THE BLINDFOLD
It was the beginning of a new school year for me in high school. This was my sophomore year so I knew my way around and I felt much more confidant than I had the year before. It was my first day so I was meeting new teachers and discovering the mix of peers in each class.
This period I headed to my English small group. I entered tentatively and saw Mr. Menges with his glasses perched halfway down his nose. He glanced up from the table he was working at and greeted our tiny group of eight girls. Right away, he introduced himself giving a little background, and then we shared some information about ourselves.
I was first. “Hi, I’m Chris. I’m a sophomore taking choir, French, and Spanish for electives. I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up, but I love to travel, read, ride bikes, and play tennis. I am the president of my youth group and sing in a youth choir at church. I also work part-time at the public library.”
The rest of the girls followed suit.
Our teacher assured us that this year would not be like our other English classes, and to get ready for a ride. We listened with interest because usually English was full of predictable grammar and literature exercises.
Mr. Menges whipped out some paisley bandanas from his cupboard. “Ta-da!” he grinned as he saw the surprise on our faces.
Hmmm…weird I thought. Now what? This was our last class of the day and we were all weary and ready to go home.
“Today you will work in pairs,” Mr. Menges announced.
The next thing I knew, I was being led around the school by a girl that I have never set eyes on before, while I sported a paisley bandana which covered my forehead and eyes. This was not the way I wanted to make a first impression this year.
My self-esteem was not that high, to begin with. I was well aware that I ranked low on the social scale at my high school since I turned down pledge invitations from two sororities in my freshman year. At this high school, being invited to pledge and turning them all down spelled social death. I threw away any chance to be a part of the ‘in-crowd’.
So here I was going around looking goofy with this blindfold mashing my mascara into my face and adding a crease in the back of my waist-length auburn hair. What was the point of this crazy exercise in English anyway?
Ascending and descending several flights of stairs, roaming through the gravel in the student parking lot outside then down the hallways inside, we headed toward the library: our rendezvous point.
To begin with, I thought this was merely a trust exercise, but now Mr. Menges instructed us to brainstorm twenty things we remembered about our experience. Next, we had to write a paper based on one item from our list. Now I understood; he gave me a sensory experience could write about. So, I wrote about trust and detailed many of the horrible things that my partner could have put me through like sending me into the boys' restroom or walking me into the pool. But she hadn't.
A little eccentric at first, this man became one of my favorite teachers. He triggered my thinking in new ways and true to his word this class was not boring at all. I was stretched and challenged.
Once when I took my four older kids camping, I held onto my son, Jonathan, as he leaned out over a stone wall to peer down a steep cliff near a scenic overlook. Off in the distance, we could see the Frio River snaking its way through the hills. It was breathtaking. It was a sheer drop of over five hundred feet to the bottom so there was no way I would have released my grip around his waist. As dangerous as it looked; he never hesitated for a moment. It never occurred to him that this might not be safe. He completely trusted me.
Now a new era dawns with this global pandemic. A great reset is changing the way we live our lives and the way that we relate to one another. We're riding a roller-coaster in many arenas. Trust is a big issue for us today. Amid all of the conflicting facts and shifting regimens, I am comforted to have God as a constant in my life.
My God is always with me and speaks to me daily during my Bible reading, in times of meditation, during conversations, and as I listen to prophetic voices that confirm that what my spirit is sensing about these current events. This new era emerges historically as nations shut down as never seen before. In the natural, we see social distancing and isolation, and in the spiritual realm, we sense a time of rest and reflection which has allowed us to reassess our lives, businesses, and our eternal destination. God calms me and reminds me to continue daily with joy. He urges me to remember my identity, that I am a child of the King of creation. I share in his endless resources. In the past few years, God has emphasized that I was born for such a time as this. He has prepared me for this time in my life. Retirement from my secular job may be timely, but now there is still so much to do in life.
As anxiety tries to overtake me, Jesus overrules and melts it away with his peace. He comes from a kingdom that is ruled with the rule of law on a level of love and joy that we have only glimpsed at best in shadows here on earth.
Just like my youngster relied on me as he leaned over the precipice, I know from life experiences that I can rely on my Father God in total abandon. He has been a rock for me through many rough places. At first, walking a life of faith can seem a bit risky, like when I trusted that stranger as I was lead blindfolded, but you will find that the Bible is true and God is faithful. So why not prepare for the ride of your life by connecting to a friend who sticks closer than a brother? Jesus loves you.
Proverbs 3:5 (MSG)
5 Trust God from the bottom of your heart: don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Psalm 27:13,14 (TPT)
13 Yet I totally trust you to reuse me one more time, so that I can see once again how good you are while I'm still alive!
14 Here's what I've learned through it all: don't give up; don't be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting--for he will never disappoint you!
