Lost In A Dark World
By Stewart Overbey
For the visually impaired, this world can be a lonely place. Even in the midst of living in one of the most developed, most evangelized countries in the world, I was still lost…but thankfully not forgotten. Twelve years ago, through the love and testimony of my grandparents, I received Christ.
Immediately upon receiving Christ, I was consumed with an unquenchable desire to study His Holy Word. I soon found a small church within walking distance who received me, loved me, and began to nourish me with God’s Word.
I had a heart filled with the joy of the Lord, and wanted to raise my voice in song with the rest of the congregation. Unable to read the hymnal; I couldn’t. Longing to follow along in scripture reading, as my Pastor preached, again; I couldn’t, with no access to a Bible. Desiring to participate in the Sunday school hour, (are you picking up on the trend here), you guessed it; I couldn’t. Most of the time I felt like just a spectator of church, not a participant.
That began to change on the second happiest day of my new life when I received the first few volumes of the Bible in Braille. It took a tall and wide bookcase to hold all 17 volumes. I was thrilled to finally be able to read His Word for myself. Immediately, I began studying through an online Bible college.
A visiting Missionary from SLM, came to speak at my church. He too was blind, and yet serving full time at SLM. I was so encouraged to learn that he had gone to seminary, and served as a pastor, before being called to SLM to establish an outreach to the blind. I soon knew that I too desired to join him at SLM.
SLM’s Braille Ministries is directed by Mr. Jim Tilson, who over the past few years, has directed the transcription and brailling of countless hymnals, SLM’s Bible study courses, Sunday School curriculum, and Our Daily Bread devotionals to braille readers throughout the US and beyond.
Additionally, SLM has started a Braille Bible institute which offers blind men and women who want to serve through their local church, or other ministry organizations, with a comprehensive Braille Bible study curriculum they study independently, from the comfort of their homes. And I now serve as Director of this Bartimaeus Bible Institute.
Bartimaeus was a blind beggar who appealed to Jesus for healing. Jesus, indeed opened his eyes, but more importantly, Christ opened his heart. Bartimaeus immediately followed Jesus. That’s what we wish to accomplish for and through Christ; to make disciples of the blind.
Vickie London, currently enrolled in SLM’s Bartimaeus Bible Institute writes:
My first encounter with SLM was around 2013 when I started receiving the Braille edition of Our Daily Bread. My husband and I use it every morning for our devotional time together.
I heard that there were Bible courses available in braille. I took My New Life 1, which was a basic study of how to become a Christian. I then heard about the Bartimaeus Bible Institute and since I have always wanted to learn more about God’s Word and how to study it, I signed up. I hope to use these courses to teach others about God’s plan for their lives.
If you know of a blind individual who would be interested in receiving the Our Daily Bread devotional, a Braille hymnal, or even a Bible study, please contact Jim, or myself, at 706.342.0397, or email us at: BrailleMinistries@slmin.org.
