“You, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, You are the potter; we are the work of Your hand.” Isaiah 64:8
When Joni Eareckson was 17 she went swimming. She dove into Chesapeake Bay misjudging the shallowness of the water. She became a quadriplegic in a wheelchair without the use of her hands. In her book, When God Weeps, p, 172, she shares the following.
I got tired of being fed at our dinner table. But when I tried to feed myself with paralyzed arms, I wanted to give up. A bent spoon was inserted into a pocket on my leather arm splint. With weak shoulder muscles, I had to scoop food on the spoon, then balance and lift it into my mouth. It was humiliating to wear a bib, smear applesauce all over my clothes, and have it land more times on my lap than in my mouth.
I could have surrendered – it would have been easy and many wouldn’t have blamed me for quitting. But I had to make a choice. A series of choices. Was I going to let embarrassment over my food-smeared face dissuade me? Was I going to let disappointing failures overwhelm me? I decided the awkwardness of feeding myself out-weighted the fleeting satisfaction of self-pity. It pushed me to pray. Oh, God, help me with this spoon! My secret was learning to lean on the Lord for help. Today I manage a spoon with my arm splint quite well.
I didn’t get back use of my arms or hands. But I did learn to be content.
Paul should have been a psychology with the wisdom he communicated the Spirit of the Lord upon him when he stated: I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:11-13
Pastor Terry Rebert
Zion Lutheran Church
8307 Memorial Hwy.
Ottawa Lake, MI 49267
Sunday Worship at 10:15 am
Email: tjrdet@aol.com
