There's this scene in the movie, "Guiding Emily", where Emily is walking by herself, scared, cautious, but courageous. Emily is blind. She became blind after a fall.
She's an adult, a sufficient and confident adult. Now, she needs to navigate the world, blind, without her natural eyesight. She's been in a School for the Blind learning with the help of another person. She's spent the past two months learning how to walk with a cane as she was linked to another person.
One day, the guide says, "It's time." "It's time to cut the tie." Emily tenses, unsure of what is about to happen. The guide tells her it's time to do it on her own. She says, "See you back at the school" and walks away. Tossing these words over her shoulder, "You have the tools, you know what to do. Listen for the shadow sounds."
Emily pauses, takes a few steps forward very carefully, and proceeds onward, tapping her cane along the way. She comes to a street with cars driving by. She stops before stepping out as she taps her cane. A car zooms past her. She begins to take a step, then pausing she steps back, turning as she hears the shadow sounds. She turns to her right and taking a few steps only to bump into a street pole and falls.
Nearby and watching, stand her guide and friend. Her friend wants to go and help but the guide says, "Wait. She's okay. If you step in and help she'll never learn to be confident. She has the tools."
Oh, friend, this brings tears and I see how much I am like Emily. Scared and yet gingerly tapping my way through the darkness, the fog, or what may not make sense.
The diagnosis you received.
Words spoken to you that want to define you.
Maybe the job, position, or friendship you longed for passed you by.
It may even be the situation you find yourself in simply doesn't match the faith or perspective that you believed in.
How can life be anything different than what it once was?
Do I even know how to move forward, living again?
When I have to walk a hard path and I can't see and Jesus says, "I'll see you back at the house." I may panic and say, "I can't. I'm not ready for this."
Jesus says, "Yes, you are. You have the tools. Remember what I said and listen."
He then stands nearby.
I have this hunch that you can relate as well to Emily. Finding yourself in situations where you are stumbling and wondering where in the world is Jesus.
Jesus is watching and nearby. He isn't stepping in because you just may need to learn to walk in the darkness and see Him in a whole new way. Jesus isn't silent to be mean and uncaring. Jesus is silent because He wants you to discover Him, trusting Him and believing the words He has said to give you a confidence and a hope in the darkness.
Emily never recovers her eyesight. She does recover her confidence. She learned how to do what she once did with eyesight, differently. She conquered and now walks with confidence and a hope, and a cane; experiencing life fully and yet in the the dark.
She has learned to "see" with her ears and touch. She isn't the same, she is stronger.
We, too, will be changed from whatever we walk through. God wants to change us from glory to glory and it most times happens in the dark and painfilled happenings. It happens in the walking and discovering the power and life of the tools we have - the words of Jesus. We learn to see around us with new eyes, maybe even using our ears instead.
To stay with Him in the hardships we must begin to know Him, today. Read His words in the Bible. There are many truths and promises that tell us about Himself that we can anchor our hearts and minds in when the tempests blow and the darkness keeps us from seeing clearly or anything at all.
God stands nearby.
