But I Cant See Where I'm Going

I

t is one thing to know what the Scriptures say; it is another to see them lived out in the lives of people around us.  One particular afternoon brought one of those rare occasions when the meaning of the Bible was brought into sharp focus.

I exited the building in the late afternoon as I do every time I leave the university.  Our building is about a ten-minute walk from the parking lot and there is always a sea of people scurrying around campus on their way to class, from class, headed for the library, or going to the ever-popular students’ center with its cafes, recreational rooms, and TV lounges.  That afternoon was a little unusual, however, on at least two fronts.  One, there didn’t seem to be that many people clogging up the sidewalks; and two I encountered a gentleman who taught me a great lesson even though we didn’t speak and he wasn’t aware I saw him.

This man was standing on the corner, looking at the traffic whizzing past him.  There are always cars on campus and this afternoon, despite the smaller number of walkers, was no different.  I really took no notice of this man standing guard over his corner until I walked closer to him.  It was then I noticed the large cane he held in his hands.  The man took no notice of my approach because he couldn’t—he was blind!

I crossed the street on my way to the car but couldn’t shake the image of the man with the cane.  He lives his entire life in darkness, never seeing the beauty of the sunrise, not knowing the trees change color during this time of the year, and being unable to see the smiling faces of people walking on campus.  Yet, there he stood on a corner waiting for traffic to die down so he could cross the street and continue on his way.

Every step he takes is a step of faith.  His faith rests in his senses, in his cane, and in the knowledge that as long as he has those two things, he can and will continue to move forward in life.  Not a bad lesson in faith is it?  We Christians talk about faith a lot but when it comes right down to it, we want to see where it is we are going.  We want God to draw us a map for the road ahead and to label carefully and clearly where all the pitfalls, hardships, potholes, and rough places will be.  As long as we can see what’s coming we have no problem talking about how we walk by faith. 

But the type of walk with the map I’ve just described is a walk by sight not by faith.  In 2 Corinthians 5:7, Paul has this to say about our walk with the Lord, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”  Small verse, big message!  In these eight words, Paul makes it clear that nothing about our walk with the Lord involves a detailed map. In fact, Paul never mentions “seeing” anything at all.  He understands that as long as we “see” what lies ahead, we put faith in our own abilities and that always leads to trouble.

The cold hard fact of the matter is that we don’t have an option when it comes to walking with God.  We either believe and trust that God is who he says he is and that he in fact will do what he says he will do or we don’t believe that—it’s that simple!  The man on the corner crossed the street, trusting in his cane and his heightened sense of hearing to safely land him on the other side.  The cane was his contact with his surroundings and his ears alerted him to the dangers and pitfalls around him.

As God’s children we need to hold on to him with all our might. He and he alone is our contact through life.  By holding on to him we have the assurance that no pitfalls, no challenges, no unforeseen circumstances, (and they are all unforeseen folks) will prevent us from living the life God has called us to.  Our spiritual ears must remain attuned to his voice, knowing he will alert us to the dangers around us and will call to us when we wander and stray from him.

What a lesson I learned that day. I found myself thinking about that man all afternoon, all evening, and when I woke the next morning, his image was still etched on my mind.  He would tell us today to keep moving, to put one foot in front of the other, not to be afraid but to step out.  As long as we maintain contact and listen the darkness is no threat and not obstacle.  Are you walking today even when you can’t see where you are going?  I hope you are!  It’s the only way to go!