The "Gift" of Blindness

The Loss: eyesight. Blindness at the age of 15 from retinitis pigmentosa.
The Gain: “it can be well with your soul even when it isn’t well with your circumstances.”

Jennifer Rothschild tells her story in “Today’s Christian Woman” magazine, authored by Camerin Courtney. The following are some snippets.
The 43-year-old wife and mother of two states, “Since I’m blind it is easy for me to be fearful. But I’m unwilling to be governed by it. I’ve discovered courage is a choice.”
She describes herself as one with “tenacious faith.” An unshakeable trust in God and a loyal love for Him. She has often asked “why?’ but never “why me?” She displays an attitude of “why not me?” “Suffering exists on earth, so I’m simply part of the scheme of things.”

She quotes Joni Eareckson Tada: “Sometimes God allows what he hates to accomplish what he loves.” “Through my blindness and through other people’s sorrows and tragedies, I’ve seen that though God hates those things, he loves seeing us develop a more eternal perspective, a more loyal love toward Him, a deeper character. When I think about my life, I realize I love those good things blindness has worked in me more than I’d love the ability to see.”

“The hardest thing about being blind is making that daily choice not to be bitter or angry – to choose to find a reason to be grateful and content. This comes from speaking truth to my soul. I’ve learned I’m either going to be governed by feelings or fact. I choose to be governed by what God says about who I am.

“I’ve also learned that instead of allowing blindness to be my enemy, I need to make it my friend. When I do that, it becomes something God can use to teach me things I never would have learned otherwise. It is the secret for 'being well with my soul even when it’s not well with my circumstances.'”

“Over the years I’ve prayed less for healing and more for contentment. When I delight in the Lord (Psalm 37:4) I find myself focusing more on contentment than on healing. I believe that if I never earn contentment while I’m blind, then even if I’m healed, I’ll still be grumpy about something. So for me, learning contentment is a deeper gift. It’s the healing of the heart that occurs even when circumstances haven’t changed that grants us freedom. I choose to look at suffering as a way for God's work and glory to be revealed.”

What an amazing woman. Her loss became my gain as I read her story. May it be yours also.
Learn more about Jennifer at http://www.jenniferrothschild.com/