Seeking God gives vision and purpose, says blind author
Every year in November, the Oklahoma Hall of Fame honors several of its own with the highest award given in our state.
One of the recipients this year was a speaker at my luncheon series “Esther Women,” thanks to our mutual friend, Terri Cornett. The honoree is from Tulsa and is a walking inspiration — Jim Stovall.
Stovall’s credentials are definitely first rate. He’s the founder and president of the Emmy Award-winning “Narrative Television Network.” He’s been a national champion weightlifter. Stovall is a successful author of more than a dozen books, and wrote the best-seller “The Ultimate Gift,” which was made into a feature film starring James Garner and Abigail Breslin. A much sought-after speaker, he has a long list of accomplishments and awards — all made more impressive because Stovall is blind.
Even though his eyesight had been diminishing for years, the real diagnosis came when he was 17. A medical specialist told him that he wasn’t sure why, and he didn’t know when but, beyond a shadow of a doubt, someday Stovall would completely lose his sight. Nothing could be done. Stovall had always attended church growing up, but his faith journey now became deeply personal.
His ambition had been to become a professional football player. Now his vision loss would take that off the table. In addition to no more football — or scholarship — he faced giving up driving and being able to read. But Stovall forged ahead. Instead of focusing on what he couldn’t do, he centered on what he could — turning from football to weight lifting. When it came to reading, at Oral Roberts University, he was aided by a student tutor. Her name was Crystal and, eventually, they married.
Several years after he graduated, the dreaded day arrived.
Stovall writes: “I remember waking up one morning, and I stepped into the bathroom and turned on the bright light and looked in the mirror and I couldn’t see anything ... the light, the mirror, nothing. And I realized, that’s
it. I have now reached the bottom of this. And I went into this little 9x12 room at the back of my house. I fully intended never to walk out of that room again.”
Stovall says he lost more than his sight. “Sight is a precious thing, but compared to vision, it’s really nothing, because people perish for lack of vision. People can live well without sight.”
In his book, “You Don’t Have to be Blind to See,” he shares what he learned from his experience, and how, regardless of circumstances, we still can fulfill our destinies.
First, however, it was up to Stovall to leave that small room.
His struggle and frustration, and the fear of leaving that known-and-safe place, was more than he could have imagined. Then one day, he realized: “This isn’t living. This is only existing. I’m not going to lose any more of my sight, but if I continue to sit here, I’m going to lose my life.”
Stovall said: “As soon as the fear of not trying gets to be bigger than the fear of failing, we move.” That first day, when he stepped out of the 9x12 room, he wasn’t awarded a gold medal or an Emmy — he walked 52 feet to the mailbox. Thus began Stovall’s life purpose.
“One afternoon, I put on this old movie that I had enjoyed while I could see. I thought, I’ll just listen and follow along. But then, in the story, somebody shot somebody, and somebody screamed, and a car sped away, and I forgot what happened and I got really frustrated. I thought, somebody ought to do something.”
So Stovall developed narrative TV. Television shows and movies now have an extra soundtrack, making them accessible to 13 million blind and visually impaired people all across the United States and millions more around the world. That stunning success led to Stovall’s speaking and writing career.
“Before I lost my sight, and before I started pursuing things in my life that are bigger than me, I was a religious person,” he said. “After losing my sight and pursuing things that are far out of my comfort zone, I had to get out of religion and get into relationship.”
He speaks of that higher calling: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well (Matthew 6:33).”