrangement wasn't
working - it was hectic, and costly. Susan is going to have to start taking the
bus again, he admitted to himself. But just the thought of mentioning it to her
made him cringe. She was still so fragile, so angry. How would she react? Just
as Mark predicted, Susan was horrified at the idea of taking the bus again.
"I'm blind!" she responded bitterly. "How am I supposed to know
where I'm going? I feel like you're abandoning me."
Mark's heart broke to hear these words, but he knew what
had to be done. He promised Susan that each morning and evening he would ride
the bus with her, for as long as it took, until she got the hang of it. And
that is exactly what happened.
For two solid weeks, Mark, military uniform and all,
accompanied Susan to and from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her
other senses, specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to
adapt to her new environment. He helped her befriend the bus drivers who could
watch out for her, and save her a seat. He made her laugh, even on those
not-so-good days when she would trip exiting the bus, or drop her briefcase.
Each morning they made the journey together, and Mark
would take a cab back to his office. Although this routine was even more costly
and exhausting than the previous one, Mark knew it was only a matter of time
before Susan would be able to ride the bus on her own. He believed in her, in
the Susan he used to know before she'd lost her sight, who wasn't afraid of any
challenge and who would never, ever quit.
Finally, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip
on her own. Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms
around Mark, her temporary bus riding companion, her husband, and her best
friend. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his patience,
his love. She said good-bye, and for the first time, they went their separate
ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday... Each day on her own went
perfectly, and Susan had never felt better. She was doing it! She was going to
work all by herself!
On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual.
As she was paying for her fare to exit the bus, the driver said, "Boy, I
sure envy you." Susan wasn't sure if the driver was speaking to her or
not. After all, who on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled
just to find the courage to live for the past year? Curious, she asked the
driver, "Why do you say that you envy me?"
The driver responded, "It must feel so good to be
taken care of and protected like you are." Susan had no idea what the
driver was talking about, and asked again, "What do you mean?" The
driver answered, "You know, every morning for the past week, a fine
looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner
watching you when you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the street
safely and he watches you until you enter your office building. Then he blows
you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You are one lucky
lady."
Tears of happiness poured down Susan's cheeks. For
although she couldn't physically see him, she had always felt Mark's presence.
She was lucky, so lucky, for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight,
a gift she didn't need to see to believe - the gift of love that can bring
light where there had been darkness.
God watches over us in just the same way. We may not know
He is present. We may not be able to see His face, but He is there nonetheless!
Be blessed in this thought: "God Loves You - even when you are not
looking."
Dear Lord, thank You for watching over us, even when we aren't looking for You, You are there watching to make sure all is well. Help
us never forget to be thankful for all You do for us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.