I've been in a wheelchair for almost twenty years. In
1993, my family and I were in a head-on collision. Thanks be to God, no
one was killed and I was the only one left with a permanent disability,
quadriplegia. (My motorized chair has two large wheels and four small ones and
goes fast!). Can I just say that my fellowship with God would NEVER have been
what it is today had I not experienced being in a wheelchair? Personal
adversity can propel us into finding comfort in the only One Who can provide
lasting peace or it can lead to us running away thinking the adversity is not
fair! Even with me experiencing His perfect peace through the years,
small things can still draw my eyes away from the One provider of true peace.
I recently went to a college football game with six others.
There were over 30,000 people at this game...so there were people EVERYWHERE.
In fact, the seven of us had a hard time keeping up with each other and wound
up getting separated. When all was said and done, the rest of my group ended
up sitting together elsewhere in the
stadium. After the first quarter, pity had settled in pretty good leaving me
wanting to leave. The problem with me leaving is that we parked nearly a half
mile down the road from the stadium and my battery was running low. I was
forced to stay..."by myself".
It was during the third quarter that I realized the last time I was seated in this same spot at a football game many years ago. I remember sharing with my pastor all those years ago that it doesn't matter where I am; I can talk with Him. My perspective began to change. I turned my eyes from thinking about how my wheelchair was separating me from my group and realized it was providing me a new opportunity. God had placed an entirely different group around me that were in similar circumstances.
As a single person, I think we can get our eyes on the wrong
thing, especially if we are with a group of couples. It is not always the
fact that we don't have a "mate" to go places with, but that we do
not have anyone to go places with us.
Watching the game from my wheelchair, I began to talk to those God had placed in my "path". Many of those sitting there were in the same situation as I. Some of the them had companions, but regardless, we were a "group" of people sitting together! I thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the game with my new "company". During the first half, I watched the game with my eyes on myself. The second half of the game I enjoyed cheering my team and discussing different plays and just being myself. It was a chance to share Christ with would-be strangers by the way I handled myself. Isn't that what we are called to do? Be relational? Be real?
No, I did not share the ABC's of salvation with anyone sitting nearby but I did experience His peace when I took my eyes off the "seventh wheel" syndrome. Single people out number married people, so whether you are "Living La Vida Single" at an event or the third, fifth or seventh...wheel ANYWHERE, just remember this:
19 "Therefore when you go, you must now make disciples of all the heathens, 20 teaching them to keep all the things that I have been commanding you: and behold I AM with you all the days until the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20 (The One New Man Bible translation).
Our highest calling is "when we go" to love our neighbors as ourselves, thereby loving Him. Singleness provides us with opportunities that couples do not have and we should be about "redeeming the time". Colossians 4:4-6 tells us to always be ready to share the mystery of the gospel, to walk in wisdom and for our message to always be in grace, seasoned with salt that we will know how to give an answer. I almost missed an opportunity to live out these words just because of my focus was on me and not others. So, I'm thankful for my six wheels, being placed in situations where I'm alone, and for all four quarters in a football game!
I've always liked this song but during that football game,
God did something inside that brought the words to an even deeper meaning.
Listen to this classic hymn and see if it doesn't move you as well:
