Flip Flops on His Hands

A man crawled into church a few Sundays ago.  He was not sick, nor drunk, nor even injured.  He crawled because his legs did not work. He wore a pair of flip flops on his hands to protect them from things on the ground.  He was a young man with a muscular torso and huge biceps.  His legs, however, were twigs that hung below his waist.  There was no life in his legs because he lost a battle with the disease Polio.  His name was Simeon and he used his hands to drag himself around.  His clothes were threadbare, although clean, but it was clear he was not a rich man.  He dragged himself everywhere because he had no wheelchair or scooter.  I myself have not seen any wheelchairs in this country, but only a couple of homemade scooters, made from wood and bicycle parts.

His face was not sad but rather contemplative.  I guess by now he was used to people staring at him wherever he went.  He pulled himself into a chair with his lame legs beneath him and sat waiting for the service to start.  When it came time to introduce visitors, this man climbed out of his seat and crawled to the front of the church.  He told everyone his name and said that he had just moved to Matoso from another city.  Then Simeon began to give thanks to God for bringing him to church today.  After he was finished talking, he crawled back to his chair and climbed in to sit for the rest of the sermon.

What an amazing sight!  Simeon was thanking God for bringing him to church.  This man who had to crawl on his hands everywhere he went was not bitter nor resentful.  He was thankful.  He didn’t curse God because his legs were useless.  He sang praise songs to God along with the rest of the church.  At the end of the service, he climbed down from his chair, crawled over to the door where he had left his “shoes”, put the flip flops back on his hands and crawled home.  Ironically, I have since found out that Simeon repairs shoes for a living.  He has a small shop in the center.  The man who can’t walk is a cobbler!

Simeon is truly the embodiment of 1 Thessalonians 5:18- “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”  The Word doesn’t say give thanks for all situations but give thanks in all situations.  This man could not walk but he still gave thanks to God for his life.  He gave thanks because he was healthy in the rest of his body.  He gave thanks because he is able to do work to support himself.  He gave thanks because he was able to make it to the house of the Lord that day.

Simeon has now become a familiar sight in church on Sunday.  He hasn’t missed a service yet.  He always crawls into the church and goes to his seat about four rows back from the front.  He sings praise and worship songs to God along with the rest of us.  He listens to the sermon and at the end of service he crawls to the door, puts his flip flops back on his hands and crawls home, full of the joy of the Lord. 

Simeon has become an example of joy to me.  Joy is not based on our circumstances.  Joy is something we choose.  Joy comes from the Lord, not from the world.  As we go through our day today, let us remember all the blessings we have been given from God. Let us not forget the words of Horatio Spafford in his classic hymn- “Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, it is well with my soul.”