
Karen Wingate
Author of Grateful Heart: 60 Reasons to Give Thanks in All Things, Karen Wingate loves to write about God’s presence and activity in our world. She enjoys making homemade bread, knitting blankets for babies in need, and watching sunsets in her hometown of Tucson, AZ. Visit Karen at www.karenwingate.com
My Story
I have known the sustaining power and presence of God throughout my life. At birth, my vision was like looking through a heavy shower curtain liner. Eight childhood surgeries improved my eyesight to a barely functional level. Still labeled as legally blind, I attended public school, gained three college degrees, raised two daughters, worked beside my husband in ministry in six different states, and maintained my own writing and speaking ministry. Always, God walked with me, showing me that He was able to provide, protect, and empower me to go far beyond what I could do in my own strength.
Then my vision began to deteriorate due to a torn retina that, at first, the doctor did not think was repairable. Through a series of God-sized interventions, I underwent surgery under local anesthesia in May, 2016 with little assurance that my vision would stabilize. During the surgery, the doctor repaired the tear, took the opportunity to fix several other issues, and then told me, “I guarantee you will be able to see better than you have ever seen before.”
Since then, I’ve been on a quest to discover all my new eyesight will allow me to see. In the process, I’ve seen God, His creation, and the people He loves in fresh ways.