I Want to See

In the world, there are people with disabilities that cannot be corrected. Many of these people live full lives learning to overcome their circumstances with grace and courage. Their lives have become inspiration for families, churches, and some thousands. People like Christopher Reeve, Joni Erikson-Tada, Helen Keller, Rick Hoyt, etc. to name a few. I respect these people as they have much to teach us with our more complete physical abilities. What they do is highlight that it is really we who have the disability.

We're the ones with disabilities that can be healed. The problem is for whatever reason we aren't. Maybe it's because we have become comfortable with our condition. Maybe it's because we believe that we are that way for a purpose, a reason. More than likely we stay the way we are because we'd rather not go through the difficult process of healing.

What kind of disabilities am I talking about? Well, you could probably name your own, but here are a few...


We are paralyzed...from doing that which can make a difference to those who need, from being generous and gracious. We'll work tirelessly for our own causes, but for someone else's forget it. We've become selfish and anodized. We often think, but when is it my turn.

We are possessed...not by demons, but by agendas. And if something doesn't go our way, we rant and rave and throw temper tantrums until we either get what we want or find ourselves on public display, humiliated. Too often, like children, we just keep throwing the tantrums to see if different results happen. (A definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.) What is important to us is not God's agenda, but ours. We ask not what God wants to bless and then do that, rather we decide what to do and ask God to bless that. Whether or not we realize it but our practice of prayer is, "Not your will, but mine be done."

We are blind...to the real needs of people around us. It's not that we cannot see at all, because we see ourselves all too well and what it is that keeps us satisfied, but we refuse to see that which can help those around us. We love our church just the way it is. It fits our needs. I have heard it said several times and it still floors me to hear it, that contemporary worship is not worship, it is not of God and that those who "worship" this way don't really matter. That the church should not cater to such people and in such ways. Yes, I have truly heard it in our church. And it saddens me that we are so blind...to the great need all around us.

A blind man was sitting outside of Jericho and called out to Jesus for mercy. When Jesus asked what he wanted he said, "Master, I want to see."

It was only in his boldness to ask and his humility to recognize his plight that he was granted his prayer. And he saw!

We need the courage to ask and the humility to see our own disability. For only when we cry out to Jesus, "I want to see!" will we be healed.

Peace ><>
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