An Opportunity to Shine, Part 1

Ivver held out his hands, and groped for the world he knew to be in front of him. The rock building was smooth and hard to the touch. He was used to finding his way around the city based on the walls. He'd been doing it ever since he was a child. His forward foot snagged on something, and he started to loose his balance.

Strong arms caught him, and hefted him upright again. "Lookout, or bring someone into town with you!" The voice faded at the end of the man's reprimand, as he ran away.

He huffed. I know my way around the city! There was no breeze to soothe him today. The warmed sent of sand and wood was missing, leaving vacant a space for this anxious feeling in his soul.

He could hear something. The commotion of the city was louder than usual. Suddenly someone came running down the ally behind him. He tensed up, hoping they would steer out of the way.

"Lookout!" The man must have maneuvered by him in time. Instead of a hard impact, he felt the cool swish of air as he ran by him.

Ivver wanted to find out. He scooted as fast as he could, but the commotion seemed to be headed straight towards him. What he heard stopped him cold.

"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" The voice was curious, unfeeling, uncaring that the subject of his thoughtless question was within hearing distance.

Ivver felt his eyes fill with hot, burning tears. Maybe now he would finally find out the answer to his own question. Why me?

He stood there, facing the building's stone wall, waiting to hear the answer from this Rabbi. He felt like a kid again, left out of all the childhood games due to his blindness. What his parents never told him was that it would never get any easier. He would always be an outcast. He waited for the harsh words about his sins.

"It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him."

Ivver whirled around. What did that man say!  He couldn't believe his ears. He took blind steps towards the voice, desperate for more...

Based on John 9:1-3

How would you like to be that blind man? Can you imagine living back then, where most religious people assumed any affliction was punishment for sin? This poor man was just trying to survive, and live his life day by day. He probably was already bitter, constantly wondering, "Why me God? All my other brothers and sisters were perfectly healthy! Why did I have to born with this affliction? Couldn't you have spared me or healed me by now?"

Imagine that as your life, and then the religious people, everyday people, people who should care, judge you. They look down on you, and imagine that you are some horrible sinner.

When they ask Jesus that, Jesus says that it's not because of his sin or his parents sin, it's because God has chosen to showcase His glory through him.

Perspective, eh?

Why do we, those in the body of Christ, look down and judge others? Why do we, when faced with affliction and trials, feel like it is through fault of our own?

Sometimes everything we are facing is for the soul purpose of showing God's glory. This is a very important subject because we all have those things in our lives. Have we ever stopped in the midst of our affliction and wondered, "Could my heart attitude be a banner used for showing God? Could God use me to show His glory and healing power?"

God's plan for that blind man from the very beginning   from before he was even conceived in his mother's womb   was to heal him and use his testimony to help proclaim Jesus as Messiah.

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." Romans 8:18

How can we show the glory of God in our lives? How can it be displayed for all to see? You know your life, and the unfair things that it seems God has allowed to happen to you. It's an opportunity for God to shine, and He could just be waiting for the moment when He says, "It's time!"

"Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! 'For who has know the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?' 'Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?' For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen."

We won't always understand why God does the things that He does in this life. However, understand this: everything is an opportunity for God to shine, and He has picked you to shine for His glory from the very beginning.

V. Joy Palmer