Y'all,
I got this from a lady on the Missionette
Lists. I apologize for those who will recive it twice.
---
GreenHorn(Phase 2)
Royal Ranger Leader May 96
Heaven Bound
Saved Sinc March 94
Sheila J Findley wrote:
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
neded 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 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."
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