Luka is a 12-year-old boy with muscular dystrophy, a degenerative muscle disease that keeps him confined to a wheel chair. Despite his disability, Luka’s dream is to just be like other kids who are able to play, run, dance, and engage in sports.
Fortunately for Luka, his friend, photographer Matej Peljhan, helped Luka devise a creative plan to make Luka’s dream of being free from his wheelchair a reality. . . if only in pictures.
Peljhan set up an overhead camera to capture Luka in various poses. In the images, Luka is playing basketball, climbing stairs, and even deep sea diving with fish. Peljhan didn’t digitally manipulate any of the images. Rather, he simply staged objects around Luka as he laid on a sheet so it appears as though Luka is finally free from his wheelchair. The series of photos is titled “The Little Prince.”
As I looked through the photos, I couldn’t help feeling struck by the sadness of Luka’s disease that prevents him from enjoying the things I take for granted every day. That said, I was also struck with a sense of tremendous hope that if Luka knows Jesus, one day he will get to do all the things depicted in these photographs.
For me, these images of Luka highlight the fragility of our present reality here on earth, but they also serve to remind me of the incredible hope we have in Jesus Christ that one day, He will make all things new–including our frail, broken bodies.
A Vision of What’s to Come
In Revelation 21:1-5, God gave John a vision of what will happen when God restores broken things:
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'”
If you are in Christ, if you have entrusted your life to him, then this tremendous hope is for you: He will make all things new.
Take Heart, Take Hope
If you are discouraged by the troubles of this world, if your physical body is failing you, if you feel betrayed by friends or family, if you feel like life has been a string of failures, then take heart because there is hope. No matter what struggles you face, if you know Jesus, you know hope.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
Additional Resources
You were created by God and for God. The Blueprint for Life study is designed to help you discover God’s purpose for your life:
- Spiritually
- Relationally
- Physically
- Financially
- and Career!
The study contains ten audio messages featuring Andy Stanley, Louie Giglio, Tony Evans, John Maxwell and others. Learn more and CLICK HERE to check it out!
