Against all Odds (14/7/09)

Against all odds!

 

Praise God anyway!

This past Sunday was one of those special Sundays when we had a special visitation of the Holy Spirit. It was such a wonderful experience one would not want to move away from such a special presence. I believe, so many burdens where lifted and bondages broken. Now I understand it when Peter had to say to Jesus ‘it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias’ (Matthew 17 v 4); the presence was so sweet to him that he even forgot that if they were to dwell there he also needed his own tent. When we eventually got the opportunity to proceed with the word, I exhorted the church to learn to worship God unconditionally. The devil understands it when you worship God because you have just gotten a new job; the devil understands it when you worship God because you have just received an increase; or a promotion; or you have just been blessed with a new car or house. However, the higher dimension of worship is the Macedonian worship; it’s the worship that confuses the ‘devil to hell’. In a season of great affliction the Macedonians abounded in joy; in a period of deep poverty the Macedonians abounded in the riches of their great liberality (2 Corinthians 8 v 2). Whatever the situation, praise God anyway! Whatever your situation just keep on praising Him!

 

It’s not what you lost; but it’s what’s left that matters 

I am not sure if I once shared with you the story of David Rabin. David Rabin was a professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University in the USA. He was diagnosed of a scary disease called Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. His legs got stiff, then weak followed by paralysis of the lower limbs; then his upper limbs followed suit; until eventually he became trapped in a body that he could no longer control. His tongue lost its function until he could not speak. He lost his ability to treat patients; his ability to go to work and his ability to do the things he had always wanted to do. But one day he heard from a fellow doctor about a computer that could be operated by a single switch. That switch could be operated by anyone who had at least only one group of muscles functioning. David had one part of his body functioning; his eyebrow muscles. He learnt to use the computer with his eyebrows. So with his eyebrow he could speak to his family, tell jokes to his friends, write papers and books. With that computer he carried on medical consultancy practice. He published a book on endocrinology and received a prestigious award. He did all this when the only thing he could control was a single eyebrow. He had a disease but the disease did not have him. He did not concentrate on what he had lost but on what he had left with him. Even though he now had a twisted, useless, helpless, and hopeless body; he knew he had two valuable assets: an eyebrow muscle and a spirit that would not give up¹. Why cry for what’s gone when you still have a lot left with you. God will not use what is gone but what remained. He is not looking for what you lost; but He is saying, ‘what is that in your hand?’ (Exodus 4 v2).

 

Disability is not inability

 I was also touched by the story of Helen Keller who was born a bouncing baby; but at an early age of only 19 months she contracted a disease that left her blind and deaf. She was trapped in a world she could not communicate with. But a certain lady called Anne Sullivan was brought in to teach her how to communicate from her dark and quiet world. It was hard but after several frustrating attempts she got her eureka moment when she understood the spelling of water. That was the beginning of her breakthroughs. Helen travelled the world; wrote books and established institutions that continue to this day to help the blind and deaf. Here is the story of a woman who rose beyond her disabilities to shape her world; a woman who rose beyond her incapacities and did not allow her disabilities to hold her down. You must learn to trust ‘Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us’ (Ephesians 3 v 2); and believe that He will cause you to transcend your incapacities; and rise up to shape your own world.

 

Whatever the odds that are set against you; you can choose to rise up and shape your world.

Twitch that eyebrow!

 

Calvary love 

Peter Mbada

Check other articles on: www.pmbada.org  and www.pmbada.blogspot.com

Ref: ¹ – When the Game is over it all goes back in the box (John Ortberg)