DO YOU EVER THINK ABOUT THE "AHA" MOMENTS
THAT YOU HAD AS A KID?
LIKE SOMETHING SOMEONE TOLD YOU
THAT CHANGED HOW YOU SAW THE WORLD?
I HAVE A FEW OF THOSE,
BUT ONE THAT HAS REALLY COME TO MY MIND A LOT LATELY
WAS WHEN I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
SO I'LL BACK UP A LITTLE BIT.
I LOST MY EYESIGHT WHEN I WAS THREE
BECAUSE OF A SURGERY THAT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL.
I WENT IN THINKING THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE
TO STABILIZE MY VISION,
AND TURNS OUT THEY TOOK IT ALL AWAY.
BUT I LIVED A SUPER ORDINARY KID LIFE.
I CLIMBED TREES AND RODE MY BIKE.
BLESS OUR POOR NEIGHBORS' HEARTS. THEY WERE JUST ALWAYS
TERRIFIED OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO GET INTO,
BUT I LOVED IT. AND I DIDN'T ACTUALLY KNOW
I WAS DIFFERENT UNTIL I GOT TO SCHOOL.
AND THEN I STARTED TO UNDERSTAND
THAT THERE WAS ACTUALLY A PROBLEM,
AND IT WASN'T THAT I COULDN'T SEE.
IT WAS THAT I WAS DIFFERENT,
AND BEING DIFFERENT MEANT YOU DIDN'T REALLY BELONG.
AND I REMEMBER THAT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL
THINGS GOT REALLY TOUGH.
DON'T THEY FOR ALL OF US IN MIDDLE SCHOOL?
BUT THERE WAS CONSTANT BULLYING FOR ME,
LOTS OF NAME CALLING, KIDS STEALING MY LUNCH,
MAKING FUN OF ME LIKE I WASN'T THERE,
YOU KNOW, ALL THE THINGS.
AND ONE DAY I CAME HOME FROM SCHOOL
AFTER A REALLY RIDICULOUS DAY OF BULLYING.
AND I DIDN'T SAY MUCH ABOUT IT,
BUT MY MOM HAD THAT MOM SIXTH SENSE ABOUT IT.
SHE REALIZED THINGS WEREN'T GOING WELL.
AND I'LL NEVER FORGET WHAT SHE SAID TO ME THAT DAY.
SHE SAID, "YOU KNOW, GINNY,
"YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT JESUS IS YOUR BEST FRIEND,
"BUT THERE'RE GOING TO BE SOME DAYS
"WHEN IT FEELS LIKE HE'S YOUR ONLY FRIEND.
"MAYBE HE IS YOUR ONLY FRIEND,
"BUT YOU CAN ALWAYS TRUST HIM AND TELL HIM EVERYTHING
"BECAUSE REMEMBER,
"HE'S WALKED THROUGH THE DEEPEST DARKNESS FOR YOU."
AND EVEN THOUGH IN THAT MOMENT, AS A KID,
I JUST THOUGHT, "THAT'S GREAT MOM,
"BUT I REALLY WANT MORE FRIENDS.
"THAT'S WHAT I CARE ABOUT RIGHT NOW."
HER WORDS HAVE STUCK WITH ME ALL THIS TIME
BECAUSE EVEN THEN I KNEW
JESUS ISN'T JUST SOME GOD OUT THERE SOMEWHERE.
HE IS GOD WITH US.
HE WANTS TO BE OUR CLOSEST AND DEEPEST FRIEND
AND THE ONE THAT WE TELL EVERYTHING TO.
AND AS A BLIND PERSON,
YOU KNOW, EVEN AS AN ADULT, THERE IS ADVERSITY.
I HAVE TO WORK WITH THAT MOST OF THE TIME.
THANK GOODNESS IT'S NOT BULLYING ANYMORE,
BUT IT'S BEING LEFT OUT OR
DISMISSED BY OTHER PEOPLE JUST BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE.
BUT WE ALL HAVE STUFF LIKE THAT, RIGHT?
AND WHAT I'VE BEEN FINDING IS THERE IS SO MUCH STRENGTH
IN GOING TO JESUS WITH ALL OF MY PAIN AND FRUSTRATION,
AND ASKING HIM WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT IT.
I KNOW THAT HE KNOWS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE ALONE,
AND MISUNDERSTOOD, AND EVEN REJECTED.
AND WHAT I LOVE SO MUCH IS
THAT WHEN I BRING MY SUFFERING TO HIM,
NOT ONLY DOES HE CARRY IT,
BUT HE ACTUALLY WORKS IN IT.
SO INVITING JESUS INTO OUR PAIN ACTUALLY CHANGES US.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE VERSES WHERE HE TALKS ABOUT THIS
IS JOHN 15:5. AND IT SAYS,
"I AM THE VINE. YOU ARE THE BRANCHES.
"THE ONE WHO REMAINS IN ME AND I IN HIM
"PRODUCES MUCH FRUIT BECAUSE YOU CAN DO NOTHING WITHOUT ME."
I LOVE THIS VERSE BECAUSE I'M BLOWN AWAY THAT
JESUS WANTS TO BE IN DEEPEST FRIENDSHIP WITH ME.
AND I'M LEARNING THAT OUR FRIENDSHIP GROWS
AS I PRAY TO HIM THROUGHOUT MY DAY.
AS I LISTEN TO HIS WORDS IN SCRIPTURE,
I FIND THAT I'M ACTUALLY CHANGING.
I WANT TO SEE THINGS THE WAY THAT HE SEES THEM.
I WANT AND CARE ABOUT THE THINGS THAT HE CARES ABOUT.
THE THING THAT IS COMPLETELY BEAUTIFUL AND UNIQUE,
I THINK, ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS
WE HAVE A GOD WHO WANTS TO BE WITH US,
NOT JUST FOREVER, BUT ALL DAY, EVERY DAY.
HE WANTS TO BE ATTACHED TO US
LIKE A TREE IS ATTACHED TO ITS BRANCHES.
ISN'T THAT AMAZING?
THAT IS THE LOVE OF OUR JESUS
AND I LOVE IT.
AND I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY
TO JUST SEE WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO GO TO HIM WITH YOUR PAIN,
ABIDE IN HIM, AND SPEND SOME TIME WITH THIS VERSE.