Thinking Out Loud, Volume CDXXI

Although most of us students knew who he was, few of us actually knew his name. He was simply known as "The Blind Guy." He walked unassisted to all his classes, and we would marvel at just how well he maneuvered around that large campus using only his cane to guide him. He would continuously tap the sidewalk in front of him, then tap the dirt beside the sidewalk. He somehow had the campus pictured in his mind, though he had no idea how it actually looked. That leads me to make a seemingly ridiculous statement, but as you read what I have to say, you'll begin to understand what I mean. The statement is this: There are some things blind people can't see. One day a plumbing crew had dug a pit that went half way across and a couple feet left of the sidewalk. It was about four feet in diameter and three feet deep. They didn't block the walkway, because the right half was still usable, and the pit was clearly visible to anyone who came upon it....at least to those of us who could see. I was walking that way, and The Blind Guy was a good fifty feet ahead of me. For some reason he didn't detect the hole with his cane, and he fell in. The fall caused him to drop the cane, but he immediately felt around until he located it; then he got himself out of the hole. However, although he was back on his feet again and on level ground, the fall caused him to become disoriented, and he was completely lost with no idea which direction to go. Thankfully, another student was right behind him when it happened, and she took his hand and led him to his class. The hole he fell into was what is known as a "pitfall." Blind people can't see pitfalls. Have you ever known anyone who may have had perfect eyesight, yet they were so blinded by lust, greed, anger, or hatred they could not see the pitfalls in their paths? Maybe you could even admit you have at times been in that situation yourself. It's usually easy for us who are looking on from the outside to foresee what lies ahead for those individuals, yet in most cases if we try to warn them, they become resentful and tell us they know exactly what they're doing. I know of one situation where a young lady has turned her back on her husband and even her own kids to pursue whom she believes is the man of her dreams. There's more to this story, so let me just say it's a situation that can't have a happy ending, yet the only thing her friends can do now is look on helplessly as she blindly rushes toward the pitfall and the crash that's sure to follow. When she hits bottom, it will not be pretty, but she is so blinded by lust she can't see what's about to happen. Her friends and family who have tried to warn her where she is heading can't help but feel anger at her at this point. The trouble is, although she has good eyesight, in some ways she is blind, and there are some things blind people can't see. So what will happen when she crashes? Should her friends scold her and say "I told you so?" No. She already knows what she was told. Do they say, "You made your bed, now you can lie in it?" Not if they want to help her. I believe someone needs to tactfully, gently let her know when the day comes that she hits bottom and her whole world comes crashing in around her, they will be there for her to take her hand and lovingly guide her back to the right path again. Do you remember the student I told you about who took The Blind Guy's hand and led him to the point where he could make it on his own again? Hopefully there will be someone like her, waiting, not to condemn, but to help. I'm in the process of reading a great book called "Love Does" by Bob Goff, and it's reminding me there are some things love does, and some things love doesn't do. Love does NOT judge nor condemn, but love DOES treat the way it would want to be treated in a similar situation Love understands there are some things blind people can't see. Love loves. Preston