I recently met a blind man. His inability to see was the result of a brain tumor. When speaking with him about his circumstances, he began to cry quietly, yet almost uncontrollably. He kept repeating, “I am sad. I am very, very sad.”
“And I am very sorry,” was the only response I knew to say…. I mean, what DOES one say to a fairly young man who has recently lost his SIGHT?
Expecting him to tell me he was saddened over never being able to see his wife or children again, I was humbled when his response came. In fact, his response kind of kicked me in my gut.
“I am sad,” he said, “because my family back home in the Philipines is very, very poor, and since I became blind, I cannot send them money for food and to live.”
Wow! Wow, wow, wow!
To be living right in the middle of THESE circumstances, and to shed genuine tears of sadness because he was no longer able to provide some of life’s greatest, yet simplest necessities to his family, spoke VOLUMES about the man’s heart. I haven’t stopped thinking about him ever since. I keep thinking of what would run through MY head in those same circumstances? Who or what would I be worried about??? Oh, probably just ME.
Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
So often our concerns are only about ourselves.
- Who will be the next person to “bless” me?
- I “deserve,” or “am entitled to” (fill in the blank).
And sometimes, we think our own needs are so great, that not only should they be most important to US, but that they ought to be everyone else’s biggest concern as well.
More often than we’d like to admit, we really DO, even as adults, think that the world revolves around us. NEWS FLASH! (It doesn’t)!
I want to have a heart like this man. I want to be more concerned about others’ needs, because I know that OTHERS’ needs are what Christ wants MY heart to be concerned about. Besides, God not only already KNOWS what my needs are, He intends to MEET those needs. He always has, and He always will. So I don’t want to waste my time worrying about what God already has planned, and pass up the opportunity to be concerned with blessing someone ELSE, rather than waiting for the next blessing given to ME!
My heart is nowhere NEAR where I want it to be. I do MANY things out of selfish ambition and vain conceit.
But someday – SOME DAY, I’d like to have a heart like the blind man!
Edna, I feel like I need a notebook during all of our conversations. I so love spending time with you. You are very wise and sweet, and I am glad to call you my friend! xo
My friend’s home basement is a total loss due to the recent flood. Over the last several days, people have come in shifts to assist. These are: church friends, co-workers, volunteers who dropped what they were doing to see to the interest of another. We worked together, prayed together and ate together. A “picture of the body” coming together. I pray for ALL of the families in theses circumstances. I thank Him for a dry home, dry clothes, appliances that work, a dry operative car, warm water from the hot water tank, clean clothes and a comfortable bed.
As the hymn says, “Count your blessings…..count your many blessings….one by one”.