That I Might See

By Kari Diane Pike

I came across a video posted by a friend on Face Book that blew me away.  A blind man sits on a piece of cardboard in a busy city square. Next to him is a hand written, cardboard sign. It says, "I'm blind. Please help." Once in awhile, a passerby will toss a coin or two at him. They don't even stop long enough to make sure the coins make it into the man's can. Eventually, a young woman stops in front of the blind man. She doesn't say anything. He reaches out and touches her shoes to try to identify her. She picks up his tattered sign, turns it over, and writes on it. Then she places the sign back next to the blind man and walks away without saying a word.

Now it seems that everyone who walks by the blind man tosses coins into his can. You can see the wonder and amazement on his face. Some time later, the young woman returns. Once again, she stands silently in front of the blind man. He reaches out and touches her shoes, as he did the first time she stopped. He recognizes who she is and asks, "What did you do to my sign?"

The young woman answers, "I wrote the same, but different words."

The blind man thanks the young woman, and as she walks away, the camera pans over to the sign which now says,

 "It's a beautiful day and I can't see it."

The very end of the video reads "Change your words. Change your world."

I could go on so many tangents dissecting the messages in that video! I searched scriptures on blind, blindness, and sight. And then there are words like enlighten, behold, callousness, obscurity, etc. I'll save you from a long discourse and just share a couple of quick thoughts that came to me as I studied.

The opposite of "blind" is "to see." Different ways to "see" include:

• discover
• understand or perceive with the mind
•  to look at from a different perspective
• to imagine as a possibility
• to perceive with the eye

Doctrine and Covenants 123:12 teaches that many are kept from the truth "because they know not where to find it."  But there are answers all around me, if I will but open my eyes and my heart to them.

Isaiah prophesied that part of the Savior's mission included "recovering of sight to the blind" (Luke 4: 16-20). The Savior healed the blind as a way of showing His power to help me overcome spiritual blindness and "see" spiritual truths. When I murmur or complain about having to experience this or that, I am showing that I am blind to the purpose of the challenge. Just like Laman or Lemuel, I often don't understand the mind of the Lord. I need to open my spiritual eyes and recognize the Lord's hand in all things.

I know the Lord continues to help open our eyes. I have witnessed through the power of prayer how the Lord will send His Holy Spirit and awaken us to new perspectives. As a teenager, I struggled to communicate with my new step-father. Most of the time, it was my own short sightedness and pride. Sometimes it was more a matter of different perspectives of what really happened. Without boring you with details, I remember pouring my heart out to my Bishop one night as he took me home from babysitting his young children. When he stopped the car, he looked me in the eye and asked, "Have you prayed about this? Have you asked Heavenly Father to help you and your dad? I think you will find that as you ask the Lord for help, things will get better." I don't even remember the specifics of the problem, but I do remember that I prayed a good portion of the rest of the night. And I remember that the very next morning, my step-father's perspective had shifted 180 degrees. The Spirit testified to me that my dad not only heard, but heeded the message he was sent. His eyes, and mine, had been opened to great love and truth.

I love the scripture in Isaiah 11: 3-4 (2 Nephi 21: 3-4) where we learn that the Savior "shall not judge after the sight of His eyes...but with righteousness." The Lord  knows the intent and desires of my heart. He doesn't judge based on the way I appear, but on who I really am.

As someone who has made covenants at baptism to "always remember Him," I have the responsibility to open my eyes to the needs of others around me. I want to see others the way the Savior sees them, with love and kindness and a desire to uplift and enlighten.

I love Rob Gardner's "Lamb of God." In that production, Martha sings a song called "Make Me Whole." Here are the lyrics...but go listen to it, too. While you're at it...listen to the whole production. It opened my eyes, and I know it will touch your heart.

Yea, Lord: I believe that Thou art the Christ, which should come,
The Son of God,
But I do not understand…
Touch my eyes and bid them see
That my gaze might pierce the veil,
And behold the wondrous scene
That, in dreams, I’ve long beheld.
Oh, touch my heart and bid it know
That ev’ry sorrow here
Is but a moment’s tear,
And Thou wilt make me whole again.
Touch my ears and bid them hear
All the glory of Thy truth,
That my hope might come of faith
And no more require proof.
Oh, touch my heart and bid it know
That, while in darkness here,
The Light is ever near,
And Thou wilt make me whole again.
Then touch my lips and bid them sing
Songs of everlasting praise,
That my soul might then believe
And give thanks through all my days!
Oh touch my heart and bid it know
That ev’ry breath I take
Is by Thy tender grace,
And Thou wilt make me whole,
And Thou wilt make me whole,
Oh, Thou wilt make me whole again.

As writers, let's get out there and use our words to change the world!



hugs~