Blindness opens a man’s eyes

Jeremiah was working on the drive shaft of his truck when the vehicle rolled backward, crushing his upper body and head and pinning him underneath. Miraculously, first responders were able to free him and transport him to the hospital.

After two weeks in a coma, Jeremiah opened his eyes to see…nothing. After almost 40 years of sight, Jeremiah couldn’t see even a flicker of light. Two more weeks in the hospital and several surgeries later, he returned home. He had survived, but his eyesight had not.

Believing friends and family members had shared the good news of Jesus with Jeremiah prior to his accident. At the time, that message seemed like foolishness to him. But gospel seeds had been planted, and the Holy Spirit was working on his stony heart.

When Jeremiah awoke from his coma, he talked about getting baptized. God created a hunger for the Word and opened his eyes to the truth as Jeremiah listened to the Bible on his smart phone. Questions about the Lord were suddenly numerous. A friend brought him to Bible information class, where he’s been learning the essential truths of the Scriptures.

After a couple months of study, Jeremiah asked if he and his two girls could be baptized. On September 14, 2019, dad and daughters, ages 9 and 14, were reborn into God’s family, washed with water through the Word. The sisters have joined their father in learning the stories of God’s grace in the Bible.

Before Jeremiah lost his sight, he ran a successful contracting business, was an avid hunter and outdoorsman, and was a critic of Christ. His construction work is limited now, although he still manages some of his own home repairs. Friends even help him to enjoy some hunting.

But the biggest change in Jeremiah’s life is his attitude toward Jesus. By his grace, the Lord turned his child away from the darkness of unbelief and brought him into the light of faith. The accident had left him blind, yet Jeremiah could finally see that he and his family needed a Savior from sin, death, and the power of the devil. He has gained 20/20 vision that Jesus Christ is that Savior. And he knows that his blindness is temporary, for when he reaches heaven he will gaze on all the glory of his Redeemer.

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9).

Jesse Johnston is pastor at Mt. Calvary, Menasha, Wis., where he sees God working in the lives of people like Jeremiah.

WELS Mission for the Visually Impaired (wels.net/mvi) makes Christian resources available free of charge to anyone who is visually impaired or has a disability that prevents them from reading a book.