The bigger picture

I recently met someone with Hemianopsia. This is a condition where the person loses half of their field of vision on the same side in both eyes. It often occurs after a stroke or a brain injury. As you can probably imagine, the person often run into objects, knock over drinks, and trip over things. They also get startled by people or objects that suddenly appeared in their field of vision because they don't have side visions. A lot of times we take our side visions for granted, but it is with our side visions that we are prepared for the unexpected. As you can see, Hemianopsia is a difficult condition to live with because the person can't see the whole picture anymore.

The reason I decided to write about this is because in some ways, this is how our life is like. Often in life we ask God for certain things or for certain event to happen. Sometimes God answers our prayer, other times He doesn't. When things happen the way we wanted to, we are happy and we praise God. When things don't happen the way we wanted to, we get frustrated and we question why. Just like a person living with Hemianopsia, we can't see the whole picture. We can't see what the future hold, we can't see everything that happens around us, we can't see how our decisions could affect an event, we can't see how everything is connected together. God on the other hand has normal vision. He can see the whole picture. He knows what is to happen and what is needed. He knows how everything is connected and how the events will unfold. He knows what we need better than ourselves. In other words, sometimes God doesn't answer our specific prayers because it's not actually good for us in the bigger picture.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

The person living with Hemianopsia explained to me that he doesn't like reading anymore because often he misses the real meaning of a word. For example, when he looks at the word "chalkboard", he sees "chalk". This changes the meaning of the message completely. In a way, we also look at our situation in a partial view as well. Sometimes a situation just feels like it just doesn't make any sense, but in reality, it does, we just can't see it yet. Then often in retro respective, we have that "eureka moment" and we understand why God allowed things to happen the way it did.

Like people suffering with Hemianopsia, we often stumble through life and through events around us. We often fall, break things, and hurt ourselves. The most important thing is being able to stand up again and continue to trust in Him and in His plans. God promised that He has plans for those that love Him.

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9

He also promised that He will guide us and He will not forsake us.

"And I will lead the blind in a way that they do not know, in paths that they have not known I will guide them. I will turn the darkness before them into light, the rough places into level ground. These are the things I do, and I do not forsake them." Isaiah 42:16

These promises are the promises we can hold onto.