God Is Good When Life Is Hard
“‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned,’ said Jesus, ‘but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in his life.’” John 9:3
Hannah’s feet dangled from the chair as she leaned toward the eye chart on the wall. Silence. The technician asked me if Hannah knew her letters, then asked her again to read line six. Still nothing.
The tech touched a pointer to the first letter in the line, “Can you see this letter? Do you know what letter this is?”
Hannah answered, “E,” and the tech pointed to the next letter, “D”. When she pointed to the third letter Hannah’s face filled with a smile, “Oh, you want me to tell you the letters!”
Hannah thought she was supposed to read the line as a word, and couldn’t figure it out. Her problem wasn’t her sight, but her misperception of the task. Her sight problem lasted a moment compared to a man in John chapter 9 who’d been born blind. He assumed his blindness was the result of his, or his parent’s, wrongdoing, but Jesus revealed something else.
This man’s story changed the day he was healed. However, the disciples were baffled when Jesus said he was born blind in order to show the works of God.
I wonder, if this man’s condition was to show the goodness and power of God, what does that say about our suffering? Hannah’s sight was fine, but she was born with physical challenges that led to chronic illness, which sometimes causes anxiety.
While a senior in high school, she shared with teens and parents how she combatted anxiety. Each time she gave a speech, many people thanked her for her transparency and insights, then shared their stories with her.
Hannah could have stayed quiet and harbored resentment, but she continues to encourage others.
The man in the Bible could have been bitter about being born blind, instead, he gained spiritual sight along with physical healing. Ask God today for help to gain spiritual sight so you can move forward during your suffering.
We display God’s good works by allowing Him to take the hard circumstances in our life, let them mature us, then help others.
Would you ask God today for help with gaining spiritual sight?
Jennifer Henn, a member of the Wholly Loved Ministry team, homeschooled for nineteen years. She speaks and writes about her experiences from preschool through high school. Discouraged by the trend of homeschoolers to label themselves to one teaching method, she shares a balanced approach. She teaches how you can teach your children at home, while enjoying the freedom to explore their individual interests. Her first book, Take the Mystery Out of Homeschooling: A How-To Guide, takes parents incrementally through the basics of homeschooling and offers practical advice so they can make informed decisions.
Visit her online at JenniferHenn.com
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Originally published Tuesday, 13 August 2024.
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