Mark 8: The Blind Man. Sight Restored, Faith Strengthened Story

What a blessing it is to be able to see. The gift of sight is often neglected because we are accustomed to it. Most of us can process these words thanks to the vital sense of sight. Seeing allows us to experience life uniquely. I dare you to wear a blindfold for a few minutes while carrying on with your daily routine odds are you will be slower, more cautious, and significantly more stressed. The unknown is threatening, and the lack of our senses raises our anxiety levels to a new high, more so when our vision is hindered. 

New Year, New Me

Yesterday was the beginning of Advent, the beginning of a new liturgical year, which means we have four weeks to prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of the King of kings! Yesterday was also my one-week celebration of restoring my sight, and it has given me time to process the whole thing. 

Here’s the story: With a high prescription of myopia and astigmatism for over ten years, I was persuaded to get Lasik surgery and correct my vision. There were days when evil thoughts invaded my mind telling me it would be a greedy, selfish, and pointless choice. I continuously discerned if it was a good decision.

Greedy because I would be spending a significant amount on the procedure.

Selfish because I would be the only one benefiting from it.

Since vision declines with age, it would be pointless. 

Embracing the Blessing

Eventually, I realized that God had blessed me with a good job, and I’d been able to save up, and my mom reminded me that we take nothing with us when we die, so I might as well put it to good use. I prayed for healing from my poor sight, and while God is more than capable of performing miracles, He kept telling me in prayer to make use of the gifts He has granted other people.

During adoration, I realized God could use my procedure story to bring Him glory; that is far from selfish and pointless. 

I reached out to a doctor, and with the help of family members, I was set to get surgery! Long story short, God’s plan was better than I imagined. Through it, we got to reconnect with family and old friends, and most importantly, my faith in Christ’s power was magnified. 

Christ The King Sunday

My procedure was the Saturday before Christ the King Sunday. What a funny coincidence! In short, I’ve been discerning with the lovely Regnum Christi group, which has helped me grow in my relationship with Christ. There are so many stories that I hope to share, but for now, I will focus on the way Jesus spoke to me through the surgery. 

The only other time I’d had surgery done was when I was four years old. All I remember is that I felt sick right after and vomited. It wasn’t fun. But for this surgery, I had been able to pray about it long before, so I felt more than ready to step into that operating room. It helped that the doctor and the team were so calm and confident. 

I’ll take a break and let you read the passage from Mark replaying in my head during the procedure.

When they arrived at Bethsaida, they brought him a blind man and begged him to touch him. [Jesus] took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. Putting spittle on his eyes, He laid His hands on him and asked, “Do you see anything?” Looking up, he replied, “I see people looking like trees and walking.” Then He laid hands on his eyes a second time and saw clearly; his sight was restored, and he could see everything distinctly. 

Mark 8: 22-26

Anxiety Kicks In

The eye surgery I got was low risk, but there was still that fear of what if something goes wrong. I went to a room where the doctor’s assistant cleaned my eye area and put some numbing drops. The drops stung a lot, so I offered it up for more people to restore their sight and that my procedure would go well. The nurse began to clean my area with something that felt weird.

I could picture Jesus spreading the mixture on the eyes of the blind man. (Also, Jesus took the man outside the village, and I went out of town for the procedure!) It was then that the Bible passage above came alive. Minutes later, I was taken to the operating room, and the doctor put his God-given gifts to work. It was a weird sensation of not feeling pain while fully aware of everything happening, but my brain tried to react as if it should feel pain. 

Sight Restored

The procedure didn’t last long; the next thing I knew, I walked out to the recovery area. In my mind, I was still reliving the Bible passage, and I looked out the window where a giant billboard stood that, before the surgery, I could not read. Shockingly, I could see it slightly blurry. The doctor asked how I was and took me to my parents, but I could not believe my eyes! Even though I was extremely drowsy, I kept hearing a voice that said, “trust me.” 

Jesus has been with me all this time, and I am very grateful! He worked through my parents as they were very supportive and caring; through the rest of my family by helping me feel loved; through my doctor as he helped my vision improve! God was extra gracious since it’s been cloudy and rainy, so the sun did not hurt my eyes. I realize that since, as I write this, it’s very sunny, and my eyes sigh in relief behind sunglasses! 

So here we are a week later, and I continue to see God’s presence in new ways the more I think back on it. 

If you are considering getting LASIK, I invite you to pray about it. God will help you make it happen if it is His will! Have hope.

A Prayer for the Gift of Sight

Lord Jesus, 

Thank you for the gift of sight. Please help me grow closer to You in thanksgiving for all the beauty You bestow upon me through my eyesight. I pray for all those afflicted with visual impairments; help them to experience Your love and not fall into despair. May every person You gift the ability to restore sight in others uses it for Your glory. 

We ask this through Christ, Our Lord. Amen!