To be told that your child is or will be blind is devastating for any parent. I know this from personal experience as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI). There was nothing harder in my role as a TVI than to help parents and families navigate this diagnosis. It is such a pivotal time in their lives with an unknown future. Even when I did my best to assure them that their child could live a life full of joy, the grieving process for the loss of dreams for their child had begun. Many anxious thoughts arose, and it was hard for them to move forward, so I had to meet them, with grace, where they were and help guide them through grief to more understanding.

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Jesus met people where they were and did so much more! In this verse alone we read that He restored sight to the blind, made crippled people walk, healed skin diseases, restored hearing to the deaf, restored life to the dead, and preached the gospel to many! Imagine the joy and awe in the hearts of those who received and witnessed these miracles!  

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The key phrases in this verse carry profound meanings that resonate in both the physical and spiritual aspects of our lives. “The blind see” symbolizes the enlightenment Jesus brings to those in physical and spiritual darkness! Similarly, “the lame walk” denotes not only physical restoration but also the ability to move forward in life. Going beyond physical cleansing, “the lepers are cleansed” represents the purification and acceptance of individuals who had been socially isolated. “The deaf hear” symbolizes hearing sounds again along with hearing and understanding the Bible. “The dead are raised up” emphasizes Jesus’ authority over life and death in offering eternal life to all who believe in Him. The final phrase, “the poor have the gospel preached to them”, reveals Jesus’ mission to rescue and restore lives from sin. There are profound meanings in this verse! Without Jesus, we are all blind, lame, dirty, deaf, and dead, but through faith in Him we are healed and restored!

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In my TVI role, I could offer hope to students and families by teaching visually impaired students to read Braille, use technology to read print, explore tactile models, implement organization, and so many other skills, but I couldn’t restore their sight! However, these skills did give them the ability to see the world in a different way and to live successfully in a sighted world. Eventually the families grasped more understanding about being blind in a sighted world and remembered the dreams they had for their child. Even though I witnessed these transformations in my students and families, I can only imagine how a blind person felt after Jesus restored their sight! I wonder if it is like when the Holy Spirit fills a person and the light of Jesus shines brightly as their spiritual relationship with Jesus grows and deepens.

Does the light of Jesus shine brightly in you, spreading to others to help them see and believe? It challenges us to think about how we can invest in others through our actions and interactions to bring light, healing, and restoration. Acts of kindness, compassion, and love can steer others to wholeness. What investments can you make in others to point them toward healing and wholeness in Jesus?

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Today, the light in your life may seem dim, but it’s still there, ready to lead you to hope, light, and restoration through Jesus. No matter what darkness you find yourself in, His light is there waiting!  

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In this season of darkness in Alaska, I am praying that your heart is full of His light. Please seek help from other believers around you, or even from Hope for Alaska, if His light needs to be restored and brightened in your life.