Svante is not a holy wheelchair, but...

"Svante" is the name of my Swedish wheelchair, and his name means "holy."  I can't remember if I gave him that name because I was hopeful that he would live up to it, or that I would. But, like my pet beta fish, Immortal, who tragically died of obesity, the name is not working very well for Svante. He has a very unholy way of running into things, breaking things, hurting people, putting me in awkward and embarrassing jams, and generally getting both of us into trouble.

But I began reading Ezekiel this morning, and call me crazy, but from where I sit, it sure seems like Ezekiel's vision in 1:14-21 was of a holy wheelchair...

The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning. As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like topaz, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not change direction as the creatures went. Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.

When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

I did some digging and read some commentaries on what these creatures and their wheels might represent - the providence of God, the wisdom of God, angels, kingdoms, etc. There was a lot on the significance of the topaz, the rims of eyes, and the four faces, too. And if you are interested in that sort of thing, I suggest you do your own digging, because it is fascinating stuff. However, I want to just focus on the theme that caught my attention, as a girl who lives with an unholy wheelchair.

The wheels are controlled by the living creatures, and the creatures are controlled by the spirit - that is, the Spirit of God. When I think of the stupid things my chair does, I want to blame the chair, but really, it is only doing what the joystick tells it to do, and the joystick only does what I do - I control the wheels. So I realize that my actions and reactions are dependent on who/what I allow to control me. Sometimes I let my focus drift and my heart wander, and I let the "old me" have control, which results in a lot worse things than scratched walls and dented doors; it often leads to selfish motives, ugly impatience, and bitter words.  

But I want to be like those four living creatures that Ezekiel saw, being so in tune with God's Spirit and his will that they moved and rose and stood still whenever and however he did. In essence, their attitudes and thoughts and desires were submitted to the control of the Spirit. And the wheels followed suit - their responses and reactions were in line with their hearts and minds, and those were in line with the Spirit.

Holy Father, today I submit to your control, and trust you to guide me according to your will.