Unseen Love

Unseen Love

The passengers on the bus watched sympathetically as the attractive young
woman with the white cane made her way carefully up the steps. She paid
the driver and, using her hands to feel the location of the seats, walked
down the aisle and found the seat he'd told her was empty. Then she
settled in, placed her briefcase on her lap and rested her cane against
her leg.

It had been a year since Susan, thirty-four, became blind. Due to a
medical misdiagnosis she had been rendered sightless, and she was suddenly
thrown into a world of darkness, anger, frustration and self-pity. Once a
fiercely independent woman, Susan now felt condemned by this terrible
twist of fate to become a powerless, helpless burden on everyone around
her. "How could this have happened to me?" she would plead, her heart
knotted with anger.

But no matter how much she cried or ranted or prayed, she knew the painful
truth that her sight was never going to return. A cloud of depression hung
over Susan's once optimistic spirit. Just getting through each day was an
exercise in frustration and exhaustion. And all she had to cling to was
her husband Mark.

Mark was an Air Force officer and he loved Susan with all of his heart.
When she first lost her sight, he watched her sink into despair and was
determined to help his wife gain the strength and confidence she needed to
become independent again. Mark's military back-ground had trained him well
to deal with sensitive situations, and yet he knew this was the most
difficult battle he would ever face.

Finally, Susan felt ready to return to her job, but how would she get
there? She used to take the bus, but was now too frightened to get
around the city by herself. Mark volunteered to drive her to work each
day, even though they worked at opposite ends of the city. At first, this
comforted Susan and fulfilled Mark's need to protect his sightless wife
who was so insecure about performing the slightest task. Soon, however,
Mark realized that this arrangement wasn't working-it was hectic and
costly. Susan is going to have to start taking the bus again, he admitted
to himself. But just the thought of mentioning it to her made him cringe.
She was still so fragile, so angry. How would she react?

Just as Mark predicted, Susan was horrified at the idea of taking the bus
again. "I'm blind!" she responded bitterly. "How am I supposed to know
where I'm going? I feel like you're abandoning me." Mark's heart broke to
hear these words, but he knew what had to be done. He promised Susan that
each morning and evening he would ride the bus with her, for as long as it
took, until she got the hang of it.

And that is exactly what happened. For two solid weeks, Mark, military
uniform and all, accompanied Susan to and from work each day. He taught
her how to rely on her other senses, specifically her hearing, to
determine where she was and how to adapt to her new environment. He helped
her befriend the bus drivers who could watch out for her, and save her a
seat. He made her laugh, even on those not-so-good days when she would
trip exiting the bus, or drop her briefcase. Each morning they made the
journey together, and Mark would take a cab back to his office.

Although this routine was even more costly and exhausting than the
previous one, Mark knew it was only a matter of time before Susan would
be able to ride the bus on her own. He believed in her, in the Susan he
used to know before she'd lost her sight, who wasn't afraid of any
challenge and who would never, ever quit. Finally, Susan decided that she
was ready to try the trip on her own.

Monday morning arrived, and before she left, she threw her arms around
Mark, her temporary bus riding companion, her husband, and her best f
riend. Her eyes filled with tears of gratitude for his loyalty, his
patience, his love. She said good-bye, and for the first time, they went
their separate ways. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday ... Each day on
her own went perfectly, and Susan never felt better. She was doing it! She
was going to work all by herself!

On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work as usual. As she was paying
for her fare to exit the bus, the driver said, "Boy, I sure envy you."

Susan wasn't sure if the driver was speaking to her or not. After all, who
on earth would ever envy a blind woman who had struggled just to find the
courage to live for the past year? Curious, she asked the driver, "Why do
you say that you envy me?"

The driver answered, "You know, every morning for the past week, a fine
looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the
corner watching you when you get off the bus. He makes sure you cross the
street safely and he watches you until you enter your office building.
Then he blows you a kiss, gives you a little salute and walks away. You
are one lucky lady."

Tears of happiness poured down Susan's cheeks. For, although She couldn't
physically see him, she had always felt Mark's presence. She was blessed,
for he had given her a gift more powerful than sight, a gift she didn't
need to see to believe - the gift of love that can bring light where
there had been darkness.

God watches over us in just the same way. We may not know He is present.
We may not be able to see His face, but He is there nonetheless.

Be blessed in this thought: "God Loves You - even when you are not
looking."

The beauty of life isn't how happy you are but how happy others are
because of you. Amen

With deep thanks to Chief Fredie Aswan

Personal Reflection: "Omnia vincit amor" - Love conquers all! The story above is a very touching account of what true love is between husband and wife. Love extends beyond the limitations of physical sickness or any form of human tragedy. Love builds much deeper relationships inspite of unforseen setbacks along the way. Love touches people around who see and feel the intensity and radicality of love. Love celebrates and rejoices the triumph of its mite over helplessness, hopelessness and despair. Love is a shining sun breaking forth a new brand day!