Special Needs Ministry

I am thankful for the various opportunities I have had since my youth to spend time with the special needs community in fun group settings. Throwing parties with gifts, games, and song, cheering on competitors at the Special Olympics events, and dancing the night away with hundreds of Joy Prom guests, dressed to the nines and uninhibited about their dance moves, all had the effect of building love in my heart for our special needs community.

Six-year-old boy with Downs Snydrome (credit: Kari Reine)

But when I felt called to serve one-on-one as a buddy to children in our church's Access ministry (which helps kids of various degrees of physical need integrate with all the other children at our church), I asked God, "Why me? For you know I am far too impatient and unmerciful to serve in that way." (ie: This is outside my comfort zone!) He was probably nodding and thinking, "You have described yourself well, my child, and that's why I am calling you."

My daughter wanted to join me, and I immediately saw a unique gifting in her for that type of ministry, so I assumed my calling was for her. She is now serving independently at a different time than me, but I still feel called to serve as a buddy one-on-one because God is teaching me about Himself in ways only these kids can show me.

9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  ³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. (John 9:1-3)

I have more empathy now for their parents, because I have found caring for kids with such needs to be physically exhausting, and that's probably minor for them compared to all the mental/emotional toil of all the therapy scheduling, IEP meetings, record keeping, advocating, etc. By the time I had carried my buddy onto each piece of playground equipment last week, my biceps, triceps, and lats all were throbbing, despite all my efforts over the years to make them stronger. But, Y'ALL, I would carry that child to the ocean and back just to behold her captivating smile. One smile or hug from her makes the world seem right again and fills me with indescribable joy and hope.

Nothing truly worthwhile or valuable in life seems to ever come easily. The struggle is what refines us so that we can see and appreciate the treasure. When I look at these precious children who are so dependent on others for daily life needs, I see children who are infinitely valuable regardless of what they can or cannot do, and not only that, I see a picture of God's glory!

These kids have taught me that the more you give of yourself, the more you love and value others and vice versa. So if Christ gave everything, suffering and dying on a cross, for us in our utterly helpless estate, imagine how beautiful our smiles are to Him! Oh how much He must delight when we look up to Him, acknowledging our need and asking for help, and then smile back at Him with pleasure. Thank you, Access buddies, for showing me the love of the Father.

Journal Entries Following the Charleston AME Church Shooting

June 18, 2015
Grief overwhelmed me last night to the point of tears as I considered Biblical prophecy and what is happening to our country. Evil felt palpable, so I prayed through tears to the one who knows all things and who has patiently endured our wickedness until the gospel reaches every nation. He is loving and merciful, but He will not force us to love Him or abide in hearts where He is not wanted or welcome. Evil will destroy the nation that utterly rejects Him and his chosen people, Israel. He will take His followers home to heaven to live forever with Him and give those who despise him what they want by handing them over to their wicked desires which always end in torment.

So I fell asleep with those thoughts and woke up to tragic news of another shooting in Charleston. How devastating! Oh how my heart breaks for the families of those prayerful, worshipful saints of God. As my heart grieves, I am struck by the irony in it. Those who do not believe the Bible is true and and then express their hatred of Bible believing Christians through persecutions such as this vile attack are fulfilling prophecy and confirming that the Bible is indeed true. Death is not the end for true Christ followers, and God's truth will prevail.

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another." (Matthew 24:9-10)

Kudos to gospel singer Marcus Stanley for posting this comment on Dylan Roof's facebook page after miraculously surviving 8 of his gunshots. This response beautifully illustrates the contrast between good and eviI that I tried to describe in my previous post. Evil will use any means to steal, kill, and destroy. (John 10:10) Evil ignites and fuels the fires of hatred based on race and religion.... whereas love offers comfort, compassion, and hope while uniting a community. Love is the greatest good. Love conquers all....Because Christ laid down his life for mankind, good ultimately triumphs over evil. Mr. Stanley, you are the real deal. You know how to love and forgive because you know the love and forgiveness of God. Thank you!

June 19, 2015
As expected, the media is making this event all about guns, but the real battle is between good and evil. Evil pulled that trigger again and again. Evil doesn't care if guns are legal or illegal,because evil will acquire whatever it needs to steal, kill, and destroy. Evil ignites and fuels the fires of hatred based on race and religion. Evil motivated Hitler to disarm those he hated so he could maintain total control, and evil inspired him to murder millions because of race and religion. Evil uses a tragedy to promote a selfish agenda and to inspire more hatred, whereas love offers comfort, compassion, and hope and unites a community. Love is the greatest good. Love conquers all. "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13). Because Christ laid down his life for mankind, good ultimately triumphs over evil. (1 Corinthians 15, 1 John 5:4)

As further proof that love is the only way to push back evil, Roof told police that he “almost didn’t go through with it because everyone was so nice to him.” ( sources told NBC News)  Hate had been brewing in Roof's heart for many years, and he had spent over six months planning this attack, yet after only one hour at a Bible study with Christ followers who treated him with kindness, he almost backed out.

He wanted to start a race war, but if we all choose to respond by extending love and building unity as that AME church community is doing instead of stirring up more racial tension as the gunman wanted, then the result of this horrific tragedy could be the opposite. Darkness is defined as the absence of light, so the key to removing the darkness of hatred is to shine the light of love. Note that light has no shadow as illustrated in this picture. Light a candle in memory of those who died but also as a reminder to respond in love.

 June 21, 2015
I'm sorry I keep harping on the Charleston shooting, but the stuff happening down there is so significant both for our country and for our hearts, that I can't help myself.  Today, enormous crowds gathered at Emanuel AME Church to show their respects and to uplift one another following the shooting tragedy that took the lives of 9 of the most faithful members of the church, including the pastor. A dear friend of mine attended the service and experienced the supernatural presence of God in such a powerful way that she and her family will never forget it. The message delivered was a compelling reminder that we must forgive those who wrong us, no matter how vile the crime, for only love can push back hate, and to harbor bitterness is to give the enemy another victory over us. Those present at the shooting and others who testified offered that same message of love and forgiveness to Hooks. As a result of this tragedy and the faith community's response to it, a revival of faith, love, and unity is flooding the Charleston area and the hearts of many who are following the story.

"I forgive you": Victims' families confront suspected Charleston church shooter
Posted by NowThis on Friday, June 19, 2015

Just two days before the shooting, one of our generation's most influential, humble, godly, and effective missionaries passed from this life to the next. Elisabeth Elliot is probably best known for returning to Ecuador as a widow with her toddler daughter to preach the Gospel to the tribal villagers who had murdered her husband. Her martyred husband Jim Elliot once said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." When I first posted about this tragedy I shared John 15:13, which says that there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for another. Jim and Elisabeth Elliot were not afraid to lose their temporal earthly lives for the sake of the call, even if it means only one soul is saved for eternity.

I just know the nine saints who were taken so tragically would have gladly laid down their lives to see this revival take place, for real love for God will risk all for another soul after receiving the gift of salvation themselves from Christ who paid it all to save his worst enemies. They would tell you it was worth it.

[Aside: For those who hate "religion" because they think it results in unnecessary killing, it helps to understand the difference between a Christian who would be willing to lay down his life for another and a terrorist who will commit an act of suicide (suicide bombers, airplane crashes) to murder innocent people they define as "infidels". Christians around the world risk martyrdom everyday by those who hate them because they love others supernaturally. Terrorists are willing to die because they hate everyone who disagrees with them. True Christians are willing to die to save others (not specific others but anyone else, regardless of race, religion, social status, gender, age, ability, etc.) from physical and/or spiritual death while terrorists are willing to die so they can murder those they hate and thereby receive rewards they believe they will receive in "paradise". Note that one dies for selfLESS reasons, while the other dies for selfISH reasons]

Testimony revealed that Roof initially planned to conduct the shooting at the University of Charleston but decided against it because of the high level of security found on campus. Churches are supposed to be a safe haven (and yes, the particular church was significant in the civil rights movement), so he knew he would be safer there where surely no one would be carrying a weapon which could stop him from carrying out his murderous plan. He must have feared the weapons of security officials more than he feared God, for that church was sacred ground, and even Satan is said to flee when people pray. While his ultimate goal was to start a race war while fleeing justice, the result so far has been a revival of love and unity, while he is in the process of receiving justice. Lesson: It's better to fear God than man-made weapons. (Psalm 20:7)

They were hoping for 3000, but over 10,000 came. # unitychain over the Ravenel bridge.