What do people think when they hear the sound of your feet coming? Pray today that you become heralds of God’s good news wherever your feet may go.
I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a heartwarming Father’s Day memory.
Many years ago while Ken was cleaning out our garage, he came through the kitchen door holding up a dusty old pair of Canadian crutches. “Do you want to dump these?” He asked. And I stared at the tarnished old crutches and my throat tightened. I said with wet eyes, “Oh, they’re Daddy’s,” The aluminum was scraped and the rubber tips were scuffed, but I recognized them immediately. And when Ken placed them against the wall, those crutches brought back a flood of memories.
All through my father’s 70's and 80's he hobbled around on crutches due to arthritis. He had used them to shove around chairs or boxes, or even raise one to ring a doorbell. On a good day, he could even hit a ball tossed to him by a grandkid. Around the farm we could always tell when Dad was off on a horseback ride – his crutches would be leaning against the hitching post.
And then, a few years later after my diving accident when I was in the hospital, I could always tell when my father was coming for a visit. I’d hear “Click-click-click-click” his crutches would echo on the hallway tile. “Oh boy, Daddy’s here!” I’d think to myself. I felt that my father, more than anyone else in the family, understood my situation. It’s why that clicking sound, for me, was such a welcome sound. You know, the Bible talks about the beauty of feet that bring good news, news of hope and encouragement. And if I were to paraphrase that Bible verse, I’d talk about the beauty of crutches that bring good news. It’s a good lesson for you listening. I mean think about it, what do people think of when they hear the sound of your feet coming? Have you sown the seeds of friendship, of faithfulness love, and acceptance? Have you sown the seeds among your family members, your neighbors, and friends? My daddy taught me such an important lesson – may we always be heralds of God’s hope, of encouragement and mercy and grace, heralds of God's good news wherever we go.
That day that Ken cleaned out the garage and found my daddy’s crutches occurred many, many years ago. I told him to please keep those crutches in the garage and not to throw them in the dumpster. We both thought it was a good decision. And so Ken put them back in the garage behind a few boxes on a shelf. And there they stayed for many more years; that is, until very recently when Ken was moving some things in the garage and – oh, my goodness, what do you know – he came across those crutches again. This time when he asked if I wanted to keep them, I thought for a long moment and I wondered, “For what reason would I keep them?” That’s when I smiled and said, “You know, Ken, I think I’d like to give those crutches to Wheels for the World.” And so we did. Now true, Wheels for the World takes wheelchairs to needy disabled people. But in our cargo containers, there will invariably be the occasional walker or two, and yes, even a few pairs of crutches.
So where did my father’s crutches end up going? To what country were they sent? What disabled person were they given to? Friend, I have no idea. But whoever they were given to, I am convinced that, along with hundreds of wheelchairs, daddy’s crutches still heralded the good news, and oh, the feet of our Wheels for the World team members must’ve looked so beautiful, bringing the gift of mobility and the glorious message of hope and help. So I thank you, Daddy, and I thank Wheels for the World for taking the sound of salvation to those who need Jesus Christ most. That’s your good word today from joniradio.org.
© Joni and Friends