Lessons Learned

Often in life, things occur that are difficult to understand. Everything is going along so smoothly. Then, out of nowhere...bam! It seems so random.

We are moved to ask why. Most of the time, the answer eludes us. We are faced with a choice at that point. We can either trust that God knows what He is doing and not lean on our own understanding or we can blame God and become angry and bitter.

In John's gospel, we read about someone who, along with his family, sought such answers. Someone who was born blind. (John 9:1-3) Turns out, there was a reason for it. Not a reason anyone would have ever dreamed. Just like almost everything God does, it was something no one saw coming, something completely unexpected.

This family had a special needs child. A blind son. And all the challenges that came with it. The son grew into manhood, an outcast. A man who was not even considered a man by the society he lived in. One can only imagine his day to day life in that time and culture. Then one day, Jesus and His disciples were walking by and saw him. I wonder what went through his mind when he heard what Jesus had to say about the reason he had been born blind: "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him." (John 9:3)


This is something that those of us who are believers in and followers of Christ Jesus should remember in times of trouble, or when we are blind sided by a tragic event. What is happening may not be about me. God may be using the circumstance to teach someone else, or to help someone else see hope in their own situation.

It is vitally important that we know what God is telling us in His word, and that we live out what we say we believe. That we rejoice in the Salvation of our God, and are sensitive to the leadership of His Holy Spirit. That we are always wearing our spiritual armor.(Ephesians 6:13-17)

We are given a promise. We will be ready for the curve ball. We will be able to withstand a direct hit and remain intact. (Philippians 4:4-7) Wear that armor, trust in the Lord, even when we can't make sense of what is happening. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.