The Sheer Sweetness of Stitched Eyes: Why I Marvel at God’s Chosen Blindness
Okay, so this might sound a little weird, even for me, but lately I’ve been dwelling on something and it’s actually been really… profound. It’s about blindness, not just physical blindness but, like, a spiritual kind too. And honestly, the more I think about it, the more I see God’s hand in it all. Don't get me wrong, blindness seems awful, right? But, the more I’ve reflected, the more I’ve realized it’s actually a beautiful metaphor for how we have to surrender to His wisdom. We have to trust He sees things we can’t.
I was reading through Judges recently, and I got stuck on the story of Samson. You know, the whole thing with him and Delilah. The Philistines capture him and, get this, “they seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza” (Judges 16:21). It’s brutal, no doubt about it. But then I started to think, what if this wasn’t just some awful, random act? What if this blindness, this inability to see the physical world, was actually a necessary step in Samson's journey? He was so focused on himself, his own strength, his own desires, that he became blind to God’s will. Maybe he had to lose his physical sight to finally see the truth. Maybe God had to make him vulnerable to finally make him useful.
And you know, it makes me think about my own life. I remember this time last year when I was dead set on getting that promotion at work. I was spending all my time trying to climb the corporate ladder, neglecting my family, my friends, even my relationship with God. I was *so* focused on what *I* wanted, what *I* thought was best, that I was completely blind to what I really needed – to slow down, to reconnect, to recenter. It wasn't until I completely missed my daughter's school play that I felt that sting of missing out and the blinders fell. It wasn't the promotion I needed at all. It was to be present. To really *see* my family. God, in his infinite wisdom, knew that, and I was too focused on my own “sight” to notice.
It’s like Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:14, “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” We can be so busy trying to figure things out with our own two eyes, with our own limited understanding, that we completely miss what God is trying to show us. Sometimes, He needs to take away our “sight,” our self-reliance, so we can truly see Him.
I even think about the times when I’ve been confused, totally lost in what I should do. I would pray for answers, but felt like I was in a fog. It’s like I couldn’t “see” my next step. But now I realize maybe that's the point. We’re not supposed to always have perfect clarity. We’re supposed to trust that even in the darkness, even when we can't see the path, God is guiding us. As it says in Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." This has become my go-to verse for when I feel lost and confused.
It's not easy, letting go of our own plans and ideas. But I think there’s a real sweetness in surrendering to God’s blindness, in trusting that even when we can't see, He can. It’s in these moments of perceived weakness that we often find our true strength, our true direction.
So yeah, it might sound strange to say, but I really do marvel at God's chosen blindness. It's a constant reminder to let go, trust, and see things from His perspective. It challenges me to examine how I see the world and how I might be blinding myself to His will in my own life. I hope you feel inspired to do the same.
So, what are areas in your life where you might need to embrace a kind of "blindness," trusting that God has a better view of things than you do?