CRIPPLED....BUT CALLED!
By: Vickie L. Evans
This particular article
is written and designed for those of us who have been chosen for difficult assignments and cannot fully see or understand
how the vision will be fulfilled, nor do we know when the "cards" will play out! On top of that, we question
why we (with our inabilities and faults) were chosen for this assignment. If this isn't you, you can stop reading at
this point, because only those who have been "called" will truly understand, where I am going with this! I
wish I could take credit for this title, but it was spoken to me by an "angel"; a profound woman, whom I have never
met, who called me on the phone, during my moment of distress. When she spoke these words, I immediately
reflected back to a sermon I wanted to preach years ago but was never granted the opportunity to do so. So, I am going
to preach it to you (smile).
The precursor to this account is found in 2 Samuel, Chapter 4;
however, the meat of the story is in 2 Samuel, Chapter 9. It is about a young man name Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan,
and the grandson to King Saul, Israel's first king. His father and grandfather were also mighty warriors and were well-respected
because of the many battles they had fought and won. Undoubtedly, due to his royal lineage, Mephibosheth was expected
to "walk" in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, to become a mighty man of valor and possibly a king someday.
However, at the age of five, an incident occurred that changed the course of his destiny-his nurse dropped him and he became
lamed in both feet. Instead of dining at the king's table in the palace in Jerusalem, he laid his head in a place called
Lodebar. Now, Lodebar was a place where the "misfits" of society dwelled, such as lepers (those considered
to be unclean), and people with various "handicaps" (lame, blindness, deaf and dumb), who were not normally "chosen"
for great assignments because of their inability to perform or conform to the imposed "standards". They
were people who acted and thought different from so-called "average" folks. They had "different dreams"
and were dissatisfied with the "status quo". Often overlooked, people stepped over them as they climbed up
the ladder of success. Some even "kicked" them while they were down and told them that they would never amount to
anything! Many of the residents of Lodebar had been hurt and laughed at by those they loved and trusted. Some
had been placed in significant roles and positions with the sole intent of mocking their deformities and seeing their failure.
Could you imagine how Mephibosheth felt living in a place like this, though he was born in the king's palace? It had
to affect his self-esteem!
Before
I give you the conclusion to this account, let me give you a little history lesson on Mephibosheth's father and grandfather.
As I previously stated, his grandfather, Saul, was Israel's first king; however, due to his disobedience to God; he was dethroned
and King David took his place. Now, the normal chain of command is that the son of the king, Jonathan, would take his
place. However, in this case, the Lord chose David to be king, instead. Some of you have been "called"
(though not qualified by man's standard) to take the place of the man or woman, who by all means, should be next in line for
the job; but God said that the job is yours! Don't doubt it, just walk in it! Marvel not, as if it's some strange
thing!
Now, King Saul hated
David because of this and spent many years chasing him with the intent to kill him. The ironic twist in this story is
that Jonathan, King Saul's son, and David became best friends--close as brothers. I believe that there is a "Jonathan"
for every man or woman. Someone who has your back when others try to stab you in the back! Someone who will "cut
off the ear" of the Roman soldier when he tries to harm you!
Tragically, Saul and Jonathan were both killed in battle, which brings us up-to-date to our story
as illustrated in 2 Samuel, Chapter 9. Let me first state that when God has a plan for you, you can be in
the belly of the whale; yet, He will bring you out. While David was king, he remembered Jonathan's kindness and sought
to find an "heir" so that he could "bless" him. One of King Saul's former servants, Ziba, told King
David about Mephibosheth. He was summoned to appear before King David, in his former home where he was born, the King's
palace in Jerusalem. It had been a long time since he entered the gates of the palace! I am sure many thoughts
raced through his mind of when he was a little boy running through the hallways of this royal residence. Now, here he
was returning to the palace as a man, but this time he was crippled. The thing about Mephibosheth is that he was crippled
due to no fault of his own; he was dropped by his nurse (someone trained to take care of him). Sometimes, it's
the ones who are closest to you who cause the most damage. I could imagine that he did not look like royalty nor was
he dressed for the part. He probably walked with his head down because his self-esteem was deflated due to the maltreatment
he had endured throughout the years. He even referred to himself as a "dead dog", when speaking to King David.
But, King David treated him as the royal descendant of Saul and gave him EVERYTHING that belonged to him by birthright.
Yes, everything that belonged to King Saul was returned unto Mephibosheth and he dined in the palace, at the king's table,
for the rest of his life. Mephibosheth was still crippled, but he was called! There was greatness inside
of him! He was destined for a royal position in the palace. He still had disabilities, but they did not hinder
him from being in the palace or from dining at the king's table. Some of you are called to dine with "great men".
Some of you will advise heads of state and men of prestige, in the boardroom and the courtroom! However,
you are letting your "disabilities" hinder you! You have a "dead dog" disposition that makes you
think that you are only deserving of the "crumbs" instead of the full-course meal placed on the king's table.
Ladies
and gentlemen, I may be crippled, but I am called. I am called to greatness! I am called to be a mouthpiece for
those who need a voice! I am called to be a writer for those who need to be encouraged through a testament, so that
the words will lift off the pages and set them free! I am called to be a playwright who will take stage plays
throughout the nation so that others can see the manifestation of God through the performing arts! I may not have the
formalized training, or the educational or journalistic degree, or the oratorical skills, or even the monetary resources according
to the "traditional" standards; but I have been "called" by the King who has made a space for me at His
Table; and I shall dine there for the rest of my life.
Whoever this article is designed for-- get up and do what you have been "called"
to do and stop making excuses! Your time is far spent! Greatness lives in you! There are too many
unfulfilled "dreams" in the graveyard. Do not let that be you! What will be between your dash (1959
- )? What will others remember you by? Do not let your nurse "drop and cripple"
you so that you will be rendered ineffective with nothing between your dash! Fulfill the call! As that angel told
me, "Dream again with $5.00 in your pocket!" Have faith in God!
