Late last year, a friend of ours whom we met in our downtown endeavors, came to Robin and I with a need. He’s an older Nigerian fellow who is in our country presumably looking for a better life. To date, I’d argue that he’s not found it. But a funny thing happened on his way to a better life. God placed him in our path. So we’ve not gotten to know him on a deeply personal basis, yet. Hopefully that will come. What has happened, just as God allows, is that we have indeed gotten to know him. Hopefully this someday will lead to a deeper relationship. He’s a wonderful individual with much insight. A very grandfatherly fellow with a big, huge smile and a soft spoken way about him. So back to his need. Obviously, his needs are great. He left his homeland and wound up, through a series of circumstances, in a shelter in Omaha. After talking to lots of people in similar situations over the past couple of years, the stories are all vastly different, but for some reason, they’ve ended up here. And lots of times they end up on our corner. This fellow did just that. To look at him, you might not even know of his homelessness. Very well dressed. Very well spoken. Seemingly, a very educated man.
So late last year, he came to us with a request. He wanted to continue his studies here in the United States. I believe he has some formal education, but as my feeble mind is apt to do, it fails me now as to what that actually consists of. But in order to begin his studies again, he must first do something about his clouded vision. Now in some cases, that might be as much metaphoric as it is a real condition. How many of us miss so much around us because our vision is clouded by something? So his vision is pretty bad. If I remember correctly, he’s in his early 60s. I should know that. I’ve seen his birth date on various forms. You see, someone mentioned to Robin last year that there was a program that helped people in these situations. Midwest Eye Care, here in Omaha, participates in a program called Mission Cataract USA. It’s a national program that provides free cataract surgery to persons with limited financial resources and is open to individuals who do not have insurance coverage through Medicare, Medicaid or a private insurer. In mid-March each year, Midwest Eye Care begins screening applicants to determine if they meet the medical and financial guidelines for the program. If so, the applicant is scheduled for a free exam on a dedicated screening day in April. Several days after the screening exams are completed, the applicants selected for free surgery are notified. We assisted our friend in completing various applications and received word last week that he’d been selected for an eye exam. This only means that the possibility still exists that he may be selected for the free surgery. When I say free, the cost of this surgery is in the $5000 dollar range, so this is a huge thing for our friend. When we received word that he’d been selected, which was via voice mail, we thought he’d been selected for the actual surgery. And that may still be the case. But as I’ve researched this program further, it may be that he is still in the selection process.
I pray that God will make this happen. That it would be His will for our friend to receive this wonderful blessing. You see, for most of our friends who receive anything through us, we simply tell them to give thanks and praise to God. Not us. Because that is obviously where it all comes from. Lots of these guys tell me, as much as I tell them not to thank me, that they have to thank us because we’re the ones that show up. Fair enough. But I always have to make sure they know we are simply a conduit. Tools used by the Father to do His work. That’s all any of us are, right? But this fellow, even though his faith is strong, we just have agreed to disagree on some of these issues. I always tell him to thank God for the gifts he receives through us. He always tells me that’s not how it works in his world. I could go into great detail here, but suffice it to say he has different ideas than I do.
So my hope and my prayer is that this will happen for him. I want this so badly for him. And I know how badly he wants it. If for no other reason than to begin to see clearly again. Figuratively and literally. So as I’m so apt to do at times, I’ve got a song stuck in my head. Our family went to Winter Jam '09 a couple of weeks ago. Brandon Heath was one of the artists performing. I’m guessing lots and lots of people have probably heard his most current hit song.
"Give me your eyes for just one second. Give me your eyes so I can see. Everything that I keep missing. Give me your love for humanity."
I know that like any other popular song, it is grossly overplayed on radio stations. But the message is definitely there. Lord, give me YOUR eyes so I can see others the way You’ve seen them all along. Please. Help me to see them through Your filter. Through Your compassionate, unbelievable Graceful eyes. And even though I can’t even begin to fathom how great it must be, give me Your eyes to see how You love. For just one second, because that’s probably all I could stand. I sometimes feel as though I could use a little surgery myself to remove the clouded vision I have at times. If I could just see the way He sees for just one second…
I simply praise God today for the opportunity to be involved in situations like this one. I pray that whatever His will is in this particular situation, we all come away with a deeper and more profound understanding of what it means to see through a filter such as His. If that is even possible.
Peace, have a great and blessed week and make a difference.
…it matters to that one… :)
So late last year, he came to us with a request. He wanted to continue his studies here in the United States. I believe he has some formal education, but as my feeble mind is apt to do, it fails me now as to what that actually consists of. But in order to begin his studies again, he must first do something about his clouded vision. Now in some cases, that might be as much metaphoric as it is a real condition. How many of us miss so much around us because our vision is clouded by something? So his vision is pretty bad. If I remember correctly, he’s in his early 60s. I should know that. I’ve seen his birth date on various forms. You see, someone mentioned to Robin last year that there was a program that helped people in these situations. Midwest Eye Care, here in Omaha, participates in a program called Mission Cataract USA. It’s a national program that provides free cataract surgery to persons with limited financial resources and is open to individuals who do not have insurance coverage through Medicare, Medicaid or a private insurer. In mid-March each year, Midwest Eye Care begins screening applicants to determine if they meet the medical and financial guidelines for the program. If so, the applicant is scheduled for a free exam on a dedicated screening day in April. Several days after the screening exams are completed, the applicants selected for free surgery are notified. We assisted our friend in completing various applications and received word last week that he’d been selected for an eye exam. This only means that the possibility still exists that he may be selected for the free surgery. When I say free, the cost of this surgery is in the $5000 dollar range, so this is a huge thing for our friend. When we received word that he’d been selected, which was via voice mail, we thought he’d been selected for the actual surgery. And that may still be the case. But as I’ve researched this program further, it may be that he is still in the selection process.
I pray that God will make this happen. That it would be His will for our friend to receive this wonderful blessing. You see, for most of our friends who receive anything through us, we simply tell them to give thanks and praise to God. Not us. Because that is obviously where it all comes from. Lots of these guys tell me, as much as I tell them not to thank me, that they have to thank us because we’re the ones that show up. Fair enough. But I always have to make sure they know we are simply a conduit. Tools used by the Father to do His work. That’s all any of us are, right? But this fellow, even though his faith is strong, we just have agreed to disagree on some of these issues. I always tell him to thank God for the gifts he receives through us. He always tells me that’s not how it works in his world. I could go into great detail here, but suffice it to say he has different ideas than I do.
So my hope and my prayer is that this will happen for him. I want this so badly for him. And I know how badly he wants it. If for no other reason than to begin to see clearly again. Figuratively and literally. So as I’m so apt to do at times, I’ve got a song stuck in my head. Our family went to Winter Jam '09 a couple of weeks ago. Brandon Heath was one of the artists performing. I’m guessing lots and lots of people have probably heard his most current hit song.
"Give me your eyes for just one second. Give me your eyes so I can see. Everything that I keep missing. Give me your love for humanity."
I know that like any other popular song, it is grossly overplayed on radio stations. But the message is definitely there. Lord, give me YOUR eyes so I can see others the way You’ve seen them all along. Please. Help me to see them through Your filter. Through Your compassionate, unbelievable Graceful eyes. And even though I can’t even begin to fathom how great it must be, give me Your eyes to see how You love. For just one second, because that’s probably all I could stand. I sometimes feel as though I could use a little surgery myself to remove the clouded vision I have at times. If I could just see the way He sees for just one second…
I simply praise God today for the opportunity to be involved in situations like this one. I pray that whatever His will is in this particular situation, we all come away with a deeper and more profound understanding of what it means to see through a filter such as His. If that is even possible.
Peace, have a great and blessed week and make a difference.
…it matters to that one… :)
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