Find Your Can

A question that I receive often is, “What does a normal day consist of for you and your guide dog?” 

On an average morning, we are dropped off downtown where we will usually run by the coffee shop or head to my office to start working.

Work for my ministry usually consists of writing a blog or devotion, rehearsing a speech, conducting a Bible study, or having an encouragement session with someone either in person or over the phone. 

All of which Jackson does not find too exciting, so he will settle in for a nap. 

Throughout the day, Jackson and I may visit one of the local shops or grab a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant.

Sara Claudia petting her guide dog, Jackson, while inside Gallery Row Coffee.

Having the freedom and confidence to do such mundane activities is something that I missed so much after losing my sight.

As Jackson and I left my office after a day much like the one I just described, I could not help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude. 

As we walked towards the street crossing, I thought to myself, “I love this life I live.” 

Instantly, I also thought how absurd that would sound to many people. 

How could I love a life spent in darkness, hardship, and dependence on others? 

To be clear, I do not love my blindness or all of the hardships it brings. 

In 2015, when I lost my sight, my life turned into one that I was not always content with and, for a long time, one that I never thought I would adapt to. 

From my experience, however, I have learned that the secret to living a happy, productive, and peace-filled life is two-fold. 

Primarily, it takes a whole lot of faith and trust in Christ. 

Second, it is all about doing what you can with what you have, even if you are in the middle of a seemingly impossible situation. 

From this second point, I have developed a motto that I repeat to myself often: 

Find Your Can.

A pink and gold background with text that says, “Find your can.”

This means that, even when your circumstances are not ideal, you find what you can do, despite that situation, to have joy and move forward. 

In this way, your “can” will change with time. 

At the beginning of my blindness, my “can” some days was just getting out of bed. 

Then, I found joy and felt productive as I learned to do trivial things independently again such as picking out my outfits or preparing a small meal. 

My “can” continued to evolve as I learned how to navigate my college campus independently, traveled out of the state for the first time on my own, and most recently, gained the skills needed to travel with a guide dog.

One of my favorite Bible passages aligns with this motto perfectly. 

It says:

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

(James 1:2-3, ESV)

This does not mean that when trials arise in our lives we jump up and down in merriment. We must grieve and acknowledge what we have lost or the hardship we are facing. 

However, there also comes a time when we must choose to keep moving forward, accept God’s comfort, strength, and guidance, and do what we can with what we have left.

When you “find your can,” you will inevitably grow more thankful for the little things and more observant of how beautifully God works even in the ugly parts of life. 

All of this, as James 1:2-3 tells us, can strengthen our faith as we continue to rely on God to help us use the broken parts of our lives to glorify Him.

I encourage you to turn to the Lord in prayer as you use what you have to glorify Him and find joy today.

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Tillman Eye Center, which serves Carrollton, GA with a wide range of optometry services in a professional and comfortable environment with staff who care.

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