by David Scott Robertson
I love to play racquetball.
I love the sport.
I love the cardiovascular workout that it gives me.
I love the brotherhood and fellowship of my partners.
I love the thrill of competition –
And I love to win.
There’s only one minor technical difficulty I have to overcome in my game – R.P.
R.P. stands for Retinitus Pigmentosa.
That’s a fancy medical term for scar tissue on my retinas that block light from reaching the cones and rods in my eyeballs thereby rendering affected portions blind.
R.P. is an incurable, untreatable, inoperable, irreversible and progressive eye disorder that leads to blindness.
As an R.P. sufferer, I have zero night vision (better known as “night blindness”)
And “experts” tell me my peripheral vision will gradually disappear from sight over time.
(NOTE: To simulate what a person with R.P. sees, take two empty cardboard toilet paper tubes and hold them over your own eyes – that’s basically what I see.)
My ophthalmologist reports that I have only 20% vision left in one eye and 10% in the other thanks to R.P.
Now trying to function normally in life with R.P. is challenging,
But R.P. to a racquetball player is really a bummer.
Because of R.P. I lose lots of games.
Because of R.P. points are played that I never see.
Sometimes my opponent will hit a hard serve and I’ll just stand there without moving having never seen the ball at all as he wins the point uncontested.
Many times, my opponent will hit a high ball and it will zig-zag around the upper walls of the court and I’ll lose it and have to listen for a clue of its location in hopes of getting a glimpse and a split-second to react if I can catch it in my limited field of vision.
More times that I’d care to tell you, I’ve had the ball hit me in the face, the head, all over my body because, truly, I never saw it coming.
R.P. has brought to my racquetball game
Frustration,
Aggravation,
Anger,
Disappointment,
Humiliation,
And much discouragement.
So, if that’s the way things are,
Why subject myself to such an ordeal?
Because it’s better to play and lose than not play at all.
Because when I do win it’s against all odds.
I’m always the underdog.
And yet, God helps me to prevail in many matches,
And at those times I am in awe at God’s grace operating in my life.
(I dedicate ALL victories to Jesus Christ!)
I tell you why I continue to play racquetball –
Because I can’t let R.P. beat me.
If I do, then other “little foxes” will stealthily creep in and try to bully me as well.
I cannot let R.P. discourage me to the point of giving up something I love to do.
Jesus never gave up, why should I?
Every time I enter a racquetball court,
In a way,
It is a prophetic act that proclaims that “my God is able to deliver me.”
God can and will teach us the advantages of adversity.
We may not be thankful “for” all circumstances but we can be thankful “in” all circumstances.
I heard a preacher say one time:
“There’s not but two times to praise God:
When you feel like and when you don’t, and when you don’t is the best time of all.”
In the school of suffering much learning takes place.
I’m learning a lot about life by climbing into a racquetball court and playing with R.P…
1. I’m learning who my friends are.
Brave souls who continue to play with me in spite of my handicap.
2. I’m learning that losing with integrity is a superior victory.
3. I’m learning that you can be a good sport without being a Christian
But you cannot maintain a solid Christian witness without being a good sport.
4. I’m learning that humiliation builds character.
5. I’m learning that there are some opponents that I couldn’t beat even if I had two good eyes!
Now this next statement I want to put in writing and date it for posterity.
This is a faith declaration to the Lord Jesus Christ
And a declaration of war to the enemy of my soul:
“I am a miracle in the making!”
God will heal my eyes!
I believe by the authority of God’s Word and in the name of Jesus Christ
That Father God send His Word in the form of His Son to heal me.
One day,
Either instantaneously or progressively,
My sight will be fully restored!
(Fair warning to my racquetball opponents! – watch out!)
Until then…
I draw strength from what the Lord said to the apostle Paul
And what the Apostle Paul said to the Lord in 2 Corinthians 12:9:
“But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”
Until then…
I will walk [and play racquetball] by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).
“The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.” (Mat 15:31 NIV)
DSR
7/21/02