Last night in my psych of the exceptional child class we had a thought provoking discussion. We looked at the verse in Psalms that talks about God knitting us in our mother's womb and how we are fearfully and wonderfully made in God's image. my professor then asked us how we can apply that to our future students. at first i was thinking that i would tell my students with disabilities that they are made for a purpose and God did not make a mistake in creating them with a disability but then my professor threw us for a loop when she said what happens when that child says how could God make me fearfully and wonderfully made when i have such a flaw as a disability. how could God make a person with a disability when a disability is not wonderful at all? for me this thought pained my heart for i do not think this way.
but what would i say to that question? through reflection i would say that God loves each individual. we are not made perfect and that is so we can seek God in our weakness. the difference between us individuals with disabilities and "normal" people is that our weakness is on display. all the non-disable people have flaws to but they are able to hide it. the key is to be confident in your weakness and through your weakness God does big things but you have to let Him.
One other point made by my professor that goes along with this is the aspect of parents having to grieve when they find out their child has a disability. my first thought was are you serious? no. but like my professor said we live in a society where the ideal is to be perfect. SO parents have the idea that their child is going to be perfect and then when their child is diagnosed with a disability then their idea is shattered. they must go through the 5 stages of grief where they have denial, anger, depression and acceptance. they have a need to come to terms with the fact that their life is going to be hard from here on out. but bringing it back to how God makes everyone in his image and beautiful, the parent has to remember to see past the weakness on display and look at the true beauty in the child.
these are the kinds of hardships i must work through and learn how to handle these thoughts. i know for a fact that God blessed me with parents who saw me as beautiful and strong and not one bit weak. but other individuals do not have that kind of influence. it is our job as men and women of God to walk beside those with disabilities and help them to understand that our society is not perfect and need a wake up call that being weak and flawed is beautiful.
but what would i say to that question? through reflection i would say that God loves each individual. we are not made perfect and that is so we can seek God in our weakness. the difference between us individuals with disabilities and "normal" people is that our weakness is on display. all the non-disable people have flaws to but they are able to hide it. the key is to be confident in your weakness and through your weakness God does big things but you have to let Him.
One other point made by my professor that goes along with this is the aspect of parents having to grieve when they find out their child has a disability. my first thought was are you serious? no. but like my professor said we live in a society where the ideal is to be perfect. SO parents have the idea that their child is going to be perfect and then when their child is diagnosed with a disability then their idea is shattered. they must go through the 5 stages of grief where they have denial, anger, depression and acceptance. they have a need to come to terms with the fact that their life is going to be hard from here on out. but bringing it back to how God makes everyone in his image and beautiful, the parent has to remember to see past the weakness on display and look at the true beauty in the child.
these are the kinds of hardships i must work through and learn how to handle these thoughts. i know for a fact that God blessed me with parents who saw me as beautiful and strong and not one bit weak. but other individuals do not have that kind of influence. it is our job as men and women of God to walk beside those with disabilities and help them to understand that our society is not perfect and need a wake up call that being weak and flawed is beautiful.
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