Faith - Live like a Guide Dog

“The LORD will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” (Isaiah 58:11, NIV)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV)

Over the years, I have held many jobs. Most of them involved selling technology. When I was working in the World Trade Center on 9/11, I was a regional sales manager for a Fortune 500 tech company. I’ve sold technology, computers, and software; run my own company; served as the national public affairs director at Guide Dogs for the Blind; and been a full-time motivational speaker, which I still do today. Currently I also work for a company that makes websites more accessible for disabled people. One of my main responsibilities in that role is hosting a podcast called Unstoppable Mindset—a job I absolutely love.

Throughout my life, I’ve had to be flexible, take chances, but also to have faith that God was guiding me through every turn, whether joyful or difficult. His presence is the one constant in my widely varied career but also in my personal life. What I have found is that God’s constant presence provides a peace that passes understanding. And when you are at peace, you can walk forward, even if you feel afraid. Faith drives out fear.

All of us have core fears, and one of mine revolves around finances. Will I have enough money for bills and necessities? Perhaps you struggle with this fear as well—I think most people worry about money, at least once in a while. For me as a blind person, this fear has a second layer. I believe blind people can do anything sighted people can do. My life has shown that I’m actually capable of doing just that. But I often feel my own success is not just about me, but about proving to the world that blind people deserve opportunities that are often denied them.

Because our culture equates financial success with competence, my worries about money are tangled up with my fear that people will discriminate against me because I am blind. And that fear is based on reality: I have faced discrimination my whole life, and part of my boldness is a response to needing to overcome the prejudice that others have against not just blind people, but anyone with any sort of disability.

My consulting and speaking career provided me an opportunity to face those fears and walk boldly forward. In that season, my faith in God deepened. I needed God to provide—and God did! Little did I know the amazing ways in which God would guide me. When we trust, and God provides, our faith grows. And with it, our courage.

Prayer:

God, help me to live by faith, to walk beside you and trust you to guide me and show me the way.