Never-Ending Thanks

“It is not that the man or his parents sinned,” Jesus answered: “he was born blind so that God’s power might be displayed in curing him.” John 9: 3-4

It is November again. It is the time of year that we as Christians pay special attention to thanking Our Lord for our many blessings. In my case, it is the time of year I give thanks to God for one special blessing.

In 2010, I had 4 eye surgeries which restored my eyesight to 20/40. (In case you didn’t know, it is the level of sight needed to obtain a drivers’ license). I had a progressive eye disease that was slowly but surely robbing me of my vision. 

Back then, as a senior citizen, widowed and living alone in a two-story house, the prospect of going blind was frightening to say the least. How would I ever manage to carry on?  Then I saw an eye surgeon who was helping people who had this same eye disease. The surgery is a process of transplanting healthy donor eye tissue on the patient’s eyes.    

The surgeries weren’t painful but they were very emotional. I had to wait for two donors to die whose eye tissue was compatible with mine. Wow! Christians can’t selfishly pray for someone to die to save their sight. It is a very sobering thought praying for restored vision.

Jesus was there with Our Father when He created man from dust so to Jesus that mud he placed on the blind man’s eyes was the very substance of man - tissue on tissue - just like my therapy. It was as Jesus said, “God’s power displayed.”

So, every November, for the last 12 years, I read the blind man’s story in John 9:1-12 and I thank both the Father and the Son for my restored vision.   

Is there something special for which you need to thank God? 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, there are just no words to adequately praise You for the many ways you answer our fervent prayers when we find ourselves in dire straits and in need, but we are truly grateful for each and every blessing. Our thanks to You will never end. In Your Son, Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

Judy Welch