Here by Divine Assignment

Read: Acts 17:24-31

From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. (Acts 17:26)

As someone living with severe and multiple disabilities, there are many times when I become acutely aware of my “Otherness”–my difference from those around me. In a society that places supreme value on independence and autonomy, the severity of my physical disabilities render me totally dependent on others to meet even the most basic of my physical needs. At a time where communication is expected to be instant, it often takes me half an hour or more to type a single email. (Don’t even get me started on texting! :-)) At a time when the value of a life usually gets conflated with what Temporarily Able-Bodied people assume to be a quality of life, and when that quality of life is presumed to be automatically and drastically lowered by just the presence of disability, I insist that my life is still worthwhile, even if I sometimes have to eat through a feeding-tube.

Given the general tendency of our society to devalue our lives and discount our ability to contribute meaningfully to our communities, there is, I think, a strong temptation for those of us with significant disabilities to remain withdrawn and not even try to engage with a society that seems, more and more, to devalue and discount our very presence, let alone our participation. I am becoming more and more convinced, however, that, particularly for Christ-followers who have disabilities, withdrawal and disengagement from society are not viable options, especially at a time when there are so many disability-related ethical issues being debated in this country–issues which have the potential to impact the lives of hundreds and thousands of people with disabilities. The Bible tells us that none of us live where we live by accident; we are where we are by God’s assignment. To me, this means that those of us who live in North America, and have disabilities, and who have been blessed with the capacity to communicate in ways that society at large is able to understand, have a God-given duty to speak out, to ensure that the perspective of people with disabilities is heard in the public forum.

Loving Heavenly Father, Thank you that, in your wisdom, you have strategically placed me in a country, a province, a city where I can make a difference. Please open my eyes to the opportunities you give me to speak out in the interests of those devalued by society. In Jesus’ name. Amen.