Disabled? Not!

Mustard Seed Chronicles: Story Time with LU Grandma

I find it very interesting that the Dictionary.com definition today says: “physically or mentally impaired, injured, or incapacitated.”

Webster’s Dictionary, in print, last updated in 1983 defines it as “to make incapable or physically unfit; to disqualify.”

Strong’s Concordance, printed in 1990, does not include “disabled” in its cross-referencing of the Bible. This is very interesting and meaningful to my family!

I have written before about my oldest son, Lance, who was born with a birth defect that almost destroyed his kidneys before he was born and how that affected his health for the next 50 years. But because of something we were told by a wonderfully caring psychiatrist at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY, when he was very young, his life and ours were changed for the good.

Dr. Green told us that we could raise our son as a disabled child who would never be able to do anything great in life, or we could raise him as a normal boy who has a little problem. I am very thankful, and so were all that interacted and cared for Lance, that we chose the latter.

Having worked in the education field now for thirty years in middle school, high school, and now in college, I have witnessed how a lot of young folks and their parents deal with their challenges. I have to say that it has been very sad how some parents truly make their children more “disabled” than they really are by telling them and others all the things they cannot do.

When we watch the Paralympics competitions, we witness men and women with no legs playing basketball; those with no legs running track, on prosthetic legs; swimmers with no arms swimming laps in a pool! My personal favorite is watching the skiers with one leg, or none at all, skiing down a mountain at breakneck speeds!

In our modern age of technology, we can disable apps on our computers and phones or things in our vehicles. In that area, we have control, and we are in charge of that, right? Children are not like the apps on our smartphones, and we shouldn’t try to program them as if they were! We need to be SO careful as parents not to raise our children to believe there are limits to what God can do with them and through them.

Our son Lance was told by some that he would never finish high school, never be able to get a job, and certainly not get married or get a secondary degree. He did all of that and more! He also started a men’s ministry and taught children at church!

The Lord is wonderful, and Lance was able because He showed up and we helped.

Prayer

Father, not one of us is perfect here on earth. We all have difficulties because this planet is under the curse of sin, and we know that our enemy would love to sneak in and keep us all from doing what You have called each of us to do. Even with the Apostle Paul when he pleaded with You to remove his thorn in the flesh. You told him that Your grace was sufficient for him. Help us always to see Your able-ment and not our difficulty.

We pray all these things in Jesus’ name.

Amen!