Never Too Short

Junrey Balawing is the world’s shortest adult. As of June 2011, he was measured at 23.5 inches tall. He takes over the previous record holder, Khagendra Thapa Magar from Nepal, who measured 26 inches tall. According to his family, Junrey stopped growing the first year of his life. Balawing has difficulty walking because of pain, cannot attend school, and stays home where he needs constant attention and care.

The son of a poor blacksmith, the family’s luck turned for the better after Junrey was born and his father found work. His birthday is the same day as the Philippines independence day, so his village south of Manila has a double celebration. When he was born, his mother says he was about the size of a one-liter Coke bottle. She knew something was wrong, and the doctor gave her vitamins to help strengthen his bones. But he didn’t grow. The family hopes media attention will bring medical help for their son.

Zacchaeus was not very tall … but certainly taller than Junrey. And that didn’t stop Zacchaeus from his work as a tax collector, nor his desire to see Jesus. “Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature” (Luke 19:1–3). You know the rest of the story. He climbed a tree and when Jesus passed by, the Lord stopped and noticed the little man.

Sometimes we feel short and unnoticed in life. But Christ sees us. He notices us no matter how tall or short we are of stature. God’s eyes are upon us. We can know that our faintest cries for help are heard. Any effort we make to turn toward Jesus will be noticed, even if that means having to climb a tree.

Key Bible Texts

Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: (Isaiah 59:1 KJV)