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 needed 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 and 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."
Author unknown. If anyone has a proprietary interest in this story please
authenticate and I will be happy to credit, or remove, as the circumstances
dictate.
Send by Adams7745P@aol.com
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