Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him; and when he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?" He replied, "Lord, please let me see." Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you." He immediately received his sight and followed him, giving glory to God. When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God. // Luke 18:40-43
I stood in the sterile, cold hallway, under the bright white lights and let my body lean against the stark white wall.
“Overwhelmed. I just feel overwhelmed,” I choked out into the phone as my nose tingled and the tears welled up. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, breathing in the smell that can only be described as “hospital.” If you have been there—you know that smell.
It was more than being overwhelmed, though; I felt alone. Utterly alone. The voice on the other line was too far away to be of any comfort. Jesus, where are You in all of this? As I opened my eyes, there was a man standing in front of me. He simply smiled, his chaplain badge inviting me not just to lean on him, but to tell him everything. I unloaded in a torrent of tears, finishing with, “I know the Lord will bring good from this, but it is hard.”
Suddenly, I wasn't alone. Not only was the kind chaplain there, but four stories below, and at the end of the hall, Jesus waited for me in the form of the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle. The following day I found Him, and as I knelt on the bare floor I let His warmth envelop me. Thank you, Lord, for letting me see You in the kindness of the chaplain and in the form of Your True Presence in the Blessed Sacrament.
Without eyes of faith, we are unable to see Him in our everyday life. Our blindness can be from grief, pain, sin, bitterness, disappointment, or a myriad of other afflictions. Simply calling out to Him in the dark gives Him the invitation to make His presence known. But we have to call out in faith: Lord, please let me see You.
Whatever you are struggling with, sister, you are not alone. Invite Wisdom to show you the places in your life that are blinding you from Truth. Call out to the Lord and ask Him to give you eyes of Faith so that you may see Him more clearly.
Dr. Mary Ruth Hackett is a writer, national speaker, and podcast host covering topics in psychology and faith. She holds a PhD in Educational Psychology and works at the important intersection of faith and developmental science, blending them in the original harmony God intended. Dr. Mary Ruth is the author of Daughter by Design: Discovering Your Identity as God's Beloved Daughter, and co-coauthor of Spiritual Discernment for Beginners: Learning to Hear God and Defeat the Lies of the Enemy. She is a contributing author to All She Had and our children’s devotional prayer book called Rise Up. Find out more about her here.
