Little Ebenezer

February 27th, 2015

Ebenezer-1300

Here’s little Ebenezer, his crooked foot barely visible in the painting. If you want to see that video again, it’s here.

This time last week we were putting in the last day on that big mural for Joni and Friends. I’ve been grateful for the abundant feedback on the last blog that released the video. It’s been going all over Facebook as people are getting a visual reminder of a basic teaching of Jesus–to not forget the disabled among us.

This is all close to home as we continue to deal with our dear Vernon, still in a rehab facility, and not always making the kind of progress we’d like. Even when he gets out, he’ll be in a wheelchair for who knows how long?

At least there are wheelchairs, something still not so in much of the world. In many places a person might be confined to a bed or a room virtually all their lives without being able to get around. A wheelchair can be a breath of freedom when it comes.

Bless the various groups that work to provide them. We were heartened again to hear of Joni and Friends‘ recent landmark of the 100,000th wheelchair donated. It went to little Ebenezer in Ghana, a survivor of polio which left his legs all wrong and feet bent permanently down.

He was one of those featured in the mural, and that happy face is now apparently as permanent as his foot condition.

At last week’s conference I was impressed with many things. One memorable remark was in the closing plenary talk by founder Joni Erickson Tada, a dynamic woman who’s a quadriplegic and has been confined to a wheelchair all of her adult life.

She said, “When I get to heaven, I want to take my wheelchair with me. I know that’s not theological. But when I’m standing there next to the Lord, the wheelchair on the other side, I’ll want to say, ‘Lord, you said that in the world we would have troubles. And that wheelchair has been nothing but trouble. Useful enough, yes, but now you can send that thing straight to hell.’”

Here’s a short video about little Ebenezer. Don’t watch it if you don’t want your heart broken.

5 Comments

  1. Ginney Herbert Feb 27, 2015
    8:40 pm

    By the grace of God go I. I can remember my grandmother saying that…. It’s so true.
    I just scold myself when I don’t feel grateful every minute of every day…. Perspective is so important! Great reminder Hyatt

  2. Allison Feb 27, 2015
    11:37 pm

    Thanks for sharing these stories. I bet every single one of those characters in your mural has an amzing one to tell. What a wonderful gift those chairs must be for those in need.

  3. Rick Feb 28, 2015
    7:22 am

    I can see Jesus through little Ebenezer’ wonderful smile. Thank you Hyatt

  4. Lori Feb 28, 2015
    6:10 pm

    I awakened this morning asking God to which of my favorite ministries I should donate today. Bingo! Love Wheels for the World. Thank you for the beautiful video and painting.

  5. Norm Feb 28, 2015
    7:15 pm

    I am so blessed by this video. It makes the mural that much more powerful. We are all disabled in some way, on some level. Yet with these dear ones it’s all so physical, so debilitating, and so visible. This young man’s story accentuates the New Testament message. Why Jesus came.