At the very same time when I turned 30 and my
father 55, the retinal disease began to rob our eyesight.
In a matter of eighteen months, our vision
closed in completely, leaving us in darkness with no trace of shadows,
color...only a dark gray nothing.
My world crumbled...
...as the black curtain fell, destroying the
dreams my husband and I had for us and for our 3-, 5-, and 7-year-old
sons.
But when I turned to God for hope and
strength, He responded by opening my eyes to see a new revelation--the
insight my father had given me.
My father had not only passed on to me the
gene that caused my blindness, but also the example of living with
determination and tenacity.
Only a couple of decades prior, my family and
I lived in Bolivia, our native land. At that time, he defied the
family's opposition to move to America. Instead, he and Mom worked
non-stop to satisfy the requirements imposed by the U.S. Immigration
Department to enter the country legally and establish residency.
My father persevered. Once in the states, my
father overcame humiliation, intense loneliness, helplessness and
uncertainty. But determined to succeed, he got a job unloading trucks.
He endured ridicule because of his lack of fluency in English, but he
pressed on. And he managed to gather enough money for the basics--rent a
small apartment, buy modest furniture from thrift stores and put a down
payment on a car. Nine months later, he sent airline tickets for my mom,
my brother and me.
He demonstrated that humility is crucial to
success. My father is in the glory of heaven now. And this Father's Day
I celebrate the qualities that define his legacy. Like a baby takes its
first steps holding tight to his father's hand, my dad held onto God as
he stepped from the comfort of our hometown in Bolivia to the unknown in
a foreign land.
I did the same as I stepped into the
unfamiliarity of a sightless world. Holding onto God's hand, I gained
confidence and learned the language of appreciation.
Gratitude is what my heart sees. Thankfulness
for God's promise that when in the dark land of discouragement, in a
place unfamiliar, and when the path is unknown, His
Word shall always be: "...a lamp
for my feet, a light on my path."
(Psalm 119:105 NIV).
With that light shining the way, I celebrate
my heavenly Father's provision and my earthly father's perseverance.
Both allowed me to gaze at the beauty of life
when choosing to see through the eyeglasses of gratitude.
Let's Pray: Father, thank you for the lack
of physical sight that opened my spiritual eyes. Now I see my life
through the window of gratitude. In Jesus name.
What blinds you from living with gratitude?
Janet Eckles
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
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