Divine Connection Tobias had been born with twisted ankles and useless feet. While the other children went to school and played their games, he sat on a corner near his home to sell the rugs and pots his mother made. It didn't take long for some of the children to discover that he had no defense against them when they broke or stole his wares. His cries for help went unheeded-he was just another cripple, easily ignored by a simple turn of the head.
Beginning with his seventh year, Mama had moved closer to where there were others like Tobias. The small square of ground on which he now slept had been "home" for more than twenty-five years. His dad had died when he was only two; when Mama died, he was on his own.
He learned to endure the weather, the taunts, being totally ignored. He learned to merely glance at people--never look anyone directly in the face and to shrug off the not-so-good days when he went unnoticed by all those who walked or rode by. He insisted on telling himself that tomorrow would be better. Mama had instilled that hope in him.
How easy it was to remember Mama--she had always had fresh water for his bath, something to eat, encouraging words waiting for him no matter how late he was getting home. All these years later, he could still remember the tiredness on her face, yet she insisted on his lessons each night. Through her gentle guidance he moved beyond despair into a quiet acceptance that God loved him. Mama insisted that to God, his defects didn't count.
The first few years after his mother's death, while he was still young and strong, Tobias used his arms to propel himself along at a steady pace. He changed locations without much difficulty, posting himself closest to whatever part of town had the most activity.
Tobias knew most of the people who passed each day. There were a few he had known since childhood who sometimes left something in his cup. There were also the occasional strangers he called out to--the decades had taught him to predict fairly accurately those who would toss him a coin.
Now past his forty-second year, he grew tired more easily--his cup held fewer coins, the meals they purchased smaller and less often. His arms were losing their strength. It became more of a struggle to move about with each day that passed. He spent more and more time recalling memories of his early years--years when there had been someone who cared about what happened to him.
Today was destined to be different. About three o'clock in the afternoon, Tobias was suddenly alert. He could hear unfamiliar voices coming closer. He held out his cup and immediately began to call out in their direction.
"Something for a cripple? A coin for a cripple?" Anything he could hope to get from them rested directly on his ability to gain their attention. Otherwise, he would remain a faceless lump against the wall by the temple gates. Others around him tried to drown him out with their own cries, but Tobias called that much louder.
He watched them as they neared where he huddled. Surely enough, the two men, one much taller than the other, stopped in front of him. There was a presence in their bearing that gripped and held his attention. They had something for him!
The taller of the two bent slightly at his waist, stretched out his arm and said, "Look on us!" Tobias eagerly waited, holding his cup tightly in his hand.
"Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength. Acts 3:6,7.
Mama was right! This was the hope she had taught him about! He was too excited, this was all too new--he couldn't stand still! He, Tobias, was a man among men! He could run! He could walk! He could dance! He could jump! And he did! Even his arms were made strong again--he could reach higher than he had ever thought possible!He found a voice within himself he didn't know he had as he whooped and jumped and leaped and ran first one way and then another. Callously ignored by the masses all his life, Tobias was suddenly the center of attention. Now he ignored the masses as he grabbed first one then the other of the strangers, dancing them around in circles as they grinned at his jubilation. Even if they had not been so inclined, they had no choice but to jump with him! But they were thrilled for his deliverance--they rejoiced in his gladness, too.
He ran ahead of them into the temple, shouting and praising God.
And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and PRAISING GOD. And all the people saw him walking and praising God: And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering. And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus. Acts 3:8-13.Well, Glory! Hallelujah! Now look again at Who got the credit (glory, praise) for this astounding miracle! There wasn't any thumb-hooking under their arms by these two men of God, Peter and John. They didn't do a turkey-strut on somebody's stage. They didn't say, "Why look what WE did!"
Read it again! "Ye men of Israel, WHY MARVEL ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though THOUGH BY OUR OWN POWER OR HOLINESS WE had made this man to walk? The GOD of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, HATH GLORIFIED HIS SON JESUS."
Peter and John were not "the healers" -- God used them as an existing channel to glorify His Son, Jesus. All Peter and John did was to obey the Will of God, and God used them. But they never took the credit for what had been done--they gave God ALL the glory! They reached down, Tobias reached up.
Divine Connection
"Divine Connection" Copyright © 1999 by Patricia Sikes.
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