The opening words of Isaiah 61 promise that God will bring beauty into broken lives. He will give beauty in exchange for ashes. God will do this, the prophet tells us, that these very people might be called trees of righteousness, "a planting of the Lord" for His glory.
Those are comforting words for those pressed with limitations, those who know a daily struggle with profound personal obstacles. I know people like this. Broken men and women who have been given beauty for ashes; radiant believers who heighten God's reputation in a cynical world.
At a recent concert I watched members of a deaf choir stand up front to "sign" as the worship choir sang. The faces of those who were signing the words beamed with joy. You could tell they really believed the words of those hymns, even though they couldn't hear the sounds or the phrasing or the music. I tried to be cool and not cry. But I just couldn't stop the flow of tears. I was deeply moved.
Sometime later I felt the same surge of emotion when I listened to the testimony of a man named David Ring. David is severely disabled with cerebral palsy and you have to listen intently to catch what he's saying. But in a thick, guttural voice, he spoke of the priority of giving thanks. His thoughts were threaded with Scripture, saturated with peace and joy. Once again, my tears fell freely. Nor did I feel foolish or ashamed for crying.
Later on, however, I asked myself why I'd been so moved. I genuinely examined my motive. Was it pity? Was I simply feeling sorry for those people because of their disabilities? No, I don't think so. I think I was responding to Isaiah's theme… it was the beauty. It was the lovely character, a right response, a solid witness, all born out of brokenness. Out of what could have been bitter ashes, God gave these people something more. They had become the planting of the Lord "for His splendor."
So the next time you find yourself deeply moved by the joyful perseverance of a Christian with a disability, thank the Lord for the grace that brings beauty out of ashes.
-- Joni Earkeckson Tada in “Glorious Intruder”
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