The Wheelchair Place

During the summer, I had the joy of spending time with my nieces and nephews.
One day, when I was in the northeast, we went to Beamish Museum. The ‘Living Museum of the North’.
On the way, my seven-year-old niece – who goes there regularly – told me about what we’d do and see.

“There are buses which take us from place to place. One of the buses has a disabled place, so you can use that. And I will sit in the wheelchair place with you.”

I will sit in the wheelchair place with you.

She didn’t suggest that I climb up to the top deck, which is where she usually likes to sit.
She didn’t suggest that I’d sit in the disabled place while she went and sat elsewhere.

I will sit in the wheelchair place with you.

I am thankful for my wheelchair, it helps me get around, but in an ideal world, I’d prefer not to need it.
I’d prefer to climb up to the top deck. I once could have done. But now I can’t.

I will sit in the wheelchair place with you.

Sometimes in life, things are hard.
We hit rock bottom.
I often quote an author friend of mine, Trevor Stubbs. He wrote:
‘When we hit rock bottom, the Rock is there.’

I will sit in the wheelchair place with you.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my saviour; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety. 

(Psalm 18:2 NLT)

Where are you sitting now?  On the top deck? In the wheelchair place? Flitting between the two?
Wherever you are, God – your place of safety – is right there with you.

The LORD is close to the broken-hearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. 

(Psalm 34:18)

Sitting in the wheelchair place is better when my niece is there with me.
When we hit rock bottom, the Rock is there.

(first published at https://www.openears.org.uk/)