One of the unspoken gifts of being blind is the chance to see the world through the eyes of other people. The folks in my space help me paint my mental picture of the universe. And some of the verbal brush strokes they use are brilliant from where I sit.
From their eyes I learn which celebrities are most attractive, what Emojis actually look like, how to make the “OK” hand gesture, and what kind of elements make a restaurant’s décor hip. Fun stuff, huh?
A lot of what I get to “see” happening around me lately is through my peeps, my crew—my amazing band mates. It may surprise you but my band mates and I only spend about five percent of our time together actually playing concerts. During the rest of our waking hours, we’re eating, driving, eating, flying, eating, laughing, eating—you get the picture.
More questions, more awe
Several weeks ago, while playing a gig in Washington I made a huge discovery thanks to Kyle (my guitar player) and Andrew (my drummer). As we walked back from dinner in the 100-degree, “dry heat” evening, both Kyle and Andrew expressed how beautiful the sky looked. Kyle explained to me that the sun was visible on one side of the sky, and the moon on the other.
I tried to comprehend this, but having never seen the sky, I simply couldn’t.
“How is that even possible?” I asked. “Aren’t the moon and sun too big to be visible at the same time?”
I’d always assumed that when the moon or sun could be seen from earth, it filled the sky—or at least most of the sky. They were surprised at my theory.
“From our vantage point, the moon is never larger than the size of my thumbnail,” Kyle explained.
Say what? How could a thumbnail-sized object in the sky radiate enough light to be noticed by any eye?
I was riveted!
As we continued our walk, the guys further explained that stars appear as tiny dots of light in the sky, not the size of the star-shaped ornaments I hang on my tree each Christmas. They added that clouds aren’t the size of pillows or cotton balls like I had imagined, but much larger—more like small houses.
Okay. Mind. Officially. Blown.
So much more of God
That ordinary summer night I discovered new and deeper dimensions of God’s creation I wasn’t even expecting. Clouds are bigger than the moon. A full moon is still tiny. Stars are wee lights in the sky.
When I was a kid, I never thought much about what I couldn’t see. I never stopped to ask how the sun and stars looked hanging in harmony above me.
But something really wild is happening. As the years pass, I find myself becoming more curious, more awestruck. I ask more questions, not fewer. My imagination is exploding with new understanding and my heart can’t wait to learn more of the world and the One who created it.
That wonder-filled summer night in Washington makes me think: how many mind-blowing truths are right in front of me—and you—simply waiting to be discovered? How many dimensions of God await our exploration? Our awe?
I believe God desperately longs to reveal truths to us, not so our curiosity will be satisfied, but so we will be more in wonder of Him and more eager to pursue His incredible mysteries. How beautiful is it that He uses the special people who walk with us every day in this life to point out the awe and the mystery we’d never stopped to wonder at before?
God’s ever-hanging canvas of galaxies provided a call to my heart to be present and pay close attention; His many wonders wait to be discovered all around me.
What wonders and truths have you discovered lately? I’d love to hear about them!
