Everyday Miracles for someone visually impaired

By Anita Barker Andersen

I have now been visually impaired for over 40 years. My medical record states that I am severely handicapped, having only enough sight to see my way about, not being able to orient myself in unknown places,and having only two percent vision.

Anita Barker Andersen has been speaker during many conferences for women and also guest speaker on many occasions all over the world.

Photographer JUNIA MAGAZINE

In spite of this diagnosis, nobody seems to notice. More than 30 years ago the Lord spoke to me very strongly. A woman who did not know me and did not know about my disability, gave me a message from the Lord during a service on the first day of a Bible school in Maine. He said that He would heal my blind eyes. Until then, I was to walk in faith as if I could already see. He would take care of the rest.

A couple of years ago I received an explanation for the miracle I am living, the miracle that no one seems to notice that I cannot see well. A person that works with visually impaired people told me, “I have never before seen a person with impaired vision and the natural body movement of a sighted person! Such a person usually moves in a specific way because he can’t see his surroundings”.

The miracle I have lived is that my subconscious and my central nervous system do not seem to realise that I cannot see. For example, my feet always run up stairs, and it is exciting for my head to follow. When somebody hands out printed material, the hands receive it before the head starts to ask what I am going to use it for (because I cannot read it). Automatically I seek eye contact with those with whom I speak, even though I cannot see the head of the person, as my central vision is missing.

My consultant at the hospital has talked to me about breaking down my resistance to using a white cane that was given to me 30 years ago. But as I have not fallen or tripped yet without the cane, I would probably do so with the cane, because of the speed I normally walk! I live in this miracle daily. Almost every day people ask me about it, and that gives me an opportunity to testify to what God is doing.

A couple of days after that prophetic word 40 years ago, concerning acting as if I could see, the big test came. We were about to have gym class at school, and for that semester we were going to play baseball. This is a completely impossible sport for me to play, as I cannot see the ball in time. How then would I manage to hit the ball? First I thought I would ask to be excused from class, but then I was reminded of the prophetic word. The Lord also gave me Philippians 4:13: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Now I just had to test this! All the other players had grown up playing baseball, but for me it was a new game. At last it was my turn to take the bat and I said a prayer, “Lord Jesus, help me hit the ball!”. Then I started swinging the bat around, the ball came flying through the air – and I hit it! Unfortunately the ball landed on first base and I was out.

The next inning, I asked for a good hit! I continued to play the whole season and had good hits throughout. I would be able to run to either second or even third base before they got the ball. They said that I played better than most of the other team members. Every gym class became a miracle. Imagine – God cares about ball games! After 30 years it was time to try again. Our church was playing a baseball game and I had not thought about participating. However, because there were small children playing too, I thought that maybe I should give it a try. Imagine – it still worked! I made four home runs! Life with Jesus is very exciting and a lot of fun!