One Fortunate Cookie
Earlier this week one of the halogen light bulbs in my dining room chandelier exploded, spraying glass fragments throughout the area and toward my living room. It was actually a very frightening, loud explosion with smoke billowing from the light and glass flying in every direction. That night I swept up the affected area and I've kept the light off since due to the exposed wires.
So this weekend I made a call to a friend to seek help. I hate having to flat-out ask for help! But since the exposed bulb wiring was a hazard if the light was switched on and I couldn't reach it, I had to seek assistance. My friends immediately agreed to come over today.
We planned to have lunch together while they were over here as well, since we had been trying to plan time to meet up these past few weeks anyway. What ensued from their willingness to come over to help was a delightful meal and good conversation -- something I didn't have in mind when I humbly sought out their assistance. It's these surprising times in life that catch me off guard that turn out to be the finest moments of my days.
When Vince and Julie arrived, Vince went to work on the light and Julie and I began working on the meal. Julie chopped up a variety of fresh vegetables for a stir-fry while I cooked the rice, lit the barbecue and baked eggs rolls in the oven. Add in some barbecued elk meat and fortune cookies and we had a filling, tasty meal!
At one point in the process of preparing the meal, Vince was vacuuming the carpet near where the light had exploded (something I'd not taken time to do yet) and Julie was cooking the stir-fry. I stood back in amazement, taking a minute to recognize and to be thankful for the great friendships that I am blessed with. When was the last time you had guests over that ended up cleaning and cooking for you? (Yes -- it was just last weekend during my parents' visit for me, but I digress...)
When I made that call to get help yesterday I felt like I was imposing on my friends in asking them to come up for an hour or two to help me out. Instead, after thoroughly enjoying our time together and telling each other as much, as these dear friends left this afternoon I couldn't help but realize what a blessing we'd been for each other.
Although one of the fortunes in the cookies I ate stated that tomorrow was going to be a good day for me, I couldn't help but pause and think what a great day today had been. My, oh my, I am one fortunate cookie!
Five Stages of Disability Awareness
by guest blogger Dan Vander Plaats
While this post pertains specifically to people with disabilities and how the church community interacts with them, I think it can be generally applied to all groups of ‘marginalized’ peoples. I think you know who I mean: people who, by virtue of background, status, race, ethnicity, orientation, or in some other way are relegated to a lesser status in the church community. That is, as a church community, we tend to naturally elevate those who are attractive, put-together, self-sufficient, et cetera.
A church community that has awakened to this injustice of disparity will eventually go through the following stages, all of which I will elaborate upon in future posts.
* Stage 1 – IGNORANCE: The stable church sees disability as a reflection only of the Fall.
* Stage 2 – PITY: People with disabilities are in a sorry state because of the Fall, perhaps even because of some sin committed by them or their family.
* Stage 3 – MERCY: People with disabilities are loved by God and we need to tend to their needs out of Christian compassion.
* Stage 4 – FRIENDSHIP: People with disabilities are actually whole people hiding underneath their disability, and God has used them to be a blessing to me.
* Stage 5 – CO-LABORERS: People with disabilities exist not only to be objects of mercy, pity, or compassion, but are actually called to work alongside me in service to the Kingdom. I am supposed to be equipping and encouraging them into every good work, just like I do for other believers.
What stage are you at? In John 9:1-2, the disciples were, at best, at stage 3 – though more likely at stage 2. The friends in Mark 2 were at stage 4. People who participate in their local Friendship Club, or who work here at Elim, are usually somewhere around stage 3 and 4 on the continuum.
What stage are you at? What stage do you think you should be at – where does God want you to be?
Dan is the Director of Advancement at Elim Christian Services, a client of mine. Visit his blog, Gospel of Weakness, for his continued posts in this series and for further insights on theology and how our Christian faith plays into matters involving disability.
I am privileged to work alongside with Dan and his team to raise funds for the tremendous work that Elim does with children and adults with disabilities. At Elim, they seek to move beyond the notions that the world continues to hold about persons with disabilities. Life at Elim stands in contrast to the world’s view. Through its four major program areas on its main campus and in 15 Discovery locations, over 300 servants work each day to bring 800 persons with disabilities beyond their potential to become the living testimonies God created them to be.
Subscribe via Email
Connect with Me
Facebook Profile at Facebook Profile
LinkedIn at LinkedIn
Flickr at Flickr
Tags
Recent Comments
- sandi busick on Swimming in Weakness
- admin on Swimming in Weakness
- Katy Faust on Swimming in Weakness
- Darlene Wood on An Ocean of Goldfish
- Peter Armstrong on I’m Not a Shark