God is NOT SLOW: My Hope in the Journey of Disability?

This last year at our annual family ritual Joni and Friends Family retreat the speaker Clint Echols asked us men to lead and share how God was giving us hope in our families journey in Disability. I did not want to share actually because the ideas were not altogether formed in my head. He challenged us to lead out, so I stayed up till late into the night, to pray, and ask God to form the Hope and Joy that was before inexpressible into some form of expression. I wanted to encourage those who face disability everyday, and especially the hope of salvation for their disabled loved ones. Here were my erratic and somewhat spontaneous thoughts...

Joni and Friends Family Retreat 8/7/2014

Clint Echols

'Hope Overflowing'

Reflecting on hope and sharing with the camp...

The hope overflowing that I have his week is...the hope against Hope for me is...

First that...

"The Lord is NOT SLOW to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (‭2 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬ ESV) and so the hope that I am clinging to is...

That my cognitively two year, physically eight year old little girl, would trust Christ one day. If all she can do is call on the name of Jesus as Romans 10:13 says, "For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”" Then I am trusting that HE is enough to credit her with His righteousness just as He with does me.

Secondly I am Hoping that...

"For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy." (‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬ ESV)

"Otherwise your children are unclean...but as it, they are holy"? Do I understand how God can make my children holy through my own faith? No! Do I understand fully how God has credited me with Christ's righteousness? No! But, I do know that God is NOT SLOW to keep his promises. How does God make us righteous? How does God count our faith as righteousness? He takes that, maybe only a mustard seed sized faith, and applies the perfect record of Jesus righteousness to it, because of his own kindness, and own promises! And He is NOT SLOW to keep his promise of salvation! 

"The Lord is NOT SLOW to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (‭2 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬ ESV)

Lastly I am NOT Hoping...

So I will tell you what I am NOT hoping for on our journey of disability. I am NOT hoping against hope, that my child will read one day, or that she will talk more, I am NOT hoping against hope, that she will be fully integrated, I am NOT even hoping against hope that she will NOT be made fun of in school or in the playground or wherever, because that has happened, is happening, and I believe will continue to happen. However hard that is in this life. I am NOT hoping against hope that she will be potty trained. I am content for the rest of her or my life to help her in toileting. I am not even hoping against hope that she will sleep through the night, and not wake us up at the most random of times in the middle of the night. 

But...

What I am hoping against hope in, what I am hoping in The Lord is, that He will carry out His promise to me that He does not wish any to perish, and that one day, she will trust in Jesus with whatever capacity He gives her to trust. So I'm hoping it forward, and I'm asking God to grow that mustard seed of faith until it is a full grown tree of hope and apply His perfect righteousness to that little bit of faith. I am not just hoping, but believing that God will, as the word says, "they (children) are made holy (emphasis mine)." 

In fact I believe she has a better opportunity for God to work through her and to draw her to himself. I have seen the simple faith, hope and a trust in as she calls Him "Cheesus" (Jesus). God is not going to use or work through my child 'in spite' of her disability, but BECAUSE of her disability." And He is NOT SLOW to keep His promise. Thank you Lord. I Hope! I Believe! Can a child who sings "Jesus Loves Me" be calling on the name of the Lord? That is my great Hope!

The most un-Reached people group in America!

One of the largest un-reached people groups in the United States is the disability community. Over one-fifth of all Americans are affected by permanent disability, according to the most recent Census Bureau numbers. They're un-reached because of the isolation, pain, difficulty, and degree to which people affected by disability are ostracized in our culture.

 

Our daughter Ana has Down syndrome. I've had a lot of exposure and contact with the world of Down syndrome as a result. As I look back on my life experiences, I see how God was preparing me for life with Ana. I have been in youth ministry for 20 years, and in every one of my ministries there have been many students with disabilities, including Down syndrome. God has been so kind and gracious to expose me to the world of disabilities before I was graciously pulled into it on a deeper level with Ana. 

 

When she was 10 months old, we noticed strange things were happening to her. She would lose control of her body, especially her head and arms. We quickly called the doctor and got an EEG test that showed a thing called Hypsarrhythmia. Our neurologist gave us a diagnosis of infantile spasms. We were devastated. It was a difficult and tiring journey to her being fully cleared of all seizures. Her seizures were most often in the middle of the night; I would get up and hold her during the seizures, and sometimes there were episodes of 40-50 in a row.

 

I remember a night about 7 years ago very vividly. I felt completely helpless, and all I could do was cry out to Jesus through the tears. "Help me. Please help me, Jesus."

 

This is just a glimpse into life for people in the disability community. To face these struggles is exhausting spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.  One amazing way God has refreshed my family is through the ministry of Joni and Friends, especially the ministry's "Family Retreat." Most families facing disability struggle with endless demands on their time, energy, emotions, mental capacity, and spiritual life. I've been in support group, after support group, where people were completely overwhelmed. These families rarely have time to feed their own souls in substantial ways. Yes, we really are committed to the Lord daily, we believe in the importance of personal and corporate time with him, but practically how does this work out?

 

When my family attended the family retreat for the first time five years ago, this renewal happened for us. When we drove up to the camp, we wept as counselors and staff held up signs with our children's names on them. We were being celebrated for the first time, and it was completely disarming. As a result of the disarming power of celebration, we were able to have complete respite and be rejuvenated through corporate worship with like-minded people in the disability community. We also had the opportunity to be blessed by those facing the same struggles. "Short term missionaries" served the families, each one assigned to our individual children. My wife and I even had the chance to talk to each other about goals for our family and the deep, hard things we were dealing with, without interruption! We even went on a date! Every year on "date night," we find there are couples who haven't been out for a date since the birth of their child with disabilities, and for some this is 10-15 years prior.

 

In our involvement with Joni and Friends ministry over the years, I've met so many people neglected by their own church. One such woman was a single mother with a 21-year-old daughter with cerebral palsy.  As soon as her child was born, her husband left her. This is actually, sadly, a common occurrence; some figures reflect the divorce rate is as high as 80 percent (http://drgrcevich.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/special-needs-and-divorce-what-does-the-data-say/). Her husband couldn't handle the shame he felt, so he left.

 

She would often seek out other people to connect with in her church, but nothing materialized. One day, her pastor preached on the passage in Luke where Jesus says to invite the poor and disabled in to your homes, the people who can't repay you.  "He (Jesus) said also to the man who had invited him, 'When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just'” (Luke 14:12-14).

 

As she tells the story, she became so excited when she heard the passage and her pastor's teaching. "This is finally the day; now someone will invite us over!" she thought. So she rolled her daughter's wheelchair out to the foyer, turned it around and parked it so people would have to walk by them. Yet the people filed by; not one single invitation was extended to this very tired single mother. This is unfortunately an all too familiar scene for many in the disability community.

 

As we partner with ministries like Joni and Friends, however, we can make it more of a priority to serve families in our community affected by disability, and we can learn the best ways to meet their needs. For my family, the retreat has been crucial. Our heart has grown for the most unreached, un-evangelized, hurting, and isolated people group in the country. Let us with fresh vision obey the words of Jesus to "invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed."

 

I believe Joni Eareckson Tada is the most influential Christian leader of this generation. See her testimony below. And here are a few links to information about ministries the church can take advantage of:

www.joniandfriends.org,

http://www.joniandfriends.org/family-retreats/

http://www.joniandfriends.org/church-relations/,

http://www.joniandfriends.org/christian-institute-on-disability/.

FEARLESS: BARNABAS

Fearless: Barnabas

Barnabas was a Levite named an Apostle in Acts 14:14 part of the council of Jerusalem, stoned near Cypress, John Mark witnessed his death, he was the apostle of encouragement, and a peacemaker.

Barnabas was not afraid of the cost of discipleship in three areas.

1. He was not afraid to give (everything)

He gave up his property: There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them. and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles. (Acts 4:34-37 NLT)

Later he supports himself: Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves? (1Corinthians 9:6 NLT). Finally he is martyred: John Mark witnessed his stoning. I had a youth pastor that was really giving. He had the habit of giving away things including the best shirt he had in his closet with his brother. I decided to pick up the habit. I gave away things in college and it worked it has made me more giving! Go figure if you give stuff away it makes you more giving. One time we were really struggling with medical bills for our daughter and we have received several anonymous gifts from people in our church. Someone gave us $10,000 one time and $8,000 another time for these medical bills. Barnabas is the picture of fearlessness in becoming less and less bound by the materialism that our world lives by.

2. He was not afraid of being inclusive (even of dangerous people)

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer! Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus. (Acts 9:26-27 NLT)
One time my wife and I were flying without our kids, which doesn't happen very often, and there was a baby in front of us that was really crying and having a hard time. We were not even in the air yet and then flight attendant told this family they would have to calm down their child before they could take off. Like the plane would not function mechanically if he was crying or something. Everyone around the family including us was outraged! We all understood it was a baby there was nothing they could do, not one of us was mad we were all sympathetic. This is how Barnabas was with dangerous people he did it with Saul (who became the great Paul) and he did it when he took John Mark with him on his missionary Journey. How will you be fearless and include people who might not fit the "status quo" or might even be dangerous.

3. He was not afraid of failure; or better said he believed in second chances (John Mark and Paul)

After some time Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing.” Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work. Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord’s gracious care. Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there. (Acts 15:36-41 NLT)

Paul later said about John Mark, Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry. (2 4:11 NLT). When I was in 8th grade I went on a youth retreat with our Church. We stopped at a really back country truck stop, I took the chance to stretch my legs and use the restroom. as I was leaving I came across a rack with lots of cassette tapes on them of all the popular music; Lynard Skynard, Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, Credence Clearwater Revival, didn't I say this was one of those truck stops! Don't laugh You know you listened to them too! So I though it would be cool to steal some tapes and take them back to the van to show all the guys. As I got back to the van and showed all the guys they said, "are you crazy" and at that very moment I felt a hand grab my shoulder. I was caught. The owner let me off easy and my youth pastor gave me a second chance, and let me back into the group after my mother got a hold of me! This was a very nice move on his part to give me grace because I needed it at the time. For us as Christians we should really believe and hold to the statement "Grace is True". Barnabas was fearless in the face of failure and showed many people great Grace. Will You?

Joni and Friend Family retreat is where I see lots of Fearless people. Tegan Mickle is one of those who do not flinch in the face of fear and disability and go and serve and love all those people that the world has maybe forgotten. Here is her story.