And the blind shall see...

When the Good Book says, “and the blind shall see”, I have always about the individual that was being given their sight. 
Lately, I have learned that the bystander’s eyes might also be opened to see.
I want to tell you about Mia, an 18-year-old girl, and her blind father. They have been helping me on some construction projects here in Tonga.
When people told me that I would spend much of my mission to Tonga on my knees I assumed they were talking about praying. 
Most of the time on my knees has been doing construction.  When they said I would be building the kingdom, I didn’t realize that would be remodeling old houses for missionary housing. 
When I say old houses, I mean houses that were never finished, have never been lived in and the jungle was just about to overtake the small one-bedroom houses when we used our machete to hack our way to the opening in the building where a door should have been.
In a Third World country, tools are difficult to come by, materials are never in stock, and everything I need to cut, build or order is measured in the metric system. 
I remember ignoring the “We will all be using the metric system” talk in high school. 
It was the same talk Mr. Rowley used to explain why we needed to learn how to do math, “Do you think you are going to have a calculator in your pocket everywhere you go?” 
Oh man, if he could see us now!
I was told I wouldn’t need to learn to speak Tongan, which would be true if I stayed in the office with my too kind and loving wife and only talked to her and the other American Senior Missionaries. 
But all the carpenters and plumbers on the island speak Tongan.  So when I need help; I talk, draw pictures, make gestures, play charades, show them a picture from the internet and hope they understand that I want a “toilet in the bathroom” and not a “throne in the living room”.
The last eight weeks, we have worked on three houses and made more progress than anyone believed possible. 
We have running water, flush toilets, and lights.  In a Third World country, I call that a WIN!  Just call me Bob Vila.
The best part of this construction project is that I have met and made many new Tongan friends working on this project. 
They probably think “This crazy American wants everything today.  He needs to learn how to chill and enjoy our island life.” 
I love them all, they are good, salt-of-the-earth people that smile and laugh as easily as birds sing.
Mia is my electrician, she is 18-years old.  She works with her father who used to be an electrician but has gradually lost his eyesight and is essentially blind. 
He feels his way along unfamiliar places.  He must see shadows or perhaps has a good sixth sense because he will halt and listen carefully. 
Often, he sits and waits until Mia brings him the tool he needs.  She patiently tells him what colors the wires are.  Sometimes he directs her and explains what connections need to be made. 
She acts as an instrument in his hands to do a great work.  This humble girl helps her father and trusts in his wisdom and experience. 
“Boy Howdy!”  That is a sermon preached without a word being said.  She helps to bring light to a house and the world.   The obvious sermon or moral to the story is mind bending. 
I learned from my blind electrician that my vision is not as good as it could have been.  I am getting better at seeing miracles and recognizing that they are indeed an answer to a prayer, a tender mercy, or just a divine act of kindness from a God that loves us. 
This is the third house I have worked on with these two wonderful people and we have passed the inspection every time.  I think of the question “Do ye have eyes to see?” 
My blind electrician can tell the gauge of wire just by feeling it with his experienced fingers.  Once he asked for some 14-gauge wire and I thought I would test him, so I gave him 12-gauge wire. 
He laughed at me and said I needed to check my glasses.  He knows enough English to confuse me and I know enough Tongan to make him laugh (at me, not with me).
I have a team of Senior Missionaries that come and help whenever I call.  They wash windows, paint, go purchase materials, make curtains, or just hold the dumb end of the measuring tape; even though they are way smarter than me. 
But, I don’t think they paid attention when they got the “metric system talk” in high school either, because I always have to explain everything in “inches” and “centimeters”. 
“When the blind see” is probably talking about people like me, who walk around with relatively good eyesight but are not seeing the hand of God in all the good things I enjoy and take for granted. 
The lesson I have learned is how grateful I am to see a sunrise, a flower, a rainbow, the joy in a child’s face, and wrinkles in the mirror. 
I can see that my past is not a life sentence, and my future is still my choice.  I hope to make more good choices.
When “the blind shall see” is about me realizing that God sent a blind electrician to help me see that He is in the details and knows me better than I know me. 
He sent me to a lovely Pacific Island with warm weather and kind, loving, faithful people.  He gave me everything I wanted and my too kind and loving wife to keep me company.  That is how I know God called me on this mission.  I can see that now.