Each of us read the Bible through the lens of our experiences and the experiences of our teachers. These experiences are made up of the things we walk through on our journey, both good and bad, which includes those things we have been taught.
Blind
It really hit me today – I have pondered this thought before but now I feel I have lived it out. You can stay (emotionally) at the age when you were abused or suffered injustice, until that door is unbolted and THEN you get to finally move on. I feel like I never actually fully grew up (mentally) until, wow – last year. Yikes. That has been very hard to face and yet so liberating to walk in truth now. It is wonderfully horrifying to me. I feel like I was 15 for 50 years. It is as if I was invited to a party 50 years ago, but I finally just made it there. And now everyone else has gone home. THAT is how I feel. So it is a mix of a joyous healing (I was blind but now I SEE), but also remorse at – look at what I missed when I was blind. When I was stumbling around in the dark at that time, I was tripping, searching, breaking, destroying, questioning, fearing, and did not ever have a clue where I was going. Except for Jesus. HE knew where I was. HE knew every misstep I took. HE knew every lost moment I would never reclaim. HE knew my every fear and He called them by their names when I couldn’t. HE held me until that day – the day when He gave me back my sight. When I was blind and basically used to NOT being able to see, did I know how it could feel to NOT be blind? I feel like I had nothing to compare to being blind in my soul – I had been that way for as long as I can remember. I couldn’t SEE … yet. Just like the blind man, blind from birth.
THE BLIND MAN
And THIS Bible story I have heard my whole life – NOW I get it. “As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” After saying this, He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” He told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam”. So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked. He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” (John 9)
And so there is that. Blind but now he sees! I want to tear this story apart – so much there I never researched or explored or considered. And so much about it that can relate to each of us on a personal level.
BLINDNESS WITH NO SHAME
First of all, it was not hereditary that he was blind. He didn’t become blind because of anything he had done (not a consequence) nor was it his parent’s fault. I am guessing they blamed themselves, as ALL parents do when anything goes wrong with their children – we always think it is something we did. And any injustice is attached with blame and shame. Right here Jesus makes it clear – the man was blind and it was not his fault. We tend to judge other’s flaws as if somehow they chose it. Gee, I think I will choose to not have my sight – sounds like a great plan. NOT. Life just happens.
Next, Jesus said there was a purpose (a profitable aftermath) for the man’s blindness. (the supernatural works of God on display in him) Whoa. Wait. Really? Think about that. So that thing in our lives that is our cross to bear so to speak, can become the very thing that defines us with a purpose and a WHY? For me, sexual abuse? That is deep and intense and troubling really. Okay, keep going.
Jesus explains how dark the world is, and how short our time is here. He says that HE is the
light of the world and while here on earth, basically He must perform miracles so others will believe – so generations (us) who follow behind people like the blind man, will be reminded of His power to redeem and heal and restore. Basically, Jesus came to be the proof of God.
THE MIRACLE OF DIRT AND SPIT
The blind man – okay – how did Jesus heal him? WHAT did He use? Well, the actual ground where he had stumbled and fell, and the dirt he had sat in for years and years. THE SAME DIRT. What had been his captivity and his shame, became his healing. When you add Jesus to any equation (even dirt piles) they become places of redemption. No longer simply dirt – the ground became the very thing that Jesus used to anoint the blind man’s eyes to see! What? This is a lot. Go a bit deeper – Jesus spit on the dirt to turn it to mud to put on his eyes. Even the spit of God is miraculous. Whoa.
Okay, moving on. Jesus sent him (with mud caked on his eyes) to the Pool of Siloam. (Aren’t you curious what his thoughts were?) The Pool of Siloam was where fresh water was stored, also called the Lower Pool in Isaiah 22:9. “You saw that the walls of the City of David were broken through in many places; you stored up water in the Lower Pool.” Siloam means “sent”. The even deeper meaning is that the pool was filled with fresh and clear gushing water. And the water was stored there because of all the broken places around it.
A DIP IN THE POOL
Also, being sent to this particular Pool gives Jesus’ miracle credibility from then to NOW – it is an actual historic location – not something in a story without authenticity or fact. I had to laugh at the reference for this Pool’s credibility – II Kings 20:20. Blind man gets his sight back here – WOW. Right? 20/20 vision. Don’t we want OUR stories to be authentic and real, so generations to come will have reason to believe them as truth? Jesus clearly had a plan, from start to finish. At some point we are required to just have that ONE moment when we have some faith in the same Jesus.
Let’s back up a minute – Jesus SENT him there. The blind man had to get there still blind, but NOW with hope in his heart and mud on his eyes. His healing was a journey – he had to trust this man – I wonder if he knew it was Jesus or who Jesus was – no, I don’t think so, but his heart knew what his mind could not. He was encountering the Son of God and if He said get to the Pool of Siloam, he was going there.
I find this significant for me – when I decided to take my journey back to find my own healing, well – it was a choice I made. I felt that pull into the unknown – I know now that was Jesus calling me, just like He called the blind man – I will heal you, yes – I need YOU to do this first, as an act of your faith and trust. And He sent the blind man on his journey – still blind, eyes caked with mud and Jesus’ spit.
Maybe this represents all our fears mixed with hope that becomes our driving force for the healing. Then Jesus sent him to a spring of clear life giving water where He told him to wash himself, in the midst of all the broken places around him. All the wows. SO deep. A walk of faith. A walk out of the darkness into the light.
NO LONGER BLIND
Finally, well – there was the miracle as we know it – the blind man was NO LONGER BLIND. Mission accomplished. All I can advise here is to put yourself in the place of the blind man – with your own unique story, but with the same Jesus.
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A young Christian performer, Christopher Duffley, who is blind and has autism, has amazed the world once again with his original music video of ‘It’s Been You.’
Inspiring Teenager With Autism
Christopher Duffley is both a blind and autistic, yet has inspired millions around the world. Despite his condition, he never has never allowed them to hinder him from being used by God. Instead, he inspires others with disabilities to go after their dreams.
Today, he is singing ‘It’s Been You’ and shares the song’s original music video. The music video “shares Christopher’s transition from teen to young adult,” he explained in the caption on his YouTube channel. The song is beautiful! The 15-year-old even played piano while singing in the video.
The teen dedicated the song to his parents, who selflessly opened their hearts and lives to take care of him. The Christian couple adopted him in 2003.
Adopting Christopher
“I wanted to do the right thing,” Christine, his mother, said.
“A lot of families with special needs can identify with the day-by-day survival. I didn’t know how to take care of a blind and autistic child. My kids loved Christopher and we want Christopher to be independent. We want him to thrive so we gave him as many things as we could,” she further added.
Moreover, for the teen, music has always played an important role in his life.
“Music to me is for one thing: it brings joy to people. Singing is a gift that I share. Because I’m blind, I see people with my heart for who they truly are instead of what they look like on the outside,” he said.
Christopher’s fame took off in 2011 when his video singing “Open the Eyes of My Heart” went viral. Since then, he has performed for the Boston Red Sox, at national political debates, NASCAR, and Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia in 2015.
Reference: Faithpot
People Expected Mother To Abort Son With Birth Defects, Today He Inspires People With His Story
People were expecting this mother to abort her son who was diagnosed with birth defects even before he was born. Doctors were not even sure if he would be able to survive. But today, he is inspiring millions with his viral story.
Lacey Buchanan
The soon-to-be mother Lacey Buchanan was shattered when doctors said that her unborn son would have birth defects and that he might not survive. At that time, Lacey was just a 22-year-old law student, however, she bravely fought for her son’s life.
“As the pregnancy progressed and Christian got bigger … doctors began saying, ‘This is much more serious than we thought. We don’t really know what’s wrong,’” Lacey recalled. “They said, ‘He’s probably not compatible with life. He probably won’t survive birth.’”
Christian Buchanan
In February 2011, the Buchanan family welcomed Christian into the world. Christian defied what the doctors saying he wouldn’t be able to survive. However, things were not that easy for the family. Christian was born with Tessier cleft lip and palate, his eyes also didn’t fully develop and he was born blind.
“He came out screaming. It was just a beautiful moment,” she said. “He had surgery at 4 days old to put a feeding tube in.”
Birth Defects
Lacey was devastated when people started to judge and mock his appearance. There was even a woman, who she personally knew, condemned her for not aborting her child.
“She had messaged me when Christian was about 3 months … just saying, ‘I can’t believe that you didn’t abort him. Look at this miserable life he’s going to have,’” Lacey recalled.
Viral video
The family’s life began to change for the better when Lacey decided to put her son’s story out in the public. She uploaded a video of herself holding Christian while showing cards with his story written on them.
The video quickly became viral and was noticed around the world. That video even made it to the headlines. People are showing support for the young boy and millions were inspired by his story.
“I woke up the next morning and I had hundreds of notifications on my phone,” she said. “All of these news outlets started picking the video up … it had millions and millions of views. And it was just really incredible.”
Created in the image of God
Today, Christian is a healthy and happy 9-year-old boy living just like how other kids his age are living. He even started attending swimming and Braille, classes. Christian also plays the violin.
The mother of two boys shared an encouraging message to everyone who has also had a similar story to their family.
“It doesn’t mean God makes mistakes,” she said of Christian’s struggles. “He formed Christian fearfully and wonderfully just like every other human who doesn’t have his facial difference … Christian is made in the image of God just as every other person.”
Read also: Greek Athlete Carries Disabled Woman To Mount Olympus Peak https://godtv.com/greek-athlete-disabled-woman-mount-olympus/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=rhoda&utm_campaign=article
Reference: The Christian Post https://www.christianpost.com/news/doctors-said-her-unborn-son-likely-wouldnt-survive.html
Kodi Lee, a blind singer with autism, wins the 14th Season of America’s Got Talent.
Blind Singer with Autism, Kodi Lee
Kodi, 23, was born with optic nerve hypoplasia that caused him to be both blind and autistic. He is also a prodigious savant which is a syndrome that occurs most often in autistic patients. It is a rare disorder where mentally disabled individuals have incredible abilities in particular fields like music.
Kodi is one of the most gifted musicians you will ever hear. There are less than twenty-five people in the world with similar genius abilities.
Surviving a life-saving surgery at 5-days-old and being diagnosed with autism at an early age has not stopped Kodi from pursuing his love and passion for music.
America’s Got Talent
Kodi loves to perform to a bigger audience so he decided to take on the stage of America’s Got Talent. At his audition, he was able to stun everyone. He even brought tears to their eyes! Gabrielle Union gave him the Golden Buzzer for his amazing performance which granted him the privilege to proceed to the semi-finals!
The gifted performer then competed with twenty-two other talented individuals and groups during the semi-finals. Kodi advanced to the finals with his performance of “You Are the Reason” by Calum Scott.
Season’s Winner
On September 18, the world was able to witness the top ten performances at the show’s finale. All the performances were incredible and each received a standing ovation from the judges and the audience. However, one performance exceeded them all. Kodi Lee performed Freya Riding’s “Lost Without You” and won everyone’s hearts!
The blind autistic singer and pianist was voted as America’s Got Talent Season 14 Winner!
May Kodi’s achievement inspire us all to continue to pursue our passion and dreams no matter what our circumstances may be.
Read also: Blind, Autistic Man Has The AGT Judges In Tears And Gets The Golden Buzzer
Reference: YouTube | America’s Got Talent
Blind, Autistic Man Has The AGT Judges In Tears And Gets The Golden Buzzer
Kodi Lee cannot see but he has the voice of an angel. Watch as he wows the crowd during his America’s Got Talent audition with a performance that moved everyone and had some of the judges in tears.
Prodigious Savants
Kodi, who is 22-years-old was born with optic nerve hypoplasia and is both blind and autistic. He is also a prodigious savant which is a syndrome that occurs most often in autistic patients. It is a rare disorder where mentally disabled individuals have incredible abilities in particular fields like music.
Kodi is one of the most gifted musicians you will ever hear since there are less than 25 people in the world with similar genius abilities.
Surviving a lifesaving surgery at 5-days-old, and being diagnosed with autism at an early age has not stopped Kodi from pursuing his love and passion for music.
America’s Got Talent
Kodi loves any opportuinty to perform. The bigger the audience, the more he loves to shine. Now he has dominated the stage of America’s Got Talent and stunned everyone!
Right before performing, Kodi’s mom Tina Lee was at his side supporting him. She even whispered something to boost his confidence. Watch the video below: As Kodi sits behind the piano and opens his mouth to sing, everyone is surprised! Simon Cowell’s jaw drops in shock at what he is hearing.
Kodi delivered a fantastic performance that had everyone on their feet to give him a standing ovation! First-time judge, Julianne Hough couldn’t stop her tears during his performance. He also received positive comments from the other judges.
“You are wonderful, not only do we feel the authenticity of what you do but you’re a great inspiration and a great talent. It was amazing,” Howie Mendel said to Kodi.
Among all the judges, first-time judge Gabrielle Union was most impressed as she used her only Golden Buzzer for him!
Kodi is an inspiration for everyone! Share this to inspire others!
Reference: YouTube | America’s Got Talent, YouTube | Kodi Lee and Kodi Lee
Read also: Dance Crew From The Slums Of India, V Unbeatable, Wows Everyone With Their Amazing Performance
Girl Begins To Sing For God—Blind Brother Joins In, Making A Beautiful Duet!
There a lot of amazing singers around the world, but rarely does one find someone like this brother / sister duo onstage. Their performance is unlike any other. They are singing not for men, but for God!
Christopher Duffley is both a blind and autistic boy who has inspired millions around the world. A video of him passionately singing ‘Open The Eyes Of My Heart’ went viral several years ago and people can’t help but be amazed by his heart reflecting the goodness of our God. There wasn’t even a hint of timidness about his condition, instead he allowed the Lord to be glorified in his life regardless of his disabilities. Christopher can be described as such a joyful and loving person.
Grace Duffley, who is a loving sister to Christopher also loves to sing, and in this video they exquisitely sang Jamie Grace’s “Hold Me” together.
It was the first time Christopher performed with his older sister and the moment their voices blended together, was just so beautiful you’ll want to replay it over and over again.
Listen for yourself and you won’t be able to get enough. This is truly heart-warming!