This is kind of long, but really worth the read ..link to the movie below SEEING GOD THROUGH THE STORM By Travis Freeman, a pastor and former blind football player portrayed in the movie 23 Blast. In chapter 9 of the gospel of John we read about a man who was born blind. Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind (v. 9:2 ESV)?” The disciples thought they had things figured out. They believed that if an individual was born with a physical abnormality, it happened as a result of someone’s sin. Jesus, however, stepped in and radically transformed their way of thinking. He exposed the flaw in their worldview when he said, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him (v. 9:4 ESV).” Jesus taught his disciples on that day that the trials and tribulations of life do not necessarily come about as a result of a specific sin. He showed them that God allows certain things to happen in our lives in order to bring about his own glory. As the Apostle Paul says, “My (God’s) grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (v. 2 Cor 12:9 ESV).” Christ wanted his disciples (and, in turn, us) to look beyond the present circumstances and see the greater purpose that—in our weakness – God’s power is manifested. Then, when God’s power is manifested, He is ultimately glorified. This truth carried me through the dramatic, sudden loss of my sight. If I had not realized God had a bigger plan I would have never possessed a positive attitude. From the very beginning, I believed that God would use my blindness to bring glory to Himself. I never questioned, “Why me?” I never asked, “God, what are you doing?” I simply trusted that God was good; that God was in control; and that God had my best interests in mind. Was it easy? Not at all. Was it a challenge and a difficult process? Absolutely. But at every point I have seen God work in amazing ways. As I have walked this long road, He has been with me at every step, guiding and directing me. WE CANNOT ALLOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES TO DICTATE WHAT WE THINK ABOUT GOD; WE MUST ALLOW GOD TO DICTATE WHAT WE THINK ABOUT OUR CIRCUMSTANCES God has given me an amazing platform to share my story, and to ultimately point people to the greater story of the Gospel. In 1994, when I stepped foot on the football field as America’s first blind football player, I was just living my life. I was just doing what most boys in the town of Corbin, Kentucky want to do. It wasn’t anything special, I was at home on the field. I never had any thoughts of a movie or a book. I just wanted to play. God then used my desire to overcome the odds and play football to establish a platform for me that is greater than anything I could have ever imagined. My life testifies to the truthfulness of what God says in his prophecy to Isaiah. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways (Isaiah 55:8-9 ESV).” Here God tells the nation of Israel that He will keep His promises to them, but it may not seem that way at times. In my life, my circumstances have not always looked like God was being faithful to me; however, I have had to trust that His ways are better and greater than my ways. Trusting in God’s plan and in God’s purposes has carried me through the difficult times. We all have disabilities that we have to overcome. In my mind, a disability is merely an obstacle that we have to conquer. For some it’s cancer; for others it’s the loss of a job; and still for others it might be the death of a loved one. For me it was the loss of my sight. In all of these situations we cannot allow the circumstances to dictate what we think about God; instead, we must allow God to dictate what we think about our circumstances. We look beyond the trial to a New Heaven and a New Earth where all of these things will exist no more. We look beyond the tribulation and see a bloody cross and an empty tomb that shout the love of God to us. Because of the Gospel, we know that no matter what happens, no matter how bad things may seem, God loves and cares for us. Friends, take hope in that truth. Stand firm on it, and do not allow life to beat you down, but remember “He who is in you is greater than he w ho is in the world (1 John 4:4b ESV).” By Travis Freeman, PhD Main character in the film 23 Blast
Posted on: Fri, 24 Oct 2014 20:43:30 +0000
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