His Blind Butterfly

About Me: The Blind Butterfly

I was born the youngest of three girls. My parents were told if they had had eight children, two would have been born with genetic issues that would cause blindness; I was one of the two lucky kids my parents had who were born without sight. My father—my best friend—was a loving, incredible man of God who devoted his life to the church as a missionary. He passed away before I turned twelve, but there is no doubt in my mind as to where he went. He taught me what it was to live a life full of integrity, close to God, before I even understood the true meaning of faith. Despite the ups and downs of life, my mom continues to be a prayer warrior who shows me what it looks like to be a bold woman of faith. 

Forty-some years later, I have been dealing with health issues for several years. The last couple of years, things spiraled out of control quickly. I am now on oxygen and wheelchair-bound, with a port-a-cath in my chest. But God continues to sustain me every day of my life, and I will praise Him until He takes me home. 

I ended up with a set of twin girls that are godsent. “My little aliens,” as I call them, turned out to be very different than the other twenty-somethings around their age. I’ve devoted my life to them, raising them as a single mother. The one thing I wanted was for them to eventually have a personal relationship with God; I did not want them to live on borrowed faith. I thank God He has carried them every step of the way, and they now know Him for themselves.

It has always been the three of us against the world, with God at the helm of our ship. So let me tell you a story. Let me show you how my God—a faithful, kind, endlessly merciful God— has protected, comforted, and loved me through what sometimes feels like hell. He is the God who stays. He is Jehovah Rapha—my healer—even when infirmities come. He is El Roi; He always finds me and sees me here. He speaks to me even when it feels like no one is listening.

About My Family: 

• I was also blessed with a stepdad. He has known me since birth. I no longer see him as a “stepdad.” He’s my father for all intents and purposes, and always treated me as his own. He thinks I am a superhero, and is the best grandfather to my girls. I also have a second mom who believed in me when no one else did. What she lacks in stature she makes up for in strength and boldness. I have a little brother in her son, who is kind, loyal, and makes us proud. 
• I have a third daughter—a white girl who fits into our Mexican family seamlessly. She is one of the most loyal people I know, and loves with the fiercest kind of love. 
• My nieces and nephews are the most beautiful in all the land. 
• I have three close friends; one long distance friend, a childhood best friend, and my spiritual best friend. I have known one since college, one since I was eleven, the other for a little over a year.

Fun Facts About Me:

• I love to think about colors and geography. Why did it occur to God to give me an obsession with colors and a fascination with geography when I cannot see? Who knows. He sure has a sense of humor. 
• I will read just about anything I can get my hands on—from memoirs and thrillers to scientific articles and anything in between. I love to sing and play games with my nieces and nephews, or just about any child I am lucky enough to babysit.