LIFE WITHOUT LIMBS

Before you read on, please play and watch the two videos first – one is about 6 minutes long, and the other is about 10 minutes. Watch one at a time and listen carefully to what have been said. Reflect and ask yourself on what you have learnt through these videos.





I first saw these videos which were played on the screen by my lecturer, as part of my lecture on the topic "Anger". I was very moved by what I saw through the life of this limb-less person named Nick Vujicic – a man with no arms, legs, hands .. except a little feet which he called "chicken drumstick". I believed God was teaching me something through the videos and I would like to share them with you, to help you to pick up something which you can apply to your own life.

If there’s someone who has every right to be angry with life or with God, I think it is Nick Vujicic. He was born without any limbs – arms, hands, legs. He didn’t ask for it. He didn’t do anything to deserve this. Was it his parent’s fault? No. His parents are faithful followers – father is a pastor of a church too. Then we ask, "why did God make him that way? Was it because God made a mistake? Was God careless? Was God a sadist?". Nick could have remain angry throughout his whole life, his parents could have been angry too … they have been depressed at times … they may not understand why God wanted that way… but they continued to believe in God, trust God, believing that "that in all things God works for the best for those who love Him" (Romans 8:28). And I believe that God had a bigger picture even for the limb-less Nick Vujicic … He was planning to use him to bring people into His glory, use him to bring the Gospel to the lost and the hopeless. Nick didn’t let anger or the unfortunate events or the handicaps ruin his hope in God. He continued to trust God that He has a purpose for him, to prosper him and not to harm him (Jeremiah 29:11).

Many times, and I am sure this is true to many of us, that we would point finger at God and blame God for all the unfortunate events, problems, our handicaps in our life or the handicaps – "I am not smart", "I am born fat", "I cannot run as fast as the others", "I'm not as handsome or pretty as others", "my life sucks big time" … and the list goes on. There are things you cannot control in your life. You didn’t ask for them. They come as they will. Remember that, as long as you live, whether you are super rich or poor, whether you like it or not, there will always be problems in your life. You can call this God's hard lessons for you to learn. What He wants you to learn, I won’t know, but you can ask Him if you seek Him. But trust Him that He will mould you to be the person He wants you to be, not you want to be … in His own time, not your own time … according to His will, not your will.

Of course, some people actually ask for trouble or problems because they are the root cause. What you do onto others, they will do onto you. You have to live with it and bear the consequences. If you know you are the cause of the whole fiasco, then take on remedial actions to rectify them quickly and don’t ask for further troubles or problems.

You don’t have to go looking for problems … problems will come looking for you.

I believe God is not here to make your life comfortable by removing problems … but to make your life more enriching and meaningful, to shape you up to be a better person by giving you problems. If you are running away from problems or not dealing with them, then you become an escapist and you won't learn anything and God may not be able to mold and change you becuase you won't allow Him to do so.

If you find life is yucky, life isn't making any sense at all, you don't deserve to have this yucky life … think about Nick Vujicic and you may want to relook at your own life differently.

If you happen to have the mentality that the whole world owes you everything for all the unfortunate incidents in your life, then I think you have been lied and misled by Mr S.A.Tan.

Another note to share - God uses the weak to do His work. God uses a kid (David) to knock down Goliath. Why God doesn't use the strong? because "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness"(2 Corinthians 12:9). What does it mean to be weak? It does not mean you don't exercise and become physically weak or stop spending time with God / reading the Bible and become spiritually weak. You have to confess to God that you are truly weak in your own eyes and in His eyes. If you think you are very strong and you are in control over your life or situations around you, then God cannot manifest His glory through your life or use you to do His work.... because you do not allow God to be at the center of your life equation. It is only when you acknowledge your weaknesses and tell God to take over your life and learn to be humble, then God can enter into your heart, use you for His glory.

There may still be a lot to say but that's all for now... I hope you do a bit of reflection on this.

Meanwhile, visit www.lifewithoutlimbs.org to know more about Nick Vujicic.
-alex- 14 feb 07