One of my heroes of the faith is a layman named Jean Vanier. He was a Catholic layman who changed the way many in the Christian church treat those with developmental disabilities. He has started communities world wide where people with DD can live in freedom, enjoy life and live to their potential.The writings he has published have helped me see people in a different light. Not just the developmentally disabled but those who are disregarded, disenfranchised and who are just...different.
Here is a quote from him as he sees people with God's eyes, not his own.
“They(developmentally disabled) are essentially people of the
heart,” he said. “When they meet others they do not have a hidden agenda
for power or for success. Their cry, their fundamental cry, is for a
relationship, a meeting heart to heart. It is this meeting that awakens
them, opens them up to life, and calls them forth to love in great
simplicity, freedom and openness.
“When those ingrained in a
culture of winning and of individual success really meet them, and enter
into friendship with them, something amazing and wonderful happens.
They too are opened up to love and even to God. They are changed at a
very deep level. They are transformed and become more fundamentally
human.” Jean Vanier
Over the last 30 years in ministry, I have met many, many people who are "different" in many ways. Many of them are people who society would love to throw away or hope that they would just disappear into the woodwork because they may not have proper social skills or see the world in ways we could not explain. I am very grateful that God in his mercy has helped me to learn to see people and what they could offer instead of what they wanted to take. As I have gotten to "know" these "different" people, I have been stretched beyond imagination. I have been challenged to think differently, to love differently and to learn differently than I was used to. My world expanded in so many good ways, it was amazing....just by seeing them through God's eyes. I pray that every day. Some days, of course, I don't. I am having more days now where I do.
One such experience, of course, has been with my two sons. They have, as you have read in past posts, come to us through adoption and are...well...different. They are quirky, challenging and think in ways that I don't. My oldest loves, loves, love figuring out mysteries on TV and gets excited and dances with delight in the living room when he sees he figured it out. And out of the blue, he will come up with some way out statement about something that cracks up everyone in the family. To be quite honest, when he was growing up, I was embarrassed sometimes at what he said but now see the humor it and in fact, tell my coworkers when he says something funny! We have learned that he has brought laughter to our family and he is learning that he can laugh at himself too. He was "so serious and dark" before when we first brought him home. Now, he laughs and entertains us all, most times without even trying.
Our second son has taught me that you can survive dark times and that is important to stick by someone when they are in that dark time, plodding along beside them. This past fall was REALLY, REALLY dark for our whole family because of his illness. I, personally, was at a tipping point and continually cried out to God for help and to help my boy! This son taught me to pray and to trust even when the darkness seems overwhelming. For the first time in 7 years of him being home, he wrote me a note while in an adolescent psych ward thanking me for helping him and loving him even when he was unlovable. I had never heard that from him EVER. I cried for a long time that day, mostly out of relief. For the first time, he seemed to be able to give back some. It gave me some hope. He continues to have insight into this world that I don't. His beautiful mind continues to baffle me, amaze me and remind me that God creates us all differently but beautiful.
Jesus teaches us through scripture that we are to love those who are different, not disregard them. We are to treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve JUST BECAUSE they are His creation. There were many people before my sons, who made an impact on me and my hope is many more will come my way. I LOVE hanging around people who are quirky, weird or whatever you want to call them! God is in the midst of it all....using THEM to change ME.
I love this scripture...so simple and I don't think it is talking about monetary blessings...I am blessed.
"Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered" Proverbs 11:25 .
