The late singer and actor Gordon McRae told this story: It seems that Arnold Palmer was invited to come to a convention of blind golfers. He asked the golfers how they were able to know what direction to hit the ball. One blind golfer explained that the caddy went out ahead of him with a little bell which he would ring as he stood near the hole. The blind golfer would then hit the ball towards the sound of the bell. Arnold asked how well it worked, and the blind golfer said that it worked so well he was willing to take on Arnold Palmer for a round of golf; and just to make it interesting, was willing to bet Palmer ten thousand dollars he could beat him. Well, this just blew Palmer's mind. He pressed him, but the man insisted he was willing to bet that amount on his ability to beat Palmer. So, the deal was struck. Palmer said, "OK. What time do we tee off?" And the blind man said, "10:30...tonight!"
When William Pitt was prime minister of Great Britain, he moved about painfully on crutches. A man came to him one day complaining that he had been given an impossible task. In response, Pitt picked up his crutches and shook them at the man. "Impossible, sir?" he shouted, "I walk on impossibilities"
Fanny Crosby was blind since childhood and lived to be ninety-five. She wrote this poem at age eight.
Blind but Happy
O what a happy soul am I!
Although I cannot see,
I am resolved that in this world
Contented I will be;
How many blessings I enjoy
That other people don't!
To weep and sigh because I'm blind,
I cannot, and I won't.
During her lifetime she wrote nearly 9,000 poems of the Christian faith, many of which became well loved hymns.
Add to the human spirit the Apostle Paul's statement found in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Come learn about that concept with us.
Pastor John Giesbrecht
