Nick Vujicic - Life Without Limbs

Hello and welcome to Van Life Devotions. Today is International Day of People with Disability which is observed December 3 each year. The day aims to increase public awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disability. According to the World Health Organisation

· An estimated 1.3 billion people experience significant disability. This represents 1 in 6 of us.

· Some persons with disabilities die up to 20 years earlier than those without disabilities.

· Persons with disabilities have twice the risk of developing conditions such as depression, asthma, diabetes, stroke, obesity, or poor oral health.

· Persons with disabilities find inaccessible and unaffordable transportation 15 times more difficult than for those without disabilities.

Nick Vujicic has tetra-amelia syndrome, a very rare disorder characterised by the absence of arms and legs. I can’t imagine for one moment what that would be like. When Nick was born in Melbourne in 1982 with this disability, his parents struggled, spending months in grief and confusion as to why their son was born without limbs and only a small foot with two toes on his left side.

Growing up was very challenging for Nick and not just because of having no arms or legs. He was bullied at school. He also struggled with depression and loneliness and on one occasion attempted suicide by drowning himself, but he was saved. Nick constantly wondered why he was different than all the other kids. He questioned the purpose of life, or if he even had a purpose. Then, when he was 15 all this changed. God revealed to him John chapter 9 which talks about Jesus coming across a man who was born blind. No one knew why he was born blind and immediately Nick related to this story. Jesus knew and said, “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him” (v3). So Nick said to God “if you had a plan for the blind man you must have a plan for me”. Nick then gave his life to Christ.

When Nick was 17 and at school, a cleaner said something to him that would change his life. The cleaner said, “Nick one day you are going to be a speaker” and Nick said, “No I’m not. You’re crazy”. Well, the cleaner was right, and with the encouragement of his parents Nick started to speak at youth groups and churches sharing his story. It wasn’t always easy for him. At the beginning he would sit on the phone, ringing up 52 schools in southeast Queensland inviting himself to speak at their school, with all saying no thanks. But God started to open opportunities and since then he has given over 3,500 speeches in 73 countries from prisoners to presidents, in schools and in stadiums. He has appeared in movies, written books, and interviewed on television such as Australia’s 60-minutes three times. Millions have heard Nick Vujicic preach the simple gospel of Jesus Christ. This is his calling from God to preach the gospel.

Nick graduated from Griffith University at the age of 21 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, with a double major in accountancy and financial planning and in 2005, Nick moved to southern California where he founded Life Without Limbs, an incredible multi-facet international ministry. In 2012 Nick married the love of his life Kanae and knowing that Nick’s disease is not hereditary they are now proud parents to four beautiful children.

Nick would be elated if he had arms and legs right now and believes that God can do miracles, but he knows that God's in full control. He says that “I believe in a God who can do all things, but if He chooses not to give me arms and legs, I know it's for the better. And I may not understand it, but all I need to know is that He's going to carry me through – that there is a purpose for it".

With his infectious personality, incredible determination to overcome, and Nick’s unwavering faith this Aussie has brought messages of hope to the broken hearted, the abused, lost, and those with disabilities that they are a precious child of God who has gifted them with every spiritual blessing. As the Apostle Paul has taught about every one of us, “For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”(Ephesians 2:10 NIV). What a beautiful truth about each of us whatever abilities or disabilities we have. Don’t let the world put you in a box. Believe, as the New Living Translation puts verse 10, that you “are God’s masterpiece”.

Let’s pray:

Heavenly Father, thank you for the faith and work of Nick Vujicic. Continue to bless his powerful ministry. I pray for any person who is watching who struggles with a disability. Grant them courage to overcome and accept who they are in Christ Jesus. Help our communities to be inclusive of people who have disabilities. O God, preserve us who travel; surround us with your loving care; protect us from every danger; and bring us in safety to our journey’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

To support the ministry of Nick Vujicic and Life Without Limbs please go to https://lifewithoutlimbs.org