When I was growing up, my parents knew the importance of letting me experience things first hand. On one particular outing the tour guide warned my dad not to carry me through the Lewis and Clark Caverns but he did anyway. He was exhausted when he was done. When people asked him why he went to such an effort he said, “My daughter deserves to see this just as much as anyone else does.”
It’s always been difficult for me to walk because of cerebral palsy but I’ve always enjoyed having the ability to explore. After I grew up and went to college, I got married and had a daughter.
The same year that my daughter Rachael started middle school, I got my first scooter. It was like the world had become bigger for both of us. She enjoyed many new experiences in her new environment. My new scooter gave me freedom to shop at the nearby mall and go to her school by myself. The problem was the scooter was so big and heavy that whenever I wanted to take it anywhere I needed to call the local para-trans-sit system. When Rachael got her driver’s licence We discovered there was a scooter she could put in the trunk of her little car. We loved the freedom it gave us to go places spontaneously.
The ability to throw the scooter in her car and go places together on the spur of the moment is more complicated now because we have a stroller and my three grandchildren to take with us. But a few weeks ago, a friend loaded my scooter in her car and we met Rachael and the kids at a park.
Experiencing an event is much different than when we hear about it or see pictures. While I was at the park with them I shared their experiences on a deeper level. I could see the joy on my granddaughter Alex’s face as she went down the slide. My heart became warm as I sat in the autumn sun watching my daughter begin to teach her son how to peddle a trike and see the amusement on his face when the trike moved as he followed his Mom’s instructions.
Luke 19 tells us the story of a little tax collector called Zacchaeus. Besides his stature, he was known a thief, because of overcharging the people and keeping part of the money. He’d gone to gatherings where Jesus had been but he couldn’t see because someone was blocking his view. This probably frustrated him; on the other hand he was afraid of how Jesus would respond to him because of his sin. Nevertheless, on that particular day, when Zacchaeus found out Jesus was going to pass by, regardless of what would happen if he was confronted about his lifestyle, He was determined not to miss Him. So he climbed up a tree to make sure he could see. To Zacchaeus’s surprise, Jesus saw him too. Jesus looked up and called him by name and invited Himself to Zacchaeus’ house.
When they were together he confessed what he’d been doing and promised to pay back the money he’d stolen.
You might feel there are barriers between you and God that can’t be penetrated, but He knows your heart. When you ask, He will meet you where you are.