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Archive for March, 2012

Seeds of God’s grace that still encourage me today

Posted in commentary, Helpful things on March 21, 2012| Leave a Comment »

God sends help in really interesting ways.

Yesterday I posted a quote from Dr. Michael Beates.

Pastor John was travelling to Florida in 1997 (I think) and met Dr. Michael Beates who was then at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando.  Dr. Beates has a daughter with severe disabilities due to a genetic anomaly, and he trusted God as sovereign and good over all things.

I wasn’t so sure about the ‘good’ part in those days.

Pastor John kindly had Rick Gamache, then his assistant, send me an article by Dr. Beates that I’ve kept for more than 14 years.  Rick included this note with the article:

I pray that God will use it to encourage you and bring you joy and peace as you trust in his precious and very great promises.

That prayer was certainly answered!

I haven’t met Dr. Beates, but we’ve corresponded a few times over the years.  That 1996 article, less than three pages long, was remarkably helpful.

Through that article, God granted me a man who spoke a language I could understand.  He used words like ‘excruciatingly painful’ and ‘harsh reality’ – words I understood but didn’t see that often in ‘religious’ treatments on disability in 1997.

Dr. Beates sent me his dissertation a couple years later and I remember thinking that I had never seen anything like it before, either.

Seeds of grace from God’s hand.  God really is amazing.

He and Joni Eareckson Tada have a new book coming out in July that I can hardly wait to see!

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“Pain and suffering are never wasted in God’s plan” – Dr. Michael Beates

Posted in commentary, Quotes on March 20, 2012| 1 Comment »

Though the truth of Scripture cannot dull the pain caused by the occurrence of genetic anomalies, when we grasp the truth of God’s sovereignty we begin to understand that pain and suffering are never wasted in God’s plan. Indeed His most important lessons are taught in the wilderness, through affliction and tribulation. Our very redemption was purchased by the painful suffering of our Savior Christ Jesus on the Via Dolorosa and the mount of Calvary.

Dr. Michael Beates, Is My Child One of God’s Mistakes?

Dr. Beates is the father of a young woman with multiple disabilities due to a genetic anomaly.

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More treasures from the past: a friend writes about disability and the church

Posted in commentary, Helpful things on March 19, 2012| 2 Comments »

I found a booklet written by Jan Lacher when she was still pretty new to parenting a child with a disability as Michael was quite young.  Knowing what Michael and the entire family have gone through since this was first written, and seeing the evident faith in Jan and Mark that has continued to grow, made the words in this little book even more precious:

The ongoing nature of Michael’s situation is daunting, but we are not without hope. What seems impossible to us is possible with God. His mercies are new every morning. I have seen his faithfulness even when things do not go the way we want them.

I am trying to cultivate an attitude of thankfulness, lest I get sucked down into the tar pit of despair. I claim the hope that is in Christ, trusting that he will work this out for our good, even if Michael’s health deteriorates.

When Michael was in the hospital after his surgery, he was sleeping in his crib; I was looking at his big, swollen head with the 40 plus staples, and God led me to John 11 which talks about the suffering and death of Lazarus. Even though there was great suffering and grief by Lazarus and his family, Jesus told his disciples that he was glad for their sake so that they would believe and that it was for the glory of God.

Meditating on this passage and others, gives me hope that Michael’s suffering is not in vain. I also take comfort knowing that as I watch Michael continue to suffer with his seizures, I have a heavenly Father who knows what it is like to have watched his son suffer, all without anesthesia or morphine.

The entire booklet can still be found online here: Creations of God Impacted by Disability: One Mother’s Thoughts.

And I even found an early draft!

I’d like to see this booklet updated and posted as an ebooklet.  What do you think?

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Congratulations, Joni!

Posted in News on March 18, 2012| Leave a Comment »

There isn’t anyone in the world who God has used more than Joni Eareckson Tada for families experiencing disability in the church.  And she has stood against some of the great cultural evils of our day as well – abortion and embryonic stem cell research to name just two.

So I was thrilled to hear that she will receive The Wilberforce Award, named to honor the memory of William Wilberforce who spent his life battling the evil of slavery.

Here is Chuck Colson’s overview of the award and why Joni was chosen to receive it this year.

Congratulations, Joni!  God is very kind to have given you to families like ours!

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There was quite a bit more to the list from yesterday.

Posted in Scripture on March 17, 2012| Leave a Comment »

More things I found as I clean out the closet:

The reference to healing from yesterday was part of a longer list (below) that grew to include more scripture which eventually I turned into an 18 page outline that still largely describes how I understand disability and the Bible today.  I remember working on that outline but had forgotten some of the specifics.

I look at this list today and realize I didn’t really understand all the scriptures I decided to include nearly eight years ago (yes, I put the date on it!).  But it got something started that hasn’t quit, and I’m grateful God planted that seed, as immature as it was and is.

It gets me excited to think that God might help me see even more eight years from now, Lord willing!

Defining Healing in the Bible:

Prerogative of God

  1. Exodus 15:25-26 There the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, 26 saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.”
  2. Deuteronomy 32:39 ‘See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.’
  3. Matthew 9:35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.

Includes physical healing

  1. Numbers 12:13 And Moses cried to the LORD, “O God, please heal her – please.”
  2. 2 Kings 20:5-6 Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD, 6 and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.”
  3. Matthew 9:35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.

Includes spiritual healing

  1. Isaiah 6:9-10 And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘ Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’ 10 Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
  2. Jeremiah 3:22 “Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your faithlessness.” “Behold, we come to you, for you are the LORD our God.”
  3. John 12:39-43 Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said, 40 “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” 41 Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him. 42 Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.
  4. 1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.

Includes corporate healing

  1. 2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
  2. Jeremiah 33:6-9 Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. 7 I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and rebuild them as they were at first. 8 I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. 9 And this city shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.
  3. Revelation 22:1-2 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

The power to heal can be granted to whom He chooses

  1. Matthew 10:1 And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.
  2. Acts 3:6-8 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” 7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8 And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
  3. Acts 28:8-9 It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him healed him. 9 And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured.
  4. Matthew 17:15-20 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” 17 And Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly.19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”

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I wonder what I was thinking. . .

Posted in Scripture on March 16, 2012| 1 Comment »

Cleaning out files has some funny benefits, like finding old notes I wrote to myself:

Defining ‘healing’ in the Bible

Prerogative of God:
There the LORD made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them, saying, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, your healer.” Exodus 15:25-26

“See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.” Deuteronomy 32:39

And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. Matthew 9:35

Unlike some of the articles I’ve tossed about disability and the Bible or the church (along with being puzzled at myself for keeping them), those truths from God’s word have not grown stale!

So I’m not sure what I was thinking about eight years ago when I put that list together, but it still has value to me today.

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Memories of God’s care

Posted in commentary, Scripture on March 15, 2012| Leave a Comment »

On Tuesday Pastor Sam from Bethlehem blogged this:

“The next time the devil reminds you of your past, remind yourself of his future.”
—Anonymous clipping I found this past week in a file while looking for something else

I enjoyed that.  It was helpful.

That evening I began a project to rid our home of some of the clutter.  My task was going through old file folders filled with paper we hadn’t looked at for years.

Some of it was encouraging, like an old article by Dr. Michael Beates I’m going to scan and post here someday.  Some was embarrassing, like seeing myself quoted in an article from Parent Magazine in 1997.  And some was troubling, like an article I kept for some unknown reason that completely denied the sovereignty of God over hard things like disability.  I don’t like remembering that part of my history.

And then there were the medical bills.

Our youngest son was born prematurely in 2003 and spent time in the neonatal intensive care unit.  I held four pieces of paper that totaled more then $80,000 in bills, and that wasn’t all of the expense associated with his early days.  After the insurance coverage, the remainder was still more than we could afford.  Yet all of them were paid.  I can’t even remember how.

I found an old medical report from Paul’s geneticist.  The sterile language that described him and the cause of his disabilities was crushing at the time (and ultimately it was still just a guess on her part). Yet today I hardly recognize the boy she described – she saw so little of who he really is.

Pastor Sam’s quote is helpful.  I know Satan uses my memories against me; I can’t deny I did those things or thought those thoughts.

Because of Jesus, there is more to the story:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

And it is kind of God to use a stack of old papers to remind me how much he has already brought me through, along with the sure knowledge that everything he has promised for my future, he will do:

“Remember this and stand firm,
recall it to mind, you transgressors,
remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
calling a bird of prey from the east,
the man of my counsel from a far country.
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
I have purposed, and I will do it.”
Isaiah 46:8-11 ESV

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When does love happen?

Posted in commentary, News on March 14, 2012| 1 Comment »

The recent decision to award an Oregon couple $2.9 million from a ‘wrongful birth’ lawsuit has left me feeling like there’s actually some good news embedded in this story.

Four years ago a little girl was born with Down syndrome.  Her mother had received testing and would have aborted her little girl if the results had shown evidence of Down syndrome.  But somebody made a mistake with the test, the mother was told her baby was fine, and the little girl was allowed to live.

So the couple sued, stating they now needed significant financial resources to care for a girl who they otherwise would not have wanted before she was born.  A jury agreed.

Here’s the good news from that article:  “These are parents who love this little girl very, very much,” Miller said (their attorney). “Their mission since the beginning was to provide for her and that’s what this is all about.”

I don’t know if ‘that’s what this is all about’ or not. Comments and blogs have vilified these parents for their openness about wanting to abort.  Yes, I find their initial thinking about abortion to be horrifying as well.

But somewhere along the way they learned to love this child.  She went from being unknown to being known.  She entered a family and was given a name.  And today she is loved.

Abortion is an act of violence against a small human being who cannot defend herself; that is reason enough to be against it.  But it is also a final act – that small human being will never be known.

Those of us who have already decided against abortion are frequently dismissed as deluded or guided strictly by manufactured sentiment – of course we’ll see value in and love a child with disabilities.

But this couple was willing and preparing to abort if disability was found – yet love their child today. They cannot be dismissed by abortion proponents so easily.

So I’m praying that the one line – “these are parents who love this little girl very, very much” – will burst like a spotlight through the darkness of another mom and dad considering aborting their child with Down syndrome.  May they see that she isn’t a thing to be discarded but a little girl to be loved.

Yes, disability is expensive and complicated and difficult.  Most people will struggle with seeing only a disability and a not a real human being.

But this couple have said it – they love their daughter!  Not a clump of cells with a genetic anomaly, a little girl!

“Wrongful birth” lawsuits are ridiculous. A decision has been made in Oregon and I hope the medical system fights it.

But let us rather focus on what God has done for this couple and is prepared to do for others in making evident that even the child with disabilities can be loved for who she is.

And let us get rid of evil laws and systems that actively seek to destroy such children before they are given the chance to be known and loved.

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Lord, please use this young man to save babies.

Posted in commentary, News on March 13, 2012| 1 Comment »

The young man in the ad below lives with a developmental disability.

The advertisement reads: You’re one of a kind. Learn more about SNBC disability coverage at medica.com/oneofakind.

There’s more information about the young man at Medica’s website.

The Robbinsdale Clinic P.A. is an abortion clinic.  They point out that “Our location in Robbinsdale, MN, a northwest suburb of Minneapolis, is convenient and easily accessible by either the MTC bus services or automobile.”

The newest Planned Parenthood clinic in Saint Paul is ‘conveniently’ located on major MTC bus lines and the new light rail system.

The Meadowbrook Women’s Clinic, another abortion clinic in Minneapolis, states “Our location offers convenient access to and from major freeways such as 35W, 94, 394 and highway 55. Bus stops and the light rail are within walking distance.”

I know Medica and their ad agency, LEVEL, didn’t intend that bus ad to be used in the fight to protect children with disabilities.

But wouldn’t it be great if God used it to wake up mothers and fathers to the inherent dignity and humanity of their unborn children, even those diagnosed with disabilities?

Lord, please, use even this bus ad to break through the darkness and the lie that children are expendable and a burden.  Use Peter to save more babies, for your glory and for our good.

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“There is hope!” Greg Lucas

Posted in commentary on March 12, 2012| Leave a Comment »

Greg, author of Wrestling with an Angel, doesn’t write often enough (in my opinion).

You’ll understand why I say that from his response to a horrific story about a mother who killed her disabled son that captures the darkness of despair and the hope we have when we are held by God himself:

We’ve all been there. We are fathers and mothers and men and women and children who have walked through this valley. We know this darkness well.

We also know the only light that can shatter this darkness is the light of the gospel. And so for us, the “If we had known…” has turned into “We now know…”. And because we know, we will proclaim the hope of the gospel to these desperate, hurting, and often hope-less families.

If you are reading this today, I want you to know that there is hope. No matter how dark it may seem–there is hope. No matter what you have done–there is hope. No matter how unknown your future may be, there is a gracious God that has gone before you to prepare the way. He stands with outstretched arms proclaiming through the cross of His Son, “there is abundant hope waiting for you!”

You can read the entire post here, There is Hope!, along with the 25 passages from scripture to show where that hope is anchored.

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