I would imagine Joshua only stood about 45 inches tall and he probably saw me as a giant at 6’5″, but like David, in the Bible, Joshua saw things differently when it came to giants. Joshua never spoke a distinguishing word that I ever heard and although he was supposedly my student, it was I that was the pupil and Joshua slew the giant of my high mindedness. His specialty was his teaching on Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” My emphasis added.
I had been one of the teachers in the Special Needs or Pure Ministries Class at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston Salem for a number of years when, Joshua first came to our class. He was one of the youngest probably only about 15 or 16 when he first joined us. He was also very confined to his wheel chair and he even struggled it would appear to hold his head up. I’m now told he was given 18 hours to live when he was born, but God gave him 18 years. To add to Joshua’s struggles he had cancer when he was only 2. What we knew of Joshua came from his very loving family who would always share what was going on and prayer requests before they left him with us and went off to worship.
For many I feel that is how outsiders see our ministry, essentially baby sitters for the special needs folks so the families can go worship. Come and see some time what ‘Pure Worship’ is, and the glorious image bearers in our class who have an amazing, amazing faith and love and vulnerability. They have a relationship with Jesus that only they can have and when they blossom in their faith all of us experience The Father’s pleasure. Many have a Bible knowledge and understanding that would astound you, worship in a pure sense, you have to see it, really, come join us or a special ministries class in your area.
Over the last few years we have been using the “Walk Thru The Bible” hand signs going through the Old and New Testaments. We lead the whole class of about 40 students, some older than me, each week learning a new sign and the story or passage. Watching all this participation never ceases to blow me away.
The first year Joshua joined us I really felt that he wasn’t getting it at all. He seemed to stare off and without the normal use of his arms or legs I didn’t really know how to engage him, so I didn’t. The other teachers rubbed his back and seemed to comfort him but I really though he was miserable. The main reason being that from my point of view he constantly moaned, almost seemingly in pain.
If that wasn’t bad enough on my part, after a number of classes like this I became annoyed at Joshua’s moaning. I felt it was disruptive and it was hard to teach over the constant noise. It was a hard lesson I would soon learn.
Every Christmas our class has an amazing Christmas Party the highlight of which is for the students to demonstrate what they learned that year with going through the “Walk Thru The Bible Series”.
That first Christmas Party after Joshua joined our class his mother seemed to seek me out to tell me, “Robby, you have no idea what this class means to, Joshua, he is so excited for Sunday to come and to join you all.”
Well that made me feel about an inch high,(no giant by any means) and I wasn’t really sure I believed her. I didn’t say it, but I was thinking, “You have got to be kidding me, Joshua seems, of all our students, the most miserable”.
Then came the big presentation and right on cue as soon as we started to do the signs from “Walk Thru The Bible”, Joshua started to moan. Almost immediately Joshua’s mom interrupted loudly. “Joshua it’s not your turn!” No sooner had she said it and then Joshua stopped moaning, he stopped moaning.
How could I be so wrong? I was dumb founded literally. Joshua wasn’t moaning, he was talking, he wanted to communicate with us, he was engaging and I had missed it. A gigantic repentance was in order here. That night we went on and did our signs but I could hardly wait for our next Sunday Morning class.
I have discovered that true repentance is not a painful, difficult or a condemning thing. It is like you are the prodigal son on your way home to see dad and eat the big feast, something to really look forward to, and so I could hardly wait to engage Joshua.
That next Sunday as we began to do the signs, Joshua began to sound off, no longer annoying it was what I hoped for. I responded, “Joshua it’s your turn, please tell us your thoughts.” So he did and for a few minutes Joshua had the floor. Never again was that sound annoying to me it was a joyful noise and I know Joshua had his own way of talking about Jesus. He has and had an understanding I could never fathom. Like David with Goliath, the smaller was truly the larger.
After a while I went on to teach the sign that day, Joshua kept his peace after he had had ‘His Turn’. My view of heaven is changed weekly by engaging with these students who often are my teachers…Romans 12:3, is just the introductory course in slaying our high-mindedness before we can see the purity of Pure Ministries.
Two weeks ago today Joshua graduated to heaven, I can hardly wait to see and hear all he longed to tell us about his giant killing, he did it with Joshua’s measure of faith God had given him.
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