A few months ago I bought a children’s Bible. For those who don’t know why, I wanted to understand the Bible better on a simpler scale. I wanted to know the chronological order of stories that I’ve been told since I was young and I wanted to learn the basics in words that I would understand easier. Since the purchase, I’ve been slowly picking away at it, absorbing and learning all that I can from it.

On this particular day, I did something different than I have in the past. Most of the times when I read this Bible I just pick it up and start going at it. I don’t really put too much thought into every detail because my goal has been to just get through the whole thing so I can take what I learn and apply it to the real Bible and not be so confused. But, this morning I took some time to pray about what I was going to read and that one of stories would speak a little extra to me.

This is the story that nudged my heart today: Mark 10: 46-52. 

The cool thing about this children’s Bible is that on the very first page of each story it tells where exactly you can find it in the real Bible. So, I read the short story, felt a push at my heart, and took it to the real Bible next to see if there were any details I was missing.

God has a sense of humor. He really does. I’m an over-thinker and always think there is something deeper with literally everything. I go to the Bible and read the verses. The story in the real Bible was just as short and simple as the Children’s version. HA.

“It’s really that simple” is exactly what God was telling me.

So, let me tell you about this story and where I’m going with this.

There was a guy named Bartimaeus who was blind. He was sitting near the edge of the city of Jericho and he heard voices. As the voices got closer, he realized it was a crowd and someone told him it was Jesus passing through. Bartimaeus or B (I came up with that official nickname for him) shouted for Jesus. “Jesus! Son of David! Have pity on me!” The people around Jesus told B to be quiet. Instead, B shouted louder and louder for Jesus. Jesus told the people to bring B to Him and Jesus asked him what he wanted. B told him that he wanted to see. Jesus said to him “Look and you will see! Your eyes are healed because of your faith.” B was miraculously able to see, and all he wanted to do was follow Jesus from then on. And he did just that and went with Jesus and the people.

Bartimaeus is the perfect example of trusting when we cannot see. I personally have been struggling for quite some time with my “post-graduate plans”. Everyone seems to be off to grad school or plans to pursue huge careers. And I don’t mean to compare, but human nature and American culture make me feel like I’m not doing what I “should” be doing. And like Bartimaeus, I feel blind. I feel like I have no idea what’s coming next and sometimes I struggle with “walking by faith”.

But what did Bartimaeus do that inspired me this morning? He calls out to Jesus. There were all of these people around Jesus that could have made him turn the other way for fear of being rejected or pushed aside. The people tell B to be quiet, so what does he do? SHOUTS LOUDER. When society is bringing us down and telling us that trusting in “God’s plan” is ridiculous or that we need to “quiet down” about Him, we should be crying out LOUDER than the first time. We should be praising His name and screaming for guidance because He WILL come through.

What happens when Bartimaeus finally does come face to face with Jesus? Jesus helps him see a completely new and beautiful world that He never knew existed. If we can have faith and trust Him through the times where we feel blind, He will reveal an extraordinary plan that we never would have seen coming had we listened to the people and quieted down. When we feel let down or burnt out from not knowing what’s coming next or where the light at the end of the tunnel is, we should be shouting our absolute loudest and praising the hardest because we know that’s when he’ll really hear us. And at the right time, He will open our eyes to see a beautiful path that we could have missed, had we not cried as loud as we did.

Do you feel blind in the next step of your life? Or are you having a hard time seeing the good in the situation you’re in? I encourage you to learn from Bartimaeus. Cry out louder to God than you ever have before. Keep praising His name. Don’t let others or the world bring you down. You want Him to hear you so He knows you trust His plan. And He will reveal the beauty to you, a beauty that will blow your mind.

Much love,