This past week I have been reading about a blind man named Erik Weihenmayer. Erik was the first and only blind man to summit Mount Everest. He also completed his 7-year quest to climb the Seven Summits which are the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. At age 33 he was one of the youngest climbers to be added to the other 100 mountaineers who completed this task.I realized that Erik will do more than most adventurers will do in a lifetime without one of his major senses. There are many lessons to be learned from Erik. For me seeing is very important, without sight I could not read a map and without reading a map I could not often get to where I need to go. Sight enables me to read music and complete my job.
As Christians we are blessed with both physical and spiritual sight. Most, if not all of us, can see and/or have scene the goodness of the Lord in our lives. Yet, how many of us would say there was a time in our lives that we felt spiritually blind and could not see the hand of God. In that time did you make the decision to keep moving in spite of your blindness? Were you like Paul who chose to “press on towards the mark…” Phil. 3:14?
What inspires me about Erik Weihenmayer is that he put one foot in front of the other without seeing where he was going and ended up on top of Mt. Everest. Is that not what faith is about? Putting trust in something we cannot see. “Trust in the Lord with your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5,6) There are times that God asks us to follow blindly so that His will and purpose can be fulfilled in our lives. So walk blindly today and trust Him to lead you down paths of uncertainty. Put one foot in front of the other and see what spiritual Mount Everest you may climb.
