Faith & Sight

A while ago I was driving through our small university town, when I noticed a blind student walking on the sidewalk using his sensing stick to safely navigate along the street. I immediately whispered a short prayer thanking God for the wonderful gift of sight. I couldn’t imagine a life without seeing…but then again, maybe I could.

I’ve encountered numerous individuals with physical disabilities; it comes with the territory in my line of work. In my opinion, these folks are exceptional and more in touch with the world around them than the average human being. Scientists have told us for years how the body compensates for the lack of certain physical abilities. In this case, the blind have a unique ability to perceive the world and their surroundings by enhanced hearing; a sixth sense if you will.

While many of us are not physically blind, we’re all visually handicapped when it comes to life. Biblical scripture refers to it as walking by faith, and not by sight. As we journey through life, we do so not knowing the end results. We make educated guesses and take calculated risks, but in the end, it’s really a simple matter of faith. The question becomes, “what do we place our faith in?” There are those whose paradigm revolves around the objective matters of mathematics and science, and there are others whose worldview surrounds the subjective essence of the unseen. Still, most individuals walk through life trying to maintain a balance between the two.

Biblical scripture describes faith as the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. “  It lends credibility that while math and science have their merits, there is substance to believing and trusting in the intangible. When it comes to everyday living, there really is a sixth sense. Do you recognize it when you feel it – a sense of peace, a sense of concern, a sense of guilt, a sense of contentment…all an enhanced feature of an internal, spiritual compass with which we were created to compensate for our lack of sight. It simply makes the way more clear.

Are you going through a period of life where things aren’t clear or you can’t see the road ahead? Have those traditional navigational aids you have relied on for so many years finally failed you? Do you trust the still, small voice inside calling to you to differentiate the real from the illusion? We all have our blind spots, so pull out your sensing stick and trust the One who will faithfully guide you on the next leg of your journey.

©Copyright 2012 Scott Rhoades/Ivory Hill Studios