Saturday, March 11, 2017

I Was Blind, But Now I See



A strange thing happened to me two weeks ago. I had some minor eye surgery that left me banged up, bruised up, and bandaged. Luckily for me, my son Luke was there to drive me home from the appointment because I was bandaged up with an eye patch and could not see. I was temporarily blind for a few hours. And even without my sight, I still managed to make a cup of coffee. I could probably do that with one hand tied behind my back, too. LOL!

So there I was, sipping my coffee at the kitchen table, petting Jemma, feeling the sunshine on my face. It was boring, and yet at the same time, it was immensely peaceful. Nothing visually to distract me. No cell phones or tablets or magazines or television.

I was there, enjoying every sip of coffee, totally in the moment.

I couldn't help thinking about my Uncle Jim, who had been blind from childhood. He's one of the altar boys in the photo above.  Jim's blindness was a normal part of our family life. We played card games with braille cards. We served Jim plates of food, telling him that the turkey was at twelve o'clock, the mashed potatoes at 3, the stuffing at six, and the roll at 9. We helped him with his cane, and let him lead so that we wouldn't guide him straight into walls or door jambs.

Even today, when I hear a baseball game on the radio, it takes me right back to my childhood. Summertime, sitting on the front porch of Grandpa and Uncle Jim's house in north Toledo, drinking Vernor's from sweating glass bottles.

Just listening.

Simple, uncomplicated moments in time. I find myself craving more of those lately.

I can't help but think of what a visually distracting world we live in. It's as if the world screams "Look at me!" And oddly, the more we see, the more blind we become to everything else that really matters. Sometimes, I just need to close my eyes and shut it all out.

"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found. Was blind, but now I see."

Grace. My word to meditate on in 2017. I want to hear it. I need to hear it. I never want to be blind to it. Grace, sufficient for the moment.


I came home from Florida to this unexpected gift from my big sister, Tina. A very cool bracelet with the word "GRACE" stamped into the metal. A good reminder for what I have been given. A simple word to remind me of what really matters.

My Uncle Jim is numbered among the saints now. He was blind, but now he sees. All because of amazing grace.

Grace and peace to you, my cafe friends!





2 comments:

  1. Wow great post Mary Rose and came at a time I really needed it. I also grew up with an Uncle that faced physical challenges and it was just part of who we were. When my youngest niece was 6, I overheard one of her friends ask her "What was wrong with him" and Josi said "That's just Steve and there's nothing wrong with him. God just made him that way" I swear my heart grew 3 sizes that day!

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  2. I think those wonderful people in our lives just makes life all the richer, don't you? Love your sweet story! Thanks for sharing it!

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