White Canes and Bible Verses

White Canes and Bible Verses

Future Reflections Spring 1999, Vol. 18 No. 1
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White Canes and
Bible Verses

Editor’s Note: I found
the following item in a recent edition of Advocacy in Action, the newsletter
of our Ohio NFB Parents Division. Crystal McClain is the President of the affiliate,
and the editor of the newsletter. Crystal was intrigued by an unusual example
of enlightened attitudes about blindness that she discovered tucked away in
a book of devotions. Such little gems are exciting to discover because they
confirm that we are making progress; our message about the capacities of the
blind is getting out to the public, in sometimes very unexpected ways and places.
One doesn’t have to be religious or a Christian to appreciate the positive
message about blindness conveyed by this devotion. Here it is as Crystal shared
it with the Advocacy readers:
Well Look What I Found
While I was
looking for the perfect devotion to give at a monthly United Methodist Women
meeting, I came across an article in my sixteen-year-old daughter’s book
One Year Book of Youth Devotions by Josh McDowell. I opened the book
to the middle and right there on page 187, the July 5th
devotion, was the article listed below. Have a look and see what you think of
this. I liked it!
July
5th White Cane
Have you ever
seen a person who is blind walking down the street? How did that person know
where to go, when to stop, and when to turn? Many blind people use a white cane.

A white cane
can become an amazing tool in the hands of a man or woman (or child) who knows
how to use one. Some people who are blind can walk as well as, and as quickly
as, someone can with perfect eyesight because they’ve mastered the use
of the white cane. The sight-impaired person can tell by the way the cane bounces
whether he’s on a sidewalk or grass or a path. The sound of the cane’s
tapping against the ground changes when the person approaches large objects
like a wall or a building. The sound of the cane announces a sudden drop-off
like a curb, or even a small obstacle, like a tricycle or a roller skate.
Using a white
cane to find your way is kind of like using God’s Word. God’s Word
warns us of things that can trip us up or hurt us, just as a cane warns a blind
person of obstacles in his or her path.
Of course,
you don’t carry a Bible with you all the time, do you? And sometimes
there’s just no time to thumb through the Bible looking for answers, right?
That’s why it is so important to memorize God’s Word. When you memorize
a verse of the bible, it’s always available to you; you’re never caught
without the tools you need to make a right choice; and it’s a lot easier
to go the right way without hesitating or stumbling.
So why not start—one
verse at a time—to hide God’s Word in your heart and mind so that
it can guide you, even in the dark? Make the following verse your motto: “Your
word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105, NIV)
After all, a white cane isn’t much help if it’s left at home, right?
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