If Anybody Knows... Zion Knows
- Jun 16
- 6 min read
Sometimes the strongest people in the room aren't the biggest.
Sometimes they're seven years old.
There are some testimonies you read and quickly forget. Then there are some stories that stop you in your tracks. The story of 7-year-old Zion Smith is one of those stories.
A little boy who walked into the hospital. A little boy who was laughing, playing, running, and dreaming like every other child. A little boy who underwent surgery for scoliosis on August 6, 2024. Doctors said the surgery went well. But two hours later, something changed.
He was rushed back into surgery to remove the hardware that had just been implanted. When Zion came out of that second surgery, he was paralyzed from the waist down.
His mother said it best: "My baby walked into the hospital but rolled out of the hospital at the end." Those words hit differently.
Because unless you've watched your world change in a single day... Unless you've seen life divide itself into "before" and "after"... Unless you've cried yourself to sleep asking God why... You may sympathize. But you don't really know. But Zion knows.
If Anybody Knows What It Feels Like To Lose Something Overnight... He Knows
One day he was walking. The next day he wasn't. One day he was playing with friends. The next day he was watching them from a wheelchair. One day he was independent. The next day he needed help with things most of us take for granted.
Some of us know what that's like. Not paralysis. But loss. The loss of a marriage. The loss of a ministry. The loss of a parent. The loss of health. The loss of a dream. You woke up one morning and life was normal. Then everything changed.
And suddenly everybody wanted to tell you how to feel. But if anybody knows what it feels like when your whole life changes overnight... Zion knows.
If Anybody Knows What It Feels Like To Be Disappointed... He Knows
After his surgery, doctors recommended a specialized standing wheelchair. Not a luxury. Not a convenience. A necessity. A tool that could help him potentially regain the ability to walk.
The cost? Around $12,000 to $14,000. Insurance denied it. Think about that.
A seven-year-old child. Paralyzed. Trying to walk again. And the answer was no.
How many of us know what it feels like to hear "no" when we're already hurting?
No from the doctor. No from the bank. No from family. No from friends. No from people you thought would help. Sometimes the rejection hurts more than the original problem.
But if anybody knows what disappointment feels like... Zion knows.
If Anybody Knows What It Means To Keep Fighting... He Knows
After a month at Oishei Children's Hospital, Zion was transferred to Rochester for rehabilitation.
He worked. He pushed. He tried. He fought. But, he was still paralyzed. Still facing challenges. Still dealing with the reality of his situation. Yet his mother says he keeps asking: "I just want to walk, Mommy."
Not for toys. Not for video games. Not for candy. Not for money. Just to walk.
What a powerful reminder. Many adults have quit over less. Many adults stopped believing over less. Many adults stopped trying over less.
Yet this little boy keeps believing that one day he will stand again.
If anybody knows perseverance... Zion knows.
If Anybody Knows The Power Of Community... He Knows
Then something beautiful happened. WGRZ-TV shared Zion's story. People listened. People cared. People responded. Among them was West Herr Automotive President and CEO Scott Bieler.
After hearing Zion's story, Bieler decided to step in and personally pay for the wheelchair.
Not because he had to. Not because it benefited him. Not because there was a contract. But because compassion moved him. He simply saw a need and responded.
What insurance denied... Love supplied. What bureaucracy delayed... Compassion accelerated. What seemed impossible... Community made possible.
Sometimes God doesn't send a miracle. Sometimes He sends a person. Sometimes the answer to prayer arrives wearing work boots instead of angel wings. Sometimes God's provision shows up through people willing to care.
The Real Lesson
The wheelchair matters. The money matters. The generosity matters. But the greatest lesson may be this: Zion is still here.
Still smiling. Still believing. Still hoping. Still dreaming. Still fighting.
And every day he gets up and refuses to let his current condition define his future possibilities. There are grown people who need to borrow some of Zion's faith.
There are churches that need some of Zion's determination. There are believers who need some of Zion's resilience. Because faith is not believing when everything is going right. Faith is believing when everything went wrong. Faith is looking at what you've lost and still thanking God for what remains.
Faith is sitting in a wheelchair while believing God still has a plan.
IF ANYBODY KNOWS GOD IS A HEALER... ZION KNOWS
But the story doesn't end in a hospital room. The story doesn't end in a wheelchair. The story doesn't end with a denied insurance claim. The story doesn't end with tears. Because God had another chapter to write.
Today, Zion walks. Today, Zion stands. Today, Zion sings in the choir. Today, at 10 years old, he lifts his voice and praises God with a passion that puts many adults to shame.
No, he's not 100% yet. There are still challenges. There are still obstacles. There are still days that require faith. But Zion has learned something that many people never learn.
He has learned that you don't have to be 100% to give God 100%. He has learned that your praise is not determined by your condition. Your praise is determined by your conviction. And Zion is determined to let a dying world know that God is still in the healing business.
Every step he takes is a testimony. Every song he sings is a testimony. Every smile he shares is a testimony. Every Sunday he stands in that choir is a testimony.
Because when you've been told you may never walk again... Walking becomes worship.
When you've been told what you cannot do... Standing becomes praise.
When you've spent days wondering if life will ever be normal again... Every day becomes Thanksgiving.
Some people praise God because they feel good. Zion praises God because he remembers when he couldn't. Some people thank God for what they have. Zion thanks God for what he got back. Some people sing because it's time for the choir to sing. Zion sings because he knows what God brought him through.
And if anybody knows God is a healer... Zion knows.
If anybody knows God is a way maker... Zion knows.
If anybody knows God can turn pain into purpose... Zion knows.
If anybody knows that setbacks are not the end of the story... Zion knows.
And every time that young man takes another step, he reminds us all of an old church saying:
"99½ won't do."
Not when God has promised more. Not when God is still working. Not when God is still healing. Not when God is still writing the story.
So keep walking, Zion. Keep standing, Zion. Keep singing, Zion. Keep praising, Zion.
Because your testimony is preaching to people you'll never meet. And your life is proof that what looked like the end was only the beginning. If anybody knows... He knows.
Closing Thought
The next time you feel like giving up... Think about Zion.
The next time you feel like complaining... Think about Zion.
The next time life doesn't go the way you planned... Think about Zion.
Because if anybody knows what it means to keep believing when life breaks your heart... Zion knows.
If anybody knows what it means to keep smiling through disappointment... Zion knows.
If anybody knows what it means to trust God when you don't understand... Zion knows.
And perhaps that's why his story has touched so many people. Not because of what happened to him. But because of how he keeps living after it happened.
Sometimes the strongest people in the room aren't the biggest.
Sometimes they're seven years old.
Praying for Zion Smith and his family. May God continue to strengthen his body, encourage his spirit, and remind him every day that his story is still being written.
— Bishop John Young www.bishopyoung.com
Comments