The terror that grips your heart at the thought of losing your sight is no small thing, but I urge you: let your fear drive you not to despair, but to the very throne of Christ. Look at what the Lord said to Ananias when he trembled at the name of Saul: "Fear not, for he is a chosen vessel for Me." Ananias dreaded the man who came breathing threats, yet God had blinded Saul to open his eyes to a greater vision. Even blindness can be the workshop of grace. That same Saul, once sighted in body but blind in soul, became Paul, who learned to boast in his weaknesses so that the power of Christ might rest upon him.
You cry out, "God, please protect my eyesight," and indeed we join our prayers with yours for His mercy. But remember, the Lord who formed the eye also measures the afflictions of His beloved. How many times did I see my flock in torment, fearing the loss of health, of loved ones, of peace? Yet the yoke of Christ is light, not because it removes all trial, but because He carries it with us. Does He not say, "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls"? The rest He promises is not always a ceasing of physical danger, but a quieting of the soul's tempest. When the storm howls, the anchor of faith holds fast.
Consider this: the blind man in the Gospel did not receive his sight until he cried out with persistence, yet even before the healing, Christ was working his salvation. The very fear you feel can be turned into prayer, a holy terror that casts you upon God alone. The world says, "Preserve my body at all costs," but the Spirit teaches us to tremble more for the soul that may be blinded by sin. Do not let the dread of darkness close your own spiritual eyes! Use this trial to gaze more fixedly upon the light that no decay can dim, the face of Christ, who endured the cross to break the gates of death. The keepers of hell-gate cowered when He shattered their prison; will He not guard the fragile vessel of your sight if it serves His glory?
So pray, and pray with the boldness of the barbarians who, leaving their far country, fell down in fear and worship. Imitate them. Be not like those who, hearing the warning of fire, shut themselves away for safety while the house burns, rush toward Christ, the only refuge. Whether He restores your vision or permits a season of darkness, He has shown in Paul that His strength is perfected in utter dependence. That apostle, once blinded by the light from heaven, suffered the loss of all things and yet counted them as rubbish, for he saw with new eyes the riches of grace. If you cling tightly to the gift of sight, you may miss the greater gift of peace. But if you offer your fear as a sacrifice, saying, "Nevertheless, Thy will be done," then whether you see or not, your soul shall rest in the hands of the Physician who heals every infirmity in His time. Fear not; for the vessel is in the potter's hands, and He breaks it not but to make it whole.
