A remarkable lady..

A couple of weeks ago I was privilege to attend a concert by Marilyn Baker.  Marilyn is a remarkable lady.  She became blind as a child, but soon demonstrated a gift for music, which took her to the Royal College of Music and on into the teaching profession. Her deep desire to help others discover the love that has so changed her life led her into Christian ministry through music. During the past 20 years or more Marilyn has travelled around the world, becoming a very popular and well-loved singer-songwriter.

Notwithstanding the hurdles which have had to be overcome as a blind person, Marilyn’s Christian faith radiates from her.  As well as her undoubted gifts as a singer/songwriter, she also has the ability to relate her deep personal Christian faith through stories, anecdotes, and sharing personal experiences.  Clearly, her life has not been without its tough times, but her testimony is that through all the ups and downs of life she has known the constant presence, love and guidance of God.  Her personal relationship with Jesus is evident in her songs.

Marilyn’s guide dog Saffie was with her at the concert.  During the concert, Marilyn came down from the stage in order to demonstrate a point she was trying to make.  She put Saffie in her harness, took hold of the lead, and commanded Saffie to find the nearest door.  Though Saffie is a relatively young and inexperienced guide dog, she safely guided Marilyn to the door.  The point Marilyn made was that she was able to reach the door only because she was connected to Saffie through the lead; she also had to put her whole trust in Saffie to get her to the right place.

She then went on to relate that example to the journey through life.  Just as Marilyn took hold of the lead and trusted Saffie, so we need to take hold of God’s hand and trust him to be our guide.  When Jesus called the first disciples he said, ‘follow me’.  It’s a decision we all have to make.  Will we accept the invitation, take hold of his hand, and put our lives into his hands?  In my experience, to do so will probably lead us to some unexpected places, but there’s no better place to be than walking with Jesus!