See, I am going to bring them from the land of the north
and gather them from the farthest parts of the earth,
among them the blind and the lame,
those with child and those in labor together;
a great company, they shall return here.
With weeping they shall come,
and with consolations I will lead them back;
I will let them walk by brooks of water,
in a straight path where they shall not stumble,
for I have become a father to Israel,
and Ephraim is my firstborn.
Jeremiah 31:8-9
STORY
Seventeen-year-old Joni Eareckson, on July 30, 1967, dived off a floating dock into the shallow water of the Chesapeake Bay. The resulting accident left her a quadriplegic. Young, active, athletic, Eareckson now had to adjust to her life in a wheelchair.
Several months after the accident Eareckson was physically unable to go Christmas shopping. This inability depressed her, realizing she wouldn’t have any presents to place under the evergreen tree. Reading the Bible one day Eareckson understood that the only gift Christ gave to the world was the gift of himself. She took this message to heart, believing she had a very unique talent to share.
The next day Eareckson approached her physical therapy class with new enthusiasm. Placing a brush between her teeth, this time she really did try to paint candy dishes. Little did she know that this artistic endeavor would become her career. Affirmed by the Christmas message, Joni Eareckson recognized her own self-worth. The importance of each individual is announced in the Christmas story.
DEVOTION
Jeremiah offers some very comforting words for the Hebrews who were displaced from their homeland and forced to live in exile. There they dwelled in a strange land, confused and bewildered. Perhaps worst of all, they lived with an uncertain future of ever returning home again. The prophet, speaking for God, consoled them saying, “I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble.”
There are many of us living in “Babylonian exile” this day. It was an exile that Joni Eareckson experienced, perplexed if she would ever have a future. Each person reading this devotional resides in a “Babylonian exile,” separated from the tranquility of the place we call home. Just as Jeremiah’s words of comfort went to his people in Babylonian, and through the centuries these same words reached the soul of Joni Eareckson, and those words are now our words as they come to us afresh this day. Whatever unfortunate circumstances descends upon us and engulfs us, we are assured God “will lead us beside streams of water on a level path where we will not stumble.”
Points to Ponder
> What is your Babylonian experience?
o For me: I often share that being “exiled” for me is a result of being autistic, though I have other Babylonian experiences in my life. Since early childhood I always wanted to be a policeman. I was even taken to the school psychologist in kindergarten because I drew a picture of a policeman without fingers. I shared with them, and I do remember this, that it was because the policeman had a closed fist. Shortly after I became a Viriginia State Trooper, I realized that after a lifetime of dreaming and desiring to be a police officer that this was not my spiritual calling. My calling was to be an ordained United Methodist minister. I segued from being a peace officer on the street to one who proclaims peace from the pulpit.
> How has God restored you?
o For me: When I began to pursue the course of being an ordained minister, God showed me what my authentic calling was as a Christian. After I had to leave the ordained ministry because of the behavioral problems associated with Aspergers, I was further restored as a college professor and currently as a devotional writer.
> Is there a prophet who spoke to you that gave you hope?
o For me: The prophet was my first-grade teacher who spoke to my mother. Years later, my mother shared this conversation with me. Days past and days current, it is obvious to anyone who encounters me that I am different, that I am strange, that I am quirky. The teacher, whose name I do not remember, told my mother that there was a future for me. It is my understanding that this is the first positive and encouraging message that my mother heard regarding her autistic child. (You must remember, autism was an unknown birth defect at this time, which made the behavior surrounding it confusing. Of course, this led to persecution of autistic individuals, such as myself, with the thinking that my behavior was a personality defect, absent of the understanding that it was mental health condition. Actually, for thirty years my psychiatrist listed me as having a personality disorder, until Asperger’s syndrome became diagnosed as a birth defect.) Years later, when I was in my early teenage years, when I became fully aware that I was different from “normal” teenagers, my mother shared the conversation she had with my elementary school teacher, in hopes that it would encourage me and give me hope. And perhaps it did give me a sense of reassurance, though I was only fleeting aware of it at the time. Wisdom did dwell within the heart and soul of my first-grade teacher, as I have mastered six academic degrees from a hopeless academic start, and I am currently contemplating getting my seventh degree in Autism Studies from Francis Marion University.
Please share other Points to Ponder so I can update my list
Please share your thoughts with me – if you desire I will publish them for others to read anonymously or first name only or your entire name as you choose