The Third Tuesday in Advent
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Isaiah 35:5 5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
If my Aunt Helen were alive today she would be nearly 100 years old. When she was an infant she developed a very high fever that I’m told lasted several days. As a result Helen was deaf, unable to speak clearly and had some serious developmental and physical challenges. There were no special schools for children with multiple disabilities. Well meaning neighbors and family members encouraged my Grandmother to “put her away.” Grandma Reesh would not consider it. Until Grandma Reesh died, she cared for Helen. Then Helen came to live with us part of the time. Consequently Helen with all her physical and mental challenges was a constant presence in my life until I left for college.
At her funeral the pastor used this Isaiah text and asked our family to try to imagine Helen standing straight and tall, dancing and joyfully singing words that were crystal clear. Whenever I hear these words from Isaiah, I think of Helen and I get excited about the life to come. I can hardly wait to see and hear Aunt Helen dancing and singing for joy.
SO WHAT excites you when you think about the life to come? Remember Peter Pan? It will be an awfully exciting adventure.
Stir up your power, O Lord, and come. Come and excite us about what is to come. AMEN
I grew up in an extended family, with my parents, brother, cousin who was raised as a sister, grandmother, and uncle. My uncle was a deaf mute also due to a similar situation when he was young. He ended up going to a special school in Philadelphia.
ReplyDeleteI guess I never really thought about everyone being "whole" in heaven. I just think of everyone getting along and loving one another.
My thinking on the life to come is that all my questions will be answered - kinda like instant replay for all those mysteries of life. What really happened in Dallas when JFK was shot, etc....
ReplyDeleteI love the promise of broken RELATIONSHIPS being restored to wholeness, as Ken mentioned. But I also LOVE another comment I read recently about the wholeness promised in this passage: It has to do w/ the EXTRAVAGANCE of God. The lame won't just stand up and take cautious steps and then walk a bit; they'll "LEAP" right up!!! And the mute won't just speak quietly and calmly; they'll "SHOUT FOR JOY"!!
ReplyDeleteIn other words, God never does anything, shall we say, "half-way"!!