Getting to Joy - Pt. 2

“The parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable…” 1 Cor. 12:22

This verse JUMPED out at me as I looked at the whole of 1 Corinthians 12. We’re all familiar with the idea of being part of the body of Christ and that we all have a purpose to serve. However, I think most of us haven’t given a lot of thought to how (or if?) people with special needs fit into that plan. Let’s see the whole verse.

The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. 1 Corinthians 12:21-26 NIV (emphasis mine)

I believe that we as the body of Christ aren’t doing a really good job with this, in general. Here’s an example. I noticed after Henry was born that, often, people were afraid to acknowledge him. I actually had a person come up to me at church saying that she would be praying that God would "heal" him of his Down Syndrome. As I was holding my 3 week old baby. She didn't even acknowledge his presence, just talked about him as if he had a disease that needed curing. I knew then and know now that she did not mean to sound the way she did. She was doing her best to support me and love me and say what she thought God wanted her to say. But it was wrong. There was a lot of that in the beginning. Not much in the way of "congratulations!!!" that other mothers got - but lots of hugs and tears and not a lot of recognizing that he was a person and was right there. It’s difficult, I know, for people who don’t know what to say. I understand that. And it’s hard for us as parents to barrel through our own feelings in order to present a calm, collected, joyful front to the world. So what do we do? How does God want us to respond?
 

I can’t say that I have any definitive answers for you. I’m not God and all I know is what He’s shared with me, for my situation. But I do know that there are quite a few verses to help us get through the desert. Because, in general, the world isn’t going to help you. Until we can rewire our society to understand that people with special needs are worthwhile, useful people who deserve respect just like everyone else, we’re going to face ignorant comments, prejudiced viewpoints, incorrect assumptions and all manner of frustrations regarding our children. What I believe is that it is OUR JOB to replace these comments, viewpoints, assumptions and frustrations with God’s. To respond, with love, in a way that teaches, reaches and helps people understand that our children are also an important part of the body of Christ. In fact, if I’m reading those verses correctly, they are a part with special honor and they’re indispensible. What a powerful idea that is! Our children aren’t just EQUAL in God’s eyes; they’re given GREATER honor. They’re INDISPENSIBLE. I can’t tell you exactly why, but maybe it’s because God knows they have something incredibly special to share with others and teach us about Him. Maybe.

One of my favorite verses that I turn to when I’m feeling overwhelmed and frustrated is Jeremiah 29:11.

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
 

I’m constantly repeating this verse to myself. He didn’t give me Henry to harm me or to ruin my future. He promises to PROSPER us. To give us hope and a future. And our children are part of that plan for our lives. But it’s not just OUR lives, either. This applies to those same children as well! This verse always makes me feel better and gives me strength and confidence to keep going.

Another verse is one we chose as part of our Henry’s name. We’ve given each of our children a Bible verse as part of their name – sort of claiming that verse for that child’s life. Before Henry was born – and long before we knew he had Down Syndrome – we chose Joshua 1:5 for him.

No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
 

Claim this verse. Hold it to your heart and claim it. Because God is PROMISING this here. He will never leave us. He will never forsake us. He didn’t dump these special children in our laps and run away, leaving us to fend for ourselves. For crying out loud, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with you”. We couldn’t ask for anything more. And I LOVE the first sentence. “No one will be able to stand up against you…” Y’all, that is HUGE. No one. Will stand. Against us. Because of Him. I absolutely love how God gave us this verse, knowing long before we did who Henry would be, to make sure we understood His promises to us about Henry.

Of course, these are just two examples of how God can get us through the desert. We CAN get to joy. When we realize the plans God has for the lives of our children (and our own lives in conjunction), it’s truly awesome. It doesn’t make the day-to-day frustrations and struggles go away, but it can make them easier to bear. I pray that you will take these verses (or others that speak to your struggles) this month and maybe write them down on Post-its and stick them in places where you’re sure to see them daily. Help yourself to etch His words into your heart so you can draw on them when you need. That’s how we get to joy.

Comments

[Chris D]

Hi Christy, Have you heard of this ministry Nathaniel's Hope it is based in Central Florida- www.nathanielshope.org
They teach people how to be sensitive to people with special needs. It's awesome!