Humbly going about in a wheelchair

Recently, my pastor gave a sermon about being humble. He emphasized the fact that God does not like the proud but gives grace to the humble. As I was listening to the sermon, I kept thinking if a person wants to have a humbling experience, for one day go about your daily life in a wheelchair. Go to work, the grocery store, the pharmacy, school or wherever you might journey during your normal day but do it all using a wheelchair.

When using a wheelchair, there are many physical and mental obstacles. Some businesses do not have ramps, automatic doors or bathrooms which are large enough to accommodate a wheelchair. Then, there are people who stand in the middle of walkways or ramps and expect you, the person in the wheelchair, to move around them. This often means you have to attempt to travel on the grass or go over a curb to continue on your way. Many people will stare at you. Everywhere you go, it feels as though there are a thousand eyes watching you.

Some people find the need to tell you how insignificant you are. They speak to you as though you are a three year old. They laugh when you struggle to reach for an item on the grocery store shelf. They race in front of you or even cut in front of you in line. They make jeering comments toward you and act as though you do not have ears and cannot hear their hateful remarks. I even had one man take his grocery cart and intentionally slam it into my wheelchair. (Praise God I had just moved my arm, or I believe he would have broken it. My wheelchair suffered several hundreds of dollars worth of damage.)

There also are many blessings. Healthcare workers are often very kind and compassionate toward a person in a wheelchair. I once had to travel from my doctor's office to another adjacent building to have some testing done. It was about a 15 minute walk and required the use of three sets of elevators. A women in scrubs, I believe she was a nurse, saw I was struggling to wheel myself up a very long, steep ramp at the beginning of my journey. She asked if I needed assistance and then proceeded to wheel me the entire way to my testing facility. I was dumbfounded and nearly started to cry after receiving this woman's incredible act of generosity.

The list of both blessings and curses could go on and on regarding the use of a wheelchair. But, I believe if a person wants to understand what it is like to be forced to rely on others and to be forced into challenging situations, use a wheelchair for a day. Your view of the world will drastically change. The things you often take for granted such as walking on uneven surfaces or freely stepping over objects will suddenly become sources of blessings. Being wheelchair bound is truly a humbling experience.