Send to Kindleby James Collins
“He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see” John 9:25
Many years ago, a family moved to a little Southern town. There were three children in the family, two older daughters and a little boy. The two girls had the responsibility of taking care of their little baby brother.
One day, the girls wanted to go swimming. The town did not have a city pool. Instead, the town’s children swam in a little pond on the edge of town. Their momma said, “Okay, but you have got to watch your brother. You need to be careful with him. And you must always keep an eye on him.” The girls said, “Yes, ma’am,” and ran out the door dragging their little brother behind.
They arrived at the pond and jumped into the water. They had a good time. However, they were new to the community. They didn’t know any of the other kids. So, they were a little stand-offish. Most of the other boys and girls were gathered at one end of the swimming hole. The girls and their little brother were at the other end.
The girls saw some horses just over a little hill. One said to the other, “This pond is not very big. There are lots of kids here. The water is not very deep, and we will be right back. Let’s go pet those horses.” So, they left their little brother unattended. They left their little brother alone and ran over the hill to the horses.
They had only been gone a minute, when they heard their brother thrashing in the water. He screamed, “Somebody help me, I’m drowning! Somebody help me, I’m drowning! Somebody help me!”
They ran back to the pond as fast as they could, but they were too late. When they got there, they saw their brother floating face down in the water. Their little baby brother had drowned.
The sisters were hysterical. Hot tears rolled down their cheeks. They turned to the kids and said, “Why didn’t you save our brother? You could hear him screaming. You were right here in the water with him.”
“He was only a few inches from the bank.” the other kids said. “He could have reached out and grabbed it. We told him over and over to just reach out and grab the bank.”
The girls said through their tears, “Our little brother was blind. Our little brother was blind. He was blind. Every time you told him to reach, he reached the wrong way. He reached out in the wrong direction.”
The point is: All around us, there are people reaching. Some are reaching for alcohol. Some are reaching for drugs. Some are reaching for sexual sins. Some are reaching for immorality. Some are reaching for false religions. All around us, there are people reaching.
Over two-thousand years ago, Jesus healed a blind man. When he was questioned by the religious leaders, the man who had been blind said, “One thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.” Jesus can still give sight to those who are blindly reaching.
Reach out and take a hand that is reaching the wrong way and pull that hand toward the Lord Jesus Christ.
James Collins is a pastor, writer, and columnist. Find out more about his ministry at www.thepointis.net.