Restoring sight, sharing the light
I was driving 60 miles per hour on Interstate 40 one morning when Luz asked me that question. A humbling conversation followed as I tried to explain (in her native Spanish) how God’s love compels us to do all we can to show his son to others through our service — all while keeping my eyes on the downtown traffic.
Lynda Sheehan and Luz stop for a picture before leaving for one of Luz’s appointments.Her name, Luz, means “light” in Spanish. When I first met her, she was living in near-darkness. Cataracts caused by gestational diabetes had rendered her legally blind.
Out of desperation, the 40-year-old single mother drove herself — plus her 6-year-old son with autism and her 3-year-old daughter — to our monthly vision check at the Lighthouse Medical Clinic. It’s a ministry of our congregation, the Memorial Road Church of Christ, that operates in the building of our inner-city church plant, the Capitol Hill Church of Christ. Dr. Darrell Pickard, a Memorial Road member, donates his skills as an ophthalmologist and I translate for our Spanish-speaking patients.
After the eye exam, my husband, Pat, and I drove the family home safely. It was the first of many times we would donate our time and transportation to bless the family.
She was blind, and now she can see.
Luz and ophthalmologist Dr. Darrell Pickard at the Lighthouse Medical Clinic in Oklahoma City.Dr. Pickard offered to perform both procedures to remove the cataracts for free, but that still left a pricey bill for two uses of the surgery suite. God, however, already had begun to work in the lives of Luz, our medical staff and our congregation.
Beverly North, the clinic’s director, spoke to one of Memorial Road’s Sunday morning Bible classes about the need. The class immediately took up a contribution and, within minutes, had collected the funds for the suite both times.
I’m happy to report that, after the procedures, Luz now has 20/20 vision in each eye. She was blind, and now she can see.
Luz with her daughter.She told me it’s like being born again. She’s newly aware of the colors, the details she’s missed. She can work now as she takes care of her children. She continues to search spiritually. Many seeds have been planted.
Treatment for Luz has meant multiple doctor appointments on different sides of the Oklahoma City metro, and I’ve been glad to offer my time for transport and translation. She’s told me repeatedly how thankful she is for the generosity she’s been shown.
And I’m thankful that she asked why.
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