His Great Sacrifice, Our Great CommissionSample

Excerpt: Hope Delivered by Rob Hoskins
My father is blind in one eye, and like him, I’ve been able to see well out of only one eye for years. But nothing prepared me for the morning I woke up unable to see out of my “good eye.”

My retinas were too thin. One was completely detached, and the other was about to detach. They performed an emergency surgery to try to save the one eye. But this surgery required six weeks of recovery, and during the entire six weeks I had to lie prone with my face down to keep the retina still in hopes it would heal. And there was no guarantee of success. They wouldn’t know if it had worked until the six weeks ended, and I stood up. There was every possibility that once I stood, I would be blind. I can’t even describe to you the anguish in my heart during this time.

The first surgery did not cure me, and over the course of an entire year, I went through six surgeries.

I still remember a nurse removing the bandages after my sixth surgery. Usually my eyes are so bad that I can’t even read the gigantic E at the top of the eye chart - I can’t see it. As the bandages came off and I looked at the chart, I could read every letter. God has the power to heal, and He did heal me.

The greatest expression of our "affect destiny" mission can be born out of the deepest pain. It's the same way that a crucifixion was necessary to bring eternal hope - to transform sin and death into life and liberty. The same way my blindness and year of struggle were necessary to transform my life and ministry. What has been your blindness, your darkest hour? Have you allowed God to transform it into the victory and calling that he intends for you?

I encourage you not to waste a single heartache but to seek for God's plan in the middle of it. He doesn't let us suffer needlessly, and your suffering may be the bridge to your destiny.