WITH JESUS THROUGH THE TURN IN THE ROAD
Sakkie Parsons
Someone contacted me and told me about another person who is in the process of becoming blind, and because I am also blind, they asked me for advice in this regard.
I then sent the following reply to the person, but what I am about to say, in my opinion, applies to any crisis or trial that may come along my path in life—and I am not speaking from hearsay.
Naturally, I was very fortunate, because when my eyesight began to deteriorate rapidly, I was already a child of our Lord—but let me start at the beginning.
I was still very young when welfare removed us children from our parents.
It was also a welfare officer who, over time, discovered that something was wrong with my eyes. She must have been very observant, because at that stage I could still see very well.
I was still able, well into my twenties, to visit my girlfriends by bicycle, and even when I was completely blind, my wife—who is now with Jesus—said to me that one could not tell from my eyes that I was blind, unless you looked very closely and already knew that I was blind.
I mention this simply to show what a wonderful welfare officer our Lord sent across my path back then, because she immediately arranged for me to attend the school for the blind in Worcester.
In 1973 I came to repentance and was baptized.
In 1978 I realized that my eyesight was now deteriorating rapidly, but I was a child of our Lord, and I knew—and to this day this remains my motto:
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Then, when melanoma cancer was discovered in me in 1997, I asked the doctor:
“What are my chances?”
Her answer was that if they could not stop it, I had three, maybe six months to live.
I clung to my God, and throughout the weekly treatments of 1998, I held on to Him and knew: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28 from the New Living Translation)
Why do I tell this story about myself when someone asks me for advice regarding a person who is becoming blind?
Because the only real textbook knowledge I have on how to deal with problems is the Word of God, and the clearest practical proof I have that what is written in the Word works 100%, is my own experience on life’s journey.
So, the very first thing I tell people to do in order to handle whatever comes their way in life is this: Start at the beginning.
Acts 2:37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 2:39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.
You see, there is only one true way to God for help—
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Yes! This Way, Truth, and Life is not only exactly who He says He is, but in addition to that, He took upon Himself my blindness, and the blindness of all blind people, and every other disability and sickness, and whatever it is—of whoever it may be—that makes life difficult for us.
Isaiah 53:3
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Isaiah 53:4
Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
If you have already done what I mentioned above, then the next step, according to my experience, is this:
Cling to our Lord—and I want to add, with the greatest respect—hold on with everything you have.
What I mean by this is:
Speak continually to our Lord about the crisis in your life, and pour out your heart to Him.
What I am about to say now is something we did not do in 1997, simply because we did not think of it and because no one suggested it—but because you and your family are fallible people, I want to suggest the following:
If possible, come into contact with a pastoral psychologist and receive counseling—you and your family.
Remember, what is happening to you is also a tremendously traumatic experience for your family, because they love you.
Also surround yourself with friends who are children of God. Their encouragement and support will help you greatly.
Remember too, that what is happening to you is not the end of life, but another beginning—and if you give this other beginning half a chance, it becomes a wonderfully new adventure.
Remember Romans 8:28—I repeat it again and this time from the Amplified Bible:
Romans 8:28 (AMP)
28 And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose.
I look at my life as a road, and this road leads me—with many turns, but also long straight stretches—to Heaven.
The turns in the road are the crises and trials that come my way—and believe me, some of these turns can be very sharp.
When the road turns, I must turn with it, otherwise I will have a serious accident.
When a crisis arises in your life, follow the road.
In other words, go with Jesus through the crisis, trial, or turn.
Do not try to make your own road—such as ignoring the crisis, or giving in to self-pity, or alcohol, or something similar.
I personally do not know of a single person who took a shortcut or made their own road and came out unscathed on the other side. But I can say to you with great confidence that because I have each time followed the road that our Lord shows us in His Word, I have come through all my crises unharmed—and what is more, on the other side of every crisis I was a better person than I was before it.
There is only one Person who knows how to properly handle the turns in the road on the way to Heaven, and His Name is Jesus Christ.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
Of course, there are other roads that look very promising, but they are all dead ends—and the tragedy is that they all end in hell.
What I mean is this:
They become even bigger problems in themselves, and in the end, you are literally left with hellish problems.
Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death.
In my life, apart from the ordinary, I have gone through three extremely major crises—for the sake of this writing—and I have mentioned two of them here. But with hindsight, I now know that they were all actually new opportunities.
I also know that if I had not had a personal relationship with Jesus, I would not be sitting here today writing to you.
When I am tested and I do not fully understand it, I also remember:
1 Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
1 Peter 1:7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Do you know what is personally very difficult for me about a crisis or trial?
Because I am an ordinary human being—the crisis or trial itself.
Do you know what is personally so wonderful for me about a crisis or trial?
The fact that Jesus handles it together with me.
Jesus wants—if you give Him a chance—to go with you through the turn in the road, no matter how sharp that turn is or at what speed it comes.
He also says:
Matthew 11:28
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Do you see what is written there?
It is not maybe, or perhaps, or if.
It is will.
He wants to help you. Today He says to you—
Revelation 3:20
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
Revelation 3:21
“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”
Furthermore, on another occasion, Jesus said to the people:
John 8:12
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Sakkie