[Faith-talk] blindness as a gift

Sat Feb 8 17:08:27 UTC 2014

Hi Aleeha,

I get you here.  I honestly do.  You said it more directly than I ever
have, but I completely agree with you.  Our blindness allows us to be
in situations more often in which we can educate people.  As
educators, we have a chance to show them who we are and tell our
stories.  How many of us have been asked to speak about what it's like
to live as a blind person/guide dog user/disabled person?  Whatever it
is...

I know many people don't like being the center of attention...  I can
tell you; it's not always something I want, but that's only one thing
I can think of.  There are many gifts that I have received that I
wouldn't have had if I was sighted-the ability to meet and work with
people in the NFB, the ability to work with a guide dog and have that
awesome bond, and yes, the ability to help where others can't in
matters of advocacy.
Sure...  Life sucks in a particular way when you're blind.  We have
career related issues, transportation problems, and print seems to be
the reading medium of choice for the world.  But even so, I wouldn't
change my blindness, and I am so grateful for some things it brings.
I really do believe that God knows what He's doing.  I am blind for a
reason, and that's ok with me.  He didn't give me my strengths and
abilities(along with my blindness) so that I can sit here and do
nothing.
He gave them to me for billions of reasons, some of which I may never know.

All to say, Aleeha, I agree with you here and get where you're coming from.

On 2/8/14, justin williams <justin.williams2 at gmail.com> wrote:
> If you were sighted, we'd have issues; sense your blind, I can get with you
> on this.  I would almost, no I would be offended if some sighted person
> were
> to say that to me without having an understanding of what I have to go
> through living in Columbia south Carolina.  Maybe there are gifts I have
> developed to compensate for said blindness, the gifts of hearing and
> intuition,  but blindness as a gift?  I don't know about that.  I think I
> would like to rewrap it.  Not trying to be offensive; I have developed
> other
> gifts, but it doesn't feel like a gift when people don't want to drive me
> to
> lunch after a church service.  Or, when I lose three career opportunities
> in
> 7 years causing me to remain in a dead end job.  I won't tell you the high
> crazy foreign cab drivers stories; you already know them, hell, you've
> probably taken part in some of them.  I won't tell you about walking around
> in the elements or miles at a stretch, or about terrible public
> transportation; you know about that too, and I won't go on and on about the
> accessibility issues in general, college in particular.  The best I can say
> is that it was the hand I have been allotted to play, and sense the cards
> have been dealt, I intend to use every bit of skill I possess to win. What
> Howard doesn't like a good game of cards.  Bid Wisk Anyone?
> Ps. Come out from under that rock more often.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Faith-talk [mailto:faith-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Aleeha
> Dudley
> Sent: Saturday, February 08, 2014 8:30 AM
> To: faith-talk at nfbnet.org
> Subject: [Faith-talk] blindness as a gift
>
> Hi All,
>       I don't often post here, but I figured I'd crawl out from under my
> lurking rock and start this thread. I was speaking with someone last night
> who made a very interesting point to me. Our blindness is such an
> extraordinary gift. It gives us opportunities to share our faith with
> others
> that many don't have. We can lift others up and relate to others in a way
> sighted folks cannot. Our strength and our belief that we are given lives
> worth living that can be full and productive is such a great platform from
> which to share our stories and our faith. Just thought I'd get others'
> opinions on this one.
> And now, back under my rock I go...
> Aleeha and Seeing Eye dog Dallas
>
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-- 
Julie McG
National Association of Guide dog Users board member,  National
Federation of the Blind performing arts division secretary,
Missouri Association of Guide dog Users President,
and Guiding Eyes for the Blind graduate 2008
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
life."
John 3:16