Tracing His Face



From the moment I was able to read, history has always held a place in my heart. I loved reading about heroes and heroines of long ago who defeated odds and made great accomplishments and contributions to our world. I especially loved stories about people with disabilities and significant  challenges that they overcame. The story of Helen Keller always inspired me. Deaf and blind from birth, Helen had to choose to learn a way to cope with life and make necessary connections with her world. God brought a stubborn and determined teacher in her life, Anne Sullivan. Anne taught her how to communicate through sign language and touch, and later Helen learned to communicate with others through signing in peoples hands. 

Many of us will never experience being blind or losing one of our major senses,  but I know for a fact that as Christians we experience a special kind of blindness. Our sin and humanity tends to rob us of our sight of Jesus and His capability of miracles in our lives. This morning as I was writing to God in my journal, the following sentence flowed from my heart and through my finger tips:

" I seek your face...tracing it as a blind child would, feeling with my fingers the pattern and shape of your holiness and perfection."

Can you picture that? Can you picture a small, blind child sitting in the lap of his Father, carefully using all 10 of his fingers to trace every curve, soft and rough spot, nook and cranny, because he is unable to see Jesus with his physical sight? He can't see his smile, but he can feel the curve of his lips; he can't see how large, strong and capable His hands are, but he can feel their grip.

I can see myself in this child of my imagination. My sin, fears and anxieties make me blind to how beautiful, how capable, how strong and how powerful my God is. Through prayer and the Holy Spirit, my sight is restored. Not only is it restored, but I am reminded that my periods of blindness served a greater purpose. If I was not blind, would have I sought as hard to seek His face? If I was not blind, would I not have ever realized that I needed that sight, and that something was inherently wrong in my ability to live?

May the giver of vision restore your sight in His perfect timing. While you stumble in darkness, maybe you stumble on His grace; may you jump into your Fathers lap and trace His face. Once your sight is restored, may you go to your knees and praise your Lord. 

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