Happiness

I recently met a girl at a LiFT camp by the name of Rachael. She is just like any other normal 15 year old girl; she's fun, happy, has a good personality, and she's just a beautiful person. The one thing that makes Rachael different from everyone else is the fact that she has Spina Bifida. she wears leg braces that can help her to walk, but for the most part she is pushed around on a wheelchair. When I first saw her I thought, "I want to get to know her because I bet she has an awesome testimony."

The second day of camp I was able to meet her and push her wheelchair around for a few minutes. I got to hear about her life and what she wants to do when she gets older. She told me that she wanted to be a doctor because she wanted to help people similar to herself. The whole time I was talking to her, and every time I would see her around the camp she had the biggest smile on her face. I wanted to ask her why she was so happy, but I didn't want to offend her.

The last night of camp came, and I had gotten to know her a little better, and felt that I could ask her the question that I wanted. So I asked, "Rachael, if you don't mind me asking, why are you always happy and in a good mood??" and for as long as I live I will never forget her response. She looked up at me and said: "I'm so happy because God loves me, and I'm in love with Him, and no matter how much I have to suffer on this earth I know that my Jesus had to suffer more. And someday when I get to heaven and see my savior face to face, all of my suffering will have been worth it..." Well I started to get a little teary... and was so touched by what this little girl had said, it made me think: if this little girl with Spina Bifida in a wheelchair can be happy and satisfied with her life, who am I to complain about anything. It's only by the grace of God that I am where I am, and in an instant He could take it all away.

This reminds me of the song 'Majesty,' there is a line in the song that says, "Your grace has found me just as I am, empty handed but alive in Your hands." God will meet all of us where we are, even if we have nothing, and even though we don't deserve any of it, he will make us fully alive if we truly depend on Him :)