Let your Light Shine,
My purpose is to help with both physical and spiritual blindness.
Dr. Sylvia Jones
When I was a child at my 1st church, I was maybe 5 or 6. I would get up, tell my testimony, and sing this song called, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine!” I loved that song and have sang it many times to my own children. God has a funny way of giving you a purpose and a plan in the womb. The Purpose Driven Life.
I was born to be a child of the light, I’m sure that is why I loved that song so much. However, light, vision, and blindness have somehow turned into the theme of my life. Fast forward to junior year of college. I was in college as biology major with no plan of what I was going to do with the rest of my life. I loved math and science and soon discovered that I was also excellent at physics. I got an A in every high-level physics class I ever took, it just clicked (I know I’m weird, and that’s ok). I became fascinated with light one day during a lesson on quantum physics. The professor taught about the interesting things that happened the closer you get to the speed of light. Things like length contraction (distance gets shorter) and time dilation (time gets longer!). As a science geek this totally blew my mind, time could change? I was so happy that I had found something that actually excited me. Nothing really excited me so I knew I had to do something with it.
Shortly after I went into a church service and oh my goodness, you know what the sermon was about “Light!” At that point I was like God what are you trying to tell me about? The sermon talked about Jesus being the Light of the World! I remember looking at the beautiful chandelier in the room and wondering, was God really in the light was he all around me all the time in the actual light? That day I went to the Bible and did a thorough study on light and it led me to physical and spiritual blindness. That’s when God revealed that my purpose would be to help with both physical and spiritual blindness.
It was no accident that around the same time a mentor recommended I look into optometry. Optometry was founded out of optics. Optics is a branch of physics that includes the scientific study of sight, and the behavior of light! I couldn’t make this all up even if I tried. What in the world? How had I found my calling in such a unconventional way. I knew I was suppose to be an optometrist, it was my next step.
God is so good! He had actually already placed me in the right place, at the right time, with the right people. I was already at The Ohio State University, my dorm was just a short walk to the optometry college. It was so convenient that I took for granted that it was the only optometry school in Ohio. I took for granted that it was the #1 Optometry school in the nation! I had no idea how few African Americans had completed the program. At the time I had no clue, I just knew that it was what God had for me. The next morning I stumbled into the optometry admissions office and asked to learn more. The admissions officer still talks about the day I showed up. I asked about working at the college so I could learn more about Optometry. She found me a work study position with a fun English guy who would eventually be my optics professor.
Wow, what a destiny, what a marvelous plan, what an awesome Father! Oh how I love thee. That little job exposed me to some of the top optometric researchers in the world. Those people would be the same faces I saw on the admissions committee, my professors for the next 4 years, and now my beloved colleagues. As I tell the story it feels so orchestrated now, at the time I felt like it all happened in a daze. So young, yet so anointed and with so much favor I thought it was normal.
Knowledge of my purpose keeps me focused. I know that my time on earth is limited. God has called me to be a Vision Provider. I have been given the task to not only help others see 20/20 out of their glasses (Violet Eyewear), but to also help others gain a clear vision for their life. That is the purpose of Millionaire Faith, to help you gain a clear vision for your life. It is time to take off the blinders and put on God’s Glasses! Through His lenses, your life is full, free, purposeful, and abundant.
Below are some resources to help you identify and walk in your purpose:
The Path Made Clear: Discovering Your Life’s Direction and Purpose by Oprah Winfrey
Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
Identity: Discover Who You Are and Live a Life of Purpose by TD Jakes
Millionaire Faith 