Don't ask God for guidance if you don't intend to follow it.



In prayer, God hears more than just words, He listens to our heart.



THE BLIND PASSENGER



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, 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 background 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 friend. 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 had 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 responded, "It must feel so
good to be taken care of and protected like you are." Susan had no idea what
the driver was talking about, and asked again, "What do you mean?" 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 lucky, so
lucky, 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."

A.S.A.P.
Always Say A Prayer