The Blind Man
The blind man who taught me to see….
I met Bobby Smith at a support group for bereaved parents. At first sight, I did not know he was blind. During the course of the evening, he shared his amazing, and inspiring story. I learned that he was a Louisiana State Trooper, and that he had been shot in the face, in the line of duty. In one instant, his life was changed. He lost his sight, and his ability to perform the vocation he loved, and took pride in, and worked very hard to achieve. Turns out that Bobby Smith would face unspeakable tragedy at least two more times in his life. He lost his only daughter, and a few years later, his only son.
All of this
pain, and struggle, was thrust upon his life, uninvited, or agreed to, and yet,
he sat in front of me, smiling, and glorifying God! He was not bitter, or full of self-
pity. He was using his pain to help
others. Turns out, he has a PHD in
Psychology, has authored motivational books, and speaks to people all over the
world about living through tragedy. Now his vocation is to speak to people
about living a beautiful life, in spite of their pain. What a spokesperson God has chosen!
Just being in
his presence, after hearing his story, I felt ashamed of myself, and
humbled. His sufferings seemed to far
outweigh mine, and yet he still smiled, and glorified God! I think I sat up a little taller in my chair,
as Bobby made me realize that my cross was also a gift, to share with
others. I now had the responsibility to
be an example to others, of how to live through tragedy, and still retain God’s
grace. He imparted much wisdom that
night, and gave me a needed reality check.
My perspective changed, and I was instantly inspired to do better.
Bobby called
himself an optimist, as he held out his cup of coffee, proclaiming that “he
chose to see it half full, everyday”. He
left me with an unspoken challenge, and desire, to do the same. He reminded me that when God created us, he
knew how and when, we would die. Again,
I had to change my mindset. If I
believed that to be true, then how could I question God, and whether or not it
was Lauren’s time to go? Once I let the
idea sink in, I was released of the guilt I had burdened myself with. I could not have changed things that were
meant to be, with prayer, or by doing something differently, as much as I
wished I could. I could relax now, in
the knowledge, and belief, that it was all in God’s plan, and not mine.
I guess
hearing Bobby’s story that night, and witnessing his own triumph over tragedy,
is what helped me to accept the reality that I control nothing. When I loosen
the grip that the façade of control has on my life, it is profound. It opens me up for so much more. It changes everything, it makes me want to
sit back and see what happens next, instead of trudging forward in a futile
attempt to control my own destiny.
I appreciate
meeting people like Bobby during my life’s journey. His story, and others like it, is like a
guidepost along my path. They remind me
of the truth, and provide me with inspiration to continue down my path. A story like his makes me remember how
blessed I am, and it makes me realize how much I still take for granted. I know that I will forever painfully mourn my
beloved daughter Lauren, but I will also cherish the gift of my two remaining
children more, for having lost her. I
will remember Bobby’s story as a modern day version of Job, and I will always
be inspired by his faith, and obedience to God, even in the face of
adversity.
I genuinely
hope that he received a gift from me that night too. I know he couldn’t see my face, or my body
language, but I hope he was able to ascertain in some way, the impact he made
on me. Although it was a brief
encounter, I know that the effects will be ever-lasting. I feel like I am a better person, for meeting
Bobby Smith, and I hope that one day someone will feel the same way about
meeting me. I choose to see my cup as
half full each morning now, and I want to share that opportunity with others,
just like Bobby.
Tara Rodney
12/29/10
The Bobby Smith story:
http://www.visionsofcourage.com
