Mike Anderson » God Family Children Scripture Heart

 

It's not often that you get the opportunity to empathize with God; I recently experienced that bitter-sweet insight when I found out that my eleven-week-old baby girl was born almost completely blind.

I don't want you to feel sorry for my baby or our family, but I think it would be good for your own heart to read and consider that God is an actual Father. He cares more than you can imagine. There’s a reason that Jesus came to give sight to the blind—visual blindness is one of the most powerful metaphors for the spiritual blindness we have at birth.

 

1. God's Heart Hurts when His Children Don't See Him

As a new father it’s painful to see my beautiful little baby and know that she can’t see me. The depth of the spiritual blindness that God’s creation are born with is even deeper than what I’m feeling. God is not indifferent to our plight. I am relieved that I’m not alone in my care for my baby. The God of the universe grieves.

  

2. The Father Knows the Pain Involved with a Sinful world, So He Comforts

The God of the universe suffered unimaginable pain. I always understood the physical pain that he felt on the cross, but as a dad with a baby who can’t see I can empathize with the pain of having a child who is marred by the effects of a sinful world.

God seems to tell us that the way to joy is not around pain, but through it—and he leads the way. In the first chapter of 2 Corinthians, Paul reminds the reader that when we suffer we are sharing in Christ’s suffering—we have been sent a comforter called the Holy Spirit who comforts us even in the midst of pain. I feel great comfort from God through this trial. The God of the universe comforts his kids.

There’s a reason that Jesus came to give sight to the blind—visual blindness is one of the most powerful metaphors for the spiritual blindness we have at birth.

 

3. The Power of God Is Revealed through His Blind Babies

When Jesus and his disciples came upon a man who had been blind from birth, one of his disciples was curious about why this man was blind. Jesus’ response was, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:1-7). Wow.

I know God doesn’t have to, but I want so badly for baby Violet’s blindness to be a medium to display the POWER of God. I am hopeful that baby Violet’s disability will not be in vain. The God of the universe is Holy—he makes great things come from situations of suffering.

 

4. God Would Go To Any Length for His Children to See His Face

Why would the God of the universe humble himself to let his own creation nail him to a cross? This was one of those questions that I could only answer on a cerebral level, but now I understand. There is nothing that I wouldn’t do to try to help baby Violet get her sight. Money, time, effort—it doesn’t matter—I’m going to do what it takes to help her. God paid the ultimate price to give sight to his spiritually blind children. The God of the universe heals.

 

Tomorrow Morning

Our dear sweet Violet is going in for surgery tomorrow morning. The surgeon is going to make a 3mm cut into the side of her eye and remove the cloudy lens that doesn't let her see, he's going to then put a new plastic lens in its place. We’ve been told that there is a good chance that we caught this soon enough that she will likely be able to have functional vision. Jen and I are thankful for your prayers—we want our baby to see.

But even more than her physical eyes will you please pray that God would remove the spiritual blindness of her heart? Would you pray that my baby Violet would see and know her Father in heaven?

 

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Read Mike's first post about 16 things God has taught him through being an new dad 

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