By Dr. Rebekah McCloud

I have been having problems sleeping. I sleep better in total darkness. However, there are some extremely annoying light sources that have disturbed my peace. The culprits include the frequent flicker of my cell phone, the constant digital display of my cable box and the occasional bursts of light from my neighbors’ flood lights. The doctor recommended that I wear a sleep mask. I found a heavy-duty, total black out mask.

I put it on and the first night, it was great; I slept well, better than I had in months. It was gooder than good. However, the next morning I woke up blind. I immediately started to talk to the Lord. “Oh, Lord, what is this? I went to bed sighted and woke up blind. How will I be able to take care of myself? How will I be able to take care of Momma? What do you have for me in this season? What am I supposed to learn or teach? I know all things are done according to your will. Lord, I need your help. I need an extra portion of your favor and your grace.”

I reached up to wipe away a tear that had started rolling down my cheek and touched the sleep mask. I couldn’t do anything but laugh. I pulled it off, blind, but now I see!  A little poem comes to mind.

Oh, what a happy soul I am,
although I cannot see!
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be.

How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don’t,
To weep and sigh because I’m blind
I cannot, and I won’t!

The author, Fanny Crosby, was blind. She wrote more than 9,000 hymns including the popular “Blessed Assurance,” “To God Be the Glory,” “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior,” and “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross.” She was blind, yet still dedicated her life to serving and praising God.

I’ve thought of my “blind” moment many times. I’ve asked myself, do I really see. Have I devoted my life to serving God? Which of the roles, tasks, jobs or duties assigned to me, have I turned a blind eye to? I was convicted in my spirit, to open both eyes—widely—to see and to do better. Have any of you ever had any blind moments in your life?

For the sake of argument, let’s agree that to see partially, or as the Bible says, to “see through a glass, darkly” is a form a blindness. We either see totally or we don’t. Amen.

Sometimes, as older women, we turn a blind eye to our duty to the younger ones. Titus 2:3-5 says, “Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.” Amen.

Sometimes, as older men, we turn a blind eye to our duty to the younger ones. Titus 2: 1, 6-8 says, “Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness… Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” Amen.

Now, so we don’t “see through a glass, darkly” let me point out that older is age 50 and above. When you turn 50, AARP sends out the red card and says welcome to our senior family! I know the media says 50 is the new 30; don’t believe the hype; 50 is older. The Bible promises us three score and ten, that’s 70. Psalm 90:10 says, “70 or 80, if our strength endures.” Either way, if we do the math, at 50 we are more than half of the way to the promise. We are the older ones. Amen.

Women and men, of any age, let’s open our eyes widely. There are generations behind us that need us. Let’s stop talking about generations X, Y and Z and let’s start doing something. They need our help, our guidance, our prayers, our modeling, our mentoring, our intersession, our support, our example and our touch. They are our future. They need to know the word of God, how to hide the word in their hearts, how to act upon the word, and how to live a victorious Christian life. That’s our assignment. Amen.

Sometimes we turn a blind eye to our duty as stewards to give our time, talent, money, and resources in service to God. Proverbs 3:9-10, in part says, “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the first fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing…” Grace, we know what we are supposed to do. Enough said. Amen.

Sometimes we turn a blind eye to our duty to the poor. We won’t even make eye contact with the beggars on the side of the road. We say get a job or make a judgement that they are going to take our money to get drunk or high. Psalm 41:1 says, “How blessed is he who considers the helpless; The LORD will deliver him in a day of trouble.”

Sometimes we turn a blind eye to… you fill in the blank. Grace, there’s so much work for us to do in our church, in our community, in our state and in our world. There are so many ways we can use our time, talent, money and resources. Let’s ask God for his guidance, let’s ask him to order our steps and let’s put our hands to the plow. If not us, who? We are kingdom people, so I believe, declare and decree that the Lord will mightily bless our efforts. Amen.