Walking By Faith

BY: Betty Predmore

There are some moments in life that are just so sweet they bring you to tears. I had the joy of experiencing one such moment about a week ago with my eldest daughter.

There we were again….another appointment with the eye specialist. My poor daughter’s vision had diminished so much at this point, that she was lucky to read the top letter in the eye chart. (That is 20/400 vision for those that might not know.). But this visit held hope. A contact in the eye was supposed to restore some of the lost vision brought on by Grave’s Disease which resulted in keratoconus. So there we were, getting fitted for the contact which would go in the right eye, and getting the cornea transplant scheduled for the left eye.

The doctors did many tests that day. Then a specialist came in, put some drops in my girl’s eye, and inserted a contact. Another check of the eye chart and she got all the way to 20/50‼! She asked my daughter to wait in the waiting area for about 15 minutes to let the contact settle in. I followed her to the waiting area and sat down beside her. I saw her dabbing at her eyes, even the one that hasn’t been touched. Concerned, I asked her if her other eye was irritated. She turned towards me and I saw the tears streaming down her cheeks. “No, mom,” she answered, “I’m just crying because I can see your face.”

My heart broke for this sweet child who has been missing so much. My heart rejoiced that she could actually make out my face. And my hope soared that finally, FINALLY, this beloved daughter of mine would have her vision restored. I held her in a warm embrace as her tears flowed and I thanked God for walking alongside my daughter throughout this ordeal. Just like we are promised, He never leaves us. He walks through our fires with us, sometimes ahead of us, forging our trail, and sometimes beside us, carrying us when we cannot stand.

I have spent many hours in hospitals and doctors offices over the past couple of years. There are times I have felt exasperated, frustrated, and downright mad. But none of that compares to the simple, pure, and beautiful joy of those precious moments that are gifts from our Father. Those struggles don’t hold a candle to the happy tears of a child….tears of hope, tears of excitement, tears of wonder.

Thank you God that you are ALWAYS there. Thank you that you choose the unexpected moments to bless our socks off. Thank you that You provide healing, even when we feel hopeless. Thank you for loving my daughter even more than I do. And thank you for giving her faith, even when she could not see.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)