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A S H A M E D

A S H A M E D

This word has wrecked me.
This word is nasty.
This word hinders.
This word prevents people from being themselves.
This word has has been on my mind ever since Kenya.


You know one thing I did not expect when I went to Kenya is that I would get to work with the disabled population. I got to go into homes and visit and pray with differently abled individuals and their families. One thing that has wrecked me is how ashamed they are of differently abled individuals. They do not let them out of their houses, they do not have resources for them, they do not have individuals to encourage them to seek help. They are ashamed and hide them from the world. My heart has been broken ever since then. 

I don't think that word ever crossed my mind throughout my life. Yes I have hated or been frustrated with my disability but I don't think I have ever felt ashamed. I have been talking this through with many individuals trying to grasp what I am feeling. It has made me think that we still have people here who are still ashamed. Nobody thinks when they are having a child that their child will have a disability. Some do not know what to do with that thought and become ashamed that they could not have a "normal" child. I tend to think the Lord blessed me with parents who heard my diagnosis and said we will give our daughter the best help she needs. I think because of my parents and surrounding family and friends I grew up with being comfortable in my own skin but a lot of people do not get that lucky.'

So what is there to do?
We need to speak words of hope and love. My goodness, can we please just love those who are different? Is it too hard to ask for us to speak beautiful words to strangers? Why do these people feel ashamed? Because they do not feel the love and encouragement from others. The differently abled get the weird looks and the people who turn the other direction. If you see something beautiful, please speak it. The one of many things that Kenya has taught me is how beautiful it is to get out of your comfort zone and speak words of beauty. Look them in the eye. Tell them they are so strong and beautiful and God has made you beautiful and you should never ever be ashamed.

***still working through this. These are my continual thoughts lately.

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