From "Clawing" to Communion

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From "Clawing" to Communion: What Helen Keller Taught Me About Talking to God

By Graham Charles Gambier

A girl draws water from a water pump with a hand drawing the word W A T E R on her palm
Girl at the water pump

We often treat faith as a prerequisite for prayer—a sort of spiritual "entrance fee." We tell ourselves that we must first believe, then we can speak to God. But recently, during a church Bible study, I was struck by a different truth: Faith is not the requirement for the conversation; it is the result of it.

The Unexplained Urge

A few weeks ago, I felt a strange nudge to read about the life of Helen Keller. It isn't a subject I would normally pick up, and to be honest, I felt a bit of natural resistance to the story. However, I have learned that following these intuitive instincts is part of living as a "natural being."

Recognising my reluctance, it’s as if the message was perfectly calibrated just for me; instead of a heavy book, I was led to a short article. It struck exactly the right note—providing something I could and would actually digest. I read about a girl trapped in a silent, dark prison, behaving like a wild animal.
She was considered "unteachable," lashing out at any hand that tried to reach her. She had effectively "seen off" every attempt at help, viewing the hands of those who loved her as "grabbing and clawing" at her. At the time, I didn't know why I was reading it; I just knew I had to.

The "Download" at the Pump

Last night at our Bible study, the reason for that "random" reading became clear. We were asked to sit in silence and ask God: "What do you want to say to me?"

Immediately, the name "Helen Keller" dropped into my spirit. Along with it came a profound "download"—a sudden, clear understanding that God had prepared me with her story because it is our story. I saw that many of us are exactly like young Helen. We find ourselves in "dark" circumstances, and we feel like life is "clawing" at us. We feel attacked by our trials, and we resist the very hand that is trying to teach us the language of Truth.

Breaking the Catch-22

Helen didn't need to understand the concept of "language" to stand at that water pump with her teacher, Anne Sullivan. She just had to be there. Before this breakthrough, Helen’s resistance was violent; she fought Anne so fiercely that she actually knocked out one of her teacher's teeth. Yet, Anne stayed.
As the cool water ran over one hand and Anne spelled W-A-T-E-R into the other, the "grabbing" suddenly became meaning.
The transformation was so total that she learned thirty new words before the sun went down.
This is the "Earth School" in action. We don’t need a certificate of faith to begin talking to God. We can come to Him in total unbelief, even saying, "I don't believe in You!" (Acts 17:27). When we stop fighting the "hand" of our circumstances and start asking, "What are You spelling to me?" the friction turns into a message.

Reflect and Connect: Finding Your "Water" Moment

  • The "Clawing" vs. The Message: Think of a challenge you are currently facing. Have you been viewing it as an attack? What changes if you consider that "Teacher" might be trying to spell something to you through that very circumstance?
  • The Faith Catch-22: Do you ever feel "not religious enough" to pray? How does the image of Helen Keller fighting her teacher—to the point of physical injury—help you feel more comfortable approaching God exactly as you are?
  • The Power of Dialogue: If faith is the result of the conversation, what is one honest thing you can say to God today to restart the dialogue?

A Note for our Community

For those of us living here with me in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, it’s easy to feel that we need to be "zen" or "enlightened" before we can connect with the Divine. But as we say here:

"No te esperes a tener fe para hablar con Dios. Aviéntate así como estés; la conexión se va dando en el camino."
(Don't wait to have faith to talk to God. Just jump in as you are; the connection builds itself along the way.)

Conclusion

Helen Keller called Anne Sullivan "Teacher" for the rest of her life. She realised that what she once thought was an assault was actually the ultimate act of Loving-Kindness. If you feel you lack the faith to talk to God today, take heart. You don’t need faith to start; you only need to show up at the pump.

I thank God in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Saviour.


Location: Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Vagabond. Hobo with a Visa card

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