“And I will lead the blind
in a way that they know not,
in paths that they have not known
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I will do,
and I will not forsake them.”
Isaiah 42:16 (RSV)
I literally lived the words of this scripture a long time ago, when I was eighteen years old. It was the day that I took the El train, from my home on the north side to a clinic, in order to donate a pint of blood. For those readers who are not familiar with the Chicago area, the El train, stands for the “Elevated” train, the public transit system which runs high above ground level.
After donating a pint of blood, I felt perfectly fine and headed back to the El station. I climbed a long stairway up to the train platform, to catch a train back home. As I approached the top of the stairway, my vision suddenly became spotty.
It seemed that having one less pint of blood in my system, abnormally decreased the amount of blood flowing to the visual parts of my brain. My vision was quickly fading, yet I never lost consciousness or passed out. I walked onto the El platform, and as frightening as it was, I was completely blind. I didn’t ask anyone for help being too proud to make a scene or draw attention to myself.
At that moment, I heard the train coming, but could not see it at all. I walked totally blind, following the sound of where the train doors opened. I made it safely inside the train, by feeling my way along. Thankfully, I walked into the train and not under it or in front of it. I sat down and my vision started to return. It still surprises me that I never lost consciousness from the interruption of normal blood flow during those few minutes.
It’s just a brief example of the grace and goodness of God, who led me in my blindness, guided me to safety, and saved my life that day. If God saves a life, it’s for a reason, since we all have a purpose to fulfill.
God doesn’t merely save us “from” things, but “for” things.
He doesn’t just save us from death or Hell. If He saves us, it’s for the purpose of living in fellowship with Him, and to seek His guidance, and let Him light all the dark paths throughout our lives. God desires to have a personal relationship with us, so we can live our life in faith filled security and confidence, knowing He always has good plans for us.
However frightening or unfamiliar something is, Jesus promises that He will never leave us or forsake us. (Matthew 28:20)
I have only experienced a brief moment of what it feels like to be totally blind, but the way He guided me to safety in those few minutes, stayed with me long after that day. Now, whenever I have a problem or a crisis that feels like I’m walking blindly through it, I know that God is with me, guiding me and lighting my path every step of the way. He literally saved my life that day and I know that He will forever be my light in any darkness.
Lord, thank you for always being our light in all types of darkness, and for the way you continue to smooth the rough paths and guide our steps to level ground. Amen
