We Are Really Not So Different...

A couple of weeks ago Bill and I had the great pleasure of having dinner with two young ladies from a nearby country.  One of the young ladies is interested in starting a special needs ministry in her church.  She was such an encouragement.  She has so many great ideas and so much compassion for those with special needs challenges.

Her brother was born with Down Syndrome and later dealt with the challenges of leukemia.  He suffered so many hardships, but always had a smile on his face and was such a blessing to those around him.  I watched an inspiring video of his life and was very touched by it.  He went home to be with the Lord a couple of years ago.

It was interesting to discover that I have more misconceptions about her country than I realized.  I shared some of the impressions I had of the country in respect to attitudes about the disabled.  From that

discussion, I realized that things are pretty much the same there as they are here.  You will find pockets of people that isolate or even shun the disabled.  You will find pockets of people that believe the disability is due to a spiritual deficit, and you will find families that are desperate for their loved ones to be accepted, embraced, and loved.  This is true in the United States as well.

Some battles have been won, but the war is not over.  We have a long way to go.  As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said,


"Lord, we ain't what we oughta be;
We ain't what we wanna be;
We ain't what we're gonna be;
But thank God we ain't what we was! "

I am so thankful for the good changes that have happened.  It has been 22 years since the "Americans With Disabilities Act" was passed.  Programs in schools have become more inclusive and are offering a better education to all of its students.  More churches are supporting those with disabilities.  Lets take a moment to give thanks for the improvements that have been made and then lets get busy!