Remember, the weaker you are, the harder you have to lean on Jesus. And the harder you lean on him, the stronger you will discover him to be.
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I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, here to tell you about my wheelchair in heaven.
Okay, from the top let me say that there is no theological support for any wheelchairs in heaven. But if I could take mine, I would. Because there I would be, with my new, perfect, glorified body, standing on grateful glorified legs next to my Savior. And I would be firmly holding his nail-pierced hands, and saying over and over, “Oh, Jesus, thank you, thank you” [and he will know that I mean it, because he’ll recognize me from the fellowship of having shared in his sufferings when I was on earth]. And I’ll be standing there and I’ll say, “Jesus, do you see my wheelchair over there? Well, you were right when you said that in this world we would have trouble, because that thing was a lot of trouble. It was so distressing; it was so hard. But the weaker I was in that wheelchair, the harder I leaned on you. And the harder I leaned on you, the stronger I discovered you to be. And so, thank you for that wheelchair, dear Jesus. I never would have understood how sustaining your grace could be were it not for that chair.” Yes, the Bible spoke of your grace, and I read about your strength, but I never would’ve understood how strong your strength could be had you not placed me in that wheelchair. So, thank you, Jesus for the shadowy, dark companion of suffering for it led me to you. And once I arrived at you, it didn’t stop. Suffering led me deeper and deeper into your heart, revealing to me layer after layer of your loveliness and majesty, your beauty, your supremacy. Yes, Jesus – I am grateful for that wheelchair.” And after a beat or two, I may say, “and now Jesus, you can go ahead and melt it in the lake of fire.”
But no, wait! I used to say that. I used to think, “Okay, Jesus, now you can kick my wheelchair out of heaven; send it to hell.” But I don’t say that anymore. In fact, I cannot bring myself to say it. Because if I’m given the chance to look at my wheelchair in heaven’s rearview mirror, I just know that empty wheelchair will bring tears to my eyes. And I think it’s because God has transformed its meaning. Even now, I do not look at my wheelchair as an enemy; it’s a friend. A very dark friend, but it’s a friend, nevertheless. God used it a thousand times in my life to draw me closer to Christ. Because like I said, the weaker I was in that wheelchair, the harder I had to lean on Jesus. And the harder I leaned on him, the stronger I discovered him to be.
And that’s the truth. There aren’t many good things about suffering in itself. It’s filled with sorrow, agony, disappointments; it’s painful, it’s depressing. But! Suffering does reveal our need for Jesus. And that is something good about suffering. So, yes, when I look in heaven’s rearview mirror and see my old, empty wheelchair, tears may well come to my eyes. Not tears of regret, but tears of joy. Wait, wait a minute, tears in heaven? That sounds as odd as a wheelchair in heaven! But the book of Revelation says that God really will wipe away our tears. And how odd. For when I finally have the use of my hands to wipe away my own tears, I won’t have to. God will. Oh, friend, I hope these reflections have encouraged you today in your own hardships. Remember, the weaker you are, the harder you have to lean on Jesus. And the harder you lean on him, the stronger you will discover him to be. And that’s your hope-filled word for today. God bless you today and thanks for listening!
© Joni and Friends