The Mystery of Faith

In the scriptures, we are told that the Christian life is a mystery.  In fact, Proverbs teaches that it is God’s glory to hid many things but it is man’s glory to uncover these secrets of nature and eternal life.  In Paul’s letters he often talks about the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection.  We are told that we won’t understand everything.  However, we are reminded that many things are clear enough. 

These uncovered mysteries are the simple principles of life and I’ve found in my 21 years of working with people who are mentally challenged that simple principles are often best learned from simple lives. 

In the past months, I’ve been watching Toni learn, and I’m  learning from her.  Toni is short of statue with mousy brown hair.  Because of the adverse circumstances of her life, Toni is an extreme extrovert.  Everything about her countenance and her fashion shouts, “Don’t look at me!”  She is pretty certain that no one is concerned about her or her situation. 

However, when Toni faced a serious operation for cancer, she became a forceful advocate for herself.  Each time we met, she requested prayer.  It wasn’t out of fear.  I had seen fear on her face.  No.  These prayer requests were from a sincere belief that God cared for her and wanted to heal her.  She would quietly make her way into the prayer line that is an intricate part of our Special Gathering chapel services and say, “I need prayer.”  Once she told me, “God wants to heal me.”

The operation was intricate, rare and delicate.   The outcome is still uncertain.  But Toni is secure in one thing.  In the end, it is the most important thing she will ever learn. God loves her.  Toni and I became a close friends after she joined the choir.  Because of her health, she has not been able to attend.   One day after I had inquired about her health, she whispered to me .  “God wants to heal me but I need to do my part.  The doctor says for me to be careful.  And that is what I’m doing.”

Teresa is another person who is learning these simple principles of life.  Teresa was a young woman when I met her 15 years ago.  It’s been a adventure to observe how she has matured over the years.  Her mind is simpler than many of our members.  However, raised by her father, he playfully pushed her beyond her abilities.  Because of his joy-filled,  playful, positive manipulation, she is able to do far more than the prognosis of any medical professional. 

But verbal prayer remained a mystery to her.  I’m sure that she prays; yet she never wanted to attempt to pray out loud.  Because her speech patterns are confused, she is careful who she talks in front of and she is leery of  her conduct in regard to talking.  Nevertheless, a few weeks ago when I asked the choir who would like to lead us in prayer, she raised her hand. 

Trying to keep my extreme joy from being exposed in my voice, I attempted to calmly say, “Teresa, you need to say, ’Thank you, Lord for our choir practice.’  Keep your prayer simple.”

Teresa prayed and I rejoiced.  She is learning and she is growing.  Of course, the Christian life is a mystery.  Like you and me, Toni and Teresa won’t learn everything.  But many things are clear enough and as we grow we are able to go beyond our abilities–beyond the expectations of others–discovering the mysteries of our faith.

 

Watch out for Toublemakers

Peter’s disability causes him to have many inappropriate behaviors.  He can be disruptive and even rude.  Yet, I would never consider Peter a troublemaker.

Because of Laurie’s disability, she is unable to control her appetite.  It’s an uncontrollable urge that drives her every moment of the day.  She must be watched one on one.  Her food seduction makes her manipulative and sneaky.  But Laurie isn’t a true troublemaker.

I’ve found that in our community of believers, it is not those people who have overt, inappropriate behaviors that are the troublemakers.  Paul warned Timothy in his second letter, “Beware of trouble makers.”  But who are they?

We’ve found that the gossips in our community are the real troublemakers.  They are the people who stir up interesting bits of gossip and misunderstanding, generously pouring into the fusion people’s reputations.  They continue to stir and blend unhealthy ingredients until every person’s character and moral fiber have been incorporated into the mixing bowl.  They then insert their unhealthy concoction into the oven of suspicion and guilt and out pops a batch of trouble. 

These are the true troublemakers within our cloistered subculture. Unfortunately, our community isn’t unique.  Their wares appear in the most Christ-like as well as the most desperate of environments.  Using their tasty baked goods, talebearers are able to ruin even the most sterling of reputations.  Good qualities of a person’s character can be distorted into warped caricatures to be mocked and despised. 

Sure, troublemakers do come in all forms, shapes and sizes.  Human nature can concoct amazing distortions.  Nonetheless, pastors and group leaders who deal with divergent populations will attest that occasionally, most people will cause distractions and disruptions.  While these are pesky, they can be dealt with more easily than the chronic cancer of the gossip.  He  is the one person who maims and destroys.

Paul gives good advice.  He says to watch out for these troublemakers.  He is also saying, “Beware.”  It isn’t hard to assume that he is indicating that we should recognize their skillful, divisive actions.  Paul doesn’t give any concrete ways to avoid such folks.  Perhaps because they are found in every group and situation.  Their influence is undeniable and pervasive.  Therefore, being on guard against the destruction they can cause may be the best weapon that can be used in defense of the innocent.

 

We must tell about Jesus–a sermon for the mentally challenged community

We must tell about Jesus

Acts 5:20 and 21

Central Theme:  Each of us should tell other people about God’s new life.

Introduction–I collect rocks.  I have rocks from around the world. I love my rocks.  The only problem is that I didn’t label them so I don’t remember where my rocks came from.  China?  Hawaii?  Spain?  SC?  VA? Illinois?  I can show people my rocks but I can’t tell people about my rocks because I don’t know what I should know about the rocks from all over the world.  Sometimes our relationship with Jesus is like that.  We know we are Christians but we can’t share with others because we are afraid that we don’t know enough.   Have a member read Act 3:20 and 21. 

       I.     The apostles had a different problem with telling people about Jesus.

              A. They were in jail.

          B. An angel came and let them out and told them something very important.

              C. They were arrested again but this time they were warned.

              D. They told the government officials that they had to obey God rather than men.

      II.     There is a story that must be told to the world.  It is a simple story that any one can tell.

              A. Jesus loves you and Jesus died for you. 

                   1.  Jesus has changed my life

              B. I think the problem is that most of us don’t really want Jesus to change our lives.

                   1.  We want fire insurance.

                        A. We don’t want to go to hell.

                   2.  These men and women in Acts were on fire for Jesus.

                        A. They did not care what other people thought or said.

                        B. They did not care how badly they were hurt.

              3.  Jesus had done something in their lives and they wanted everyone to know.

     III.     We need to ask God to really do something in our lives–to change us.

              A. Because you are disabled, you can have a great impact on people‘s lives.

              B. A mother within the disability community told me about a friend of her’s who died.  This woman had a severe disability.  At her funeral, this mother realized that we can help to change the world by living a life that tells others about Jesus and by telling people that we are different because we love Him.

Conclusions:  We are to share the good news with others.

 

Resources regarding H1N1 and people with disabilities

Here is an e-mail I received from Family Cafe.

Dear Friend,

 

We would like to pass along some resources regarding H1N1 and people

with disabilities that we received from the US Department of Health

and Human Services.

 

The DHHS office for People with Disabilities can be found online at

www.hhs.gov/od/ <javascript:void(0);/*1258733886733*/>

.

You can also visit www.flu.gov/, where there is information on the

flu for parents, seniors, caregivers and individuals with special

health care needs. The disability specific page can be found at

www.flu.gov/individualfamily/healthconditions/disabilities/index.html

<javascript:void(0);/*1258733900326*/>

.

Finally, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also has a page

dedicated to H1N1 and persons with disabiltiies at

www.flu.gov/individualfamily/healthconditions/disabilities/index.html

<javascript:void(0);/*1258733914342*/>

.

Please take a few moments to check out these sites and get some

information on H1N1 and people with disabilities.

 

Thanks,

 

The Family Cafe

 

The Simple or the profound

Paul, the apostle, was an amazing teacher.  His writings have a great gap between the most profound mysteries of the faith and the most simplistic and practice advice.  Each of the letters he wrote to the church or individuals began with a high theological thesis.  His letter to the Ephesians chapter one speaks of the Father’s love and grace, “Because of his love, God had already decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ.  That was what he wanted and what pleased him, and it brings praise to God because of His wonderful grace.  God gave that grace to us freely, in Christ, the One he loves.”

Such wonderful, poetic lyrics have been inspired fodder for Bible scholars for almost 2,000 years.  However, by the end of his letter Paul is saying, “Children, obey your parents as the Lord wants, because this is the right thing to do.”

As much as we marvel at the amazing secrets exposed in Paul’s writing, most of us need day-to-day simple direction on how to pray for our children.  We wrestle with what our reaction should be when the washing machine vomits all over the laundry room.  What is the Christ-like response to the swishing traffic when the car stages a revolt stalling in the middle of a snarled intersection?

While some of the members of Special Gathering, who are mentally challenged, obviously grasp the mysteries of Christ.  Because of their intellectual abilities, it is with a simplistic understanding.  Yet, I’ve observed that many people who are developmentally delayed live out the simple directive with uncomplicated faithful living. 

Perhaps it is in the simple living that we truly uncover the mystery.  Doesn’t “love your neighbor” automatically translate into a deep understanding that God love me no matter what my actions or reactions of the moment may be.  Patty is a servant to everyone.  She pushes the wheelchairs.  She brings the cookies.  She carries the equipment.  While her understanding of the complicated truths of the scripture seems barely a surfacing sip from the deepest of ponds, my faith is deepen by watching her unselfish labors of love toward her peers.  When Steve delights because someone else is getting the solo that he thought he would singing, there is a demonstration of God’s love flowing through an individual as he is emptying his life to prefer another person.

Perhaps part of the mystery of Paul’s letters is this:  He gives the mysterious principles of the faith allowing us to see how unobtainable it is without the grace of God.  Then he gives us the step by step process in the final paragraphs of his letters which reveal how to truly live out the glorious faith that he has described to us.

Mysteries and secrets are part of Paul’s teaching.  Could part of the uncovering of these secret be the  step-by-step dying to ourselves as we daily prefer and serve others As I rub elbows with the mentally challenged community, I’ve come to believe that practical, simple acts of love is the key that unlocks the secrets of Christian faith.

 

Arise, Shine: The Shepherds’ First Christmas

You are invited to attend

 

Arise, Shine

The Shepherds’ First Christmas

 

Vero

7pm

Saturday, December 5

Tabernacle Ministries

51 Old Dixie Highway

 

Melbourne

7pm

Sunday, December 6

Celebration Cafe, First United Methodist Church

110 East New Haven Avenue

Refreshments served after each play

No transportation provided to or from the play.

All actors and choir are part of the mentally challenged community. 

 

Everything is clean to a clean mind

One of the last things my father said as he was dying has become significant in my attitude toward life.  Daddy was hemorrhaging internally and we knew that we were facing his last hours.  However, he was aware and even seemed strong as death inched slowly into his body.  Mom and Dad had moved into the home of my brother and sister-in-law.  She was the nurse of my Dad’s doctor.  It was an ideal arrangement for Daddy and our family.  His hospital bed and medical supplies had taken over the living room of their house.

We surrounded our father with concern and love.  Daddy loved Christian TV and my brother had moved at television into his room.  The TV was on acting more as a night-light than entertainment.  However, in the lulls of whispered conversation, we could detect the message the various teachers were proclaiming.  As my brother was transferring Dad from a chair back to the bed, we could hear the words of one particularly loud preacher.  He was preaching about how awful the world is and how much we as a Christian must avoid everything and everyone connected to the outside world. 

Daddy leaned back on his pillow and closed his eyes in exhaustion.  Then he said, “Sure there are a lot of bad things in this world; but if you look, you’ll find that there is a lot more good than you ever thought possible.”   

Paul said it this way as he wrote in a letter to the young preacher, Titus, “Everything is clean to a clean mind.”   

Lucy is a delightful example of a clean mind.  She is much lower functioning than most of the members of Special Gathering.  Her smile is contagious and dominates her face.  Unable to keep her balance her walking is aided by two Canadian crutches.  She moves slowly but deliberately.  If she loves you, she demands a hug. 

Of course, Lucy has her bad days.  In fact, after the death of her much-loved father, she has grieved, expressing herself with unacceptable behaviors.  But these are still uncommon events and her overall attitude remains serene and secure.

Before her father died, there had been little that upset this young woman.  Because grief is a natural outgrowth of life and I’ve not been the target of her unexpected aggression, I’ve not seen her behaviors as anything but a healthy response to a tragic event that she isn’t able to cognitively comprehend. 

Chrissy is also physically disabled.  However, her mind is sharp as a tack.  She was treated badly by her family as a young child but that hasn’t kept her from having a clean mind and seeing the world as a joyful habitat for joyous events to happen.  She laughs and giggles at the most common things.  She smiles at sounds and smells that I barely notice. 

The more I interact with people like Chrissy and Lucy, the more I’m convinced that Paul was correct.  As hard as it is to zero our concentration of the clean and good things of this world, the more we will reap the benefits of that environment.

 

Do Your Best

I’ve always been fascinated by the personality that each group obtains.  Whether the group is large or small each one has its own personality.  As I recently talked after lunch with a small group of health-care professionals about this interesting phenomenon, I was reminded how much this applies to one small group which I’ve led for many years–the choir.  In reality, I’ve led many different choirs in six locations and each one has its own personality.  In addition, the personality of each choir changes as the membership of the choir ebbs and flows.

After a while, everyone gathered their lunch checks and paid their tips.  As I walked from the restaurant my mind was drawn to Leslie.  That is because each time she entered the room where practice was being held, the personality of the choir would change.  Blazing red hair, she stood about four feet tall.  She fought her weight all of her adult life. She would bound into the room, smiling and chattering.  Her presence lifted the dynamics of the choir–not the quality of her voice.  

In fact, as an initial reaction to her joining, I wasn’t sure I would be happy with having Leslie as a choir member–because I had heard her sing.   Her voice would be categorized as a monotone.  However, within weeks I realized that it didn’t matter how pure or unpure her vocal tones were.  Leslie became one of the greatest assets we ever had in a Special Gathering choir.  It was her desire to do her best that impressed all of us.  And that desire was totally infectious.  She brought her signature I-do-my-best drive and sat it smack into the middle of every practice and performance.  Within a few months, choir became her passion; and that passion translated into influence.  She was an igniting spark of goodwill and enthusiasm for all the choir members.

Leslie wanted to be the best singer possible.  She practiced until she literally sang the music in her sleep.  To reward her efforts, I worked hard each Christmas to find a song that would fit the tones that she produced vocally.  That song would contain her solo.  Sometimes, it would only be a few notes but she was trilled with any crumbs I could throw her way.  She rewarded me, as director, with so much excitement that everyone caught her zeal like the H1N1 virus.

Last year, the first week in September we had only started practicing our Christmas music.  The pastor of the church where Special Gathering of Melbourne meets walked through the fellowship hall, during rehearsal.  “You’re singing today, aren’t you?”  he quizzed me. 

Shocked because we had no plans to sing, I responded, “You want us to sing?”

“Yes, you are scheduled for today, aren’t you?  And I want you to sing the song your were just practicing.” 

“Sure, we’ll sing and we can certainly sing the song that we were practicing.”  I turned away from him and looked into the eyes of one of our volunteers who knew we weren’t prepared to sing.  She also knew that we had only sung the song we were practicing two times.  It was the song I had chosen for Leslie’s solo.  The volunteer’s eyes widened as she mouthed to me, “What are you going to do?”

“We sing,” I mouthed back to her, shrugging my shoulders.

I announced to the choir that we were singing at the combined service that morning and that we would sing “Here Is My Heart,” Leslie’s solo.  As I quickly made arrangements to be absent for the few minutes that we would be performing, my mind raced, “Whom can I use instead of Leslie as the soloist?”

My thoughts were abruptly stopped by a Voice that is much smarter than my brain.  “Leslie is to sing the solo.  This is the only time she will be able to sing it.”  I dismissed the last sentence because I didn’t have time to process anything, except that Leslie was to be the soloist.

She sang and she didn’t disappoint me, the audience or the Holy Spirit.  She sang with a glow and anointing that I’ve seldom seen shine from anyone’s face.  The quality of her voice didn’t changed; but the hearts of the audience were transformed.  They wept and so did I.

Leslie looked at me as we were leaving, “I did the best I could,” she said.  I reached over and hugged her.  “You were wonderful,” I said with complete honesty.

On Friday evening, Leslie’s stomach erupted and a hole developed in it.  She coded three times before midnight.  She had emergency surgery. She was given a fifteen percent chance to live. For two weeks she hung between life and death.  Then the Lord graciously took her home. 

At her funeral, the choir tried to sing, “Here is my Heart.”  While it is a beautiful worship song, we aren’t able sing it because it is simply too hard for the choir and me.  Yet for Leslie, we did our best.

Leslie taught me that doing my best doesn’t always mean that things will be sugar cookies and lime sherbert.  However, sometimes–on rare and wonderful occasions–doing our best allows the Holy Spirit to change hearts.

 

The Church helps people–a sermon for mentally challenged community

The Church helps people

Galatians 6:9

Central Theme:  Helping others must be our everyday business.

Introduction–Show a graduation invitation.  We send out wedding invitation and graduation invitations because it is a way that people can help others.  We are supposed to give gifts when we get these invitations.  We give showers and parties where we bring gifts.  Our society understands that we need to help each other.  This is one way to help people out.  The church is a place where much of this kind of tradition began.  We at Special Gathering should begin to think about how we can help other.

                    Have a member read Galatians 6:9.

       I.     Tell the story found in the Book of Acts about the seven men who were selected to be special helpers. 

              A. These jobs were not jobs of prestige or privilege but service.

              B. Our deacons are people who have proven to be servers.

              C. We want people who are willing to help others.

 

      II.     In the disability community, we are accustomed to other people helping us.

 

              A. We think, “How can I get better services from the state.”

 

                   1. We don‘t often think, “How can I help someone else with what I have.” 

                       A.  We must begin to think about how we can help others.

                       B.   Maybe you would like to give a little more in the offering because your offering pays for transportation.

                             1.  $2.50 a week pays for your transportation but what about the person who cannot give $2.50?

 

Conclusion  We should begin to think about how God can use us to help others with the money and things we have.

 

Free Gas USA

With funds being cut from the State of Florida, I occasionally hear of people who are really hurting.  Perhaps this would be a way to help off-set some of your expenses if yours or your child’s transportation funding has been cut.

Subject: Free Gas USA

Dear Friends,

We would like to let you know about an opportunity to get some
financial support to help out with your family’s fuel costs. A
non-profit organization called Free Gas USA is now accepting
applications for grants to individuals to help with the purchase of
gasoline for personal use.

To qualify, all you have to do is complete an application form. To
view the application and read more about the program, please visit.
www.freegasusa.org <javascript:void(0);/*1258046016858*/>
.

Thanks,

The Family Cafe

 

Don’t be Naive

Harold isn’t my favorite person within the mentally challenged community.  His personality isn’t structured in the Down’s syndrome,  stereo-typical mold.  Harold speaks too loudly and talks too much.  He is delights in getting in people’s personal space and staying there until they are so irritated and uncomfortable that they must ask him to move.  Harold is neither shy nor coy.  He isn’t small but a large framed man who is pretty impressive.

There is one thing about Harold that does inspire me, though.  He is not naive.  In II Timothy chapter 3, Paul told Timothy, “Do not be naive.”  This is an interesting phrase that seems to slap in the mouth many of our stereo-typical Christian personality molds.  After all, the common idea is that Christians should be weak and sloppily syrupy.  That includes a childish naivety.   Of course, this isn’t the picture that is painted of an effective Christian and Paul nails the coffin on sapability by declaring, “Do not be naive.”

Many people within the mentally challenged community are naive and gullible.  They will believe anything that is spooned to them from someone who they perceive as an important or powerful person.  There needs to be careful safeguards held over professionals who work with this population because this kind of simplistic gullibility makes them easy prey.  A recent study by the Pew Center showed that the disability community is 40 percent more likely to be victimized than other portions of the population.

Harold isn’t going to allow anyone to take advantage of him.  He is not naive regarding the tactics of others.  Years ago, he told me about an encounter he had with several high school jocks at McDonalds.  When he walked into the restaurant, they began to hoot and holler.  They threw around the ”R” word and insulted him for the entire time he was eating his hamburger.  After he finished, Harold took his garbage to the trash can and then he walked to their table.  Standing over them with his large and impressive frame, he said, “I might be mentally retarded,” he conceded, “but I’m not stupid and I’m not rude and you are.” 

Impressed, I asked him “What did they say?”

“Nothing,” Harold said, with a sly grin.

It would have been easy for Harold to slink from the restaurant, avoiding the young men.  Yet, he didn’t.  Again and again, I’ve seen Harold skillfully manuever people who try to mistreat him.  Often, he faces them down. 

We are not sure why Paul said to his good friend, Timothy, “Don’t be naive.”  Nevertheless, it could be that because he was a young man people were trying to take advantage of him.  The word naive speaks of having a lack of experience in life and showing unaffected simplicity.  At times, like Harold, you are not able to change people who are attacking you. Yet, Paul is saying, “Don’t be so lacking in sophistication that other can harm you without your knowledge.”

There have been times that I have seen people being verbally destroyed by others.  In fact, I’ve been naive at times.  When I discovered that attacks were coming, I learned that where possible I should speak personally to people who were trying to attack my reputation.  Harold met his oppressors with truth and skill that was beyond his IQ level.

Being naive doesn’t mean that you will confront everyone.  It does mean that you will not live your life with an armor of fluff and frills.

 

Don’t allow others to despise you.

 

The first time I remember reading the verse in Titus, “Don’t allow others to despise you,” was about 25 years ago.  During that time there were quite a few people who had been my friends but had decided that they didn’t like me.  The verse spoke so directly to my situation that I thought that perhaps I had misread it.  I was working with the youth department in a large church that had several pastors on staff.  I went to the pastor who was known for his Biblical and theological knowledge.

“Does this verse mean what it says?”  I asked him.

He casually looked up from his paperwork and said, “Sure.  It means what it says.”  He went back to his paperwork, politely dismissing me from his office.

Not satisfied, I went to my reference books and my diaglot and Greek lexicon.  Amazingly from my research, I found that this verse meant what it said.  However, I had no idea how to make this verse viable in my life.  What steps do you take to make this simple principle a reality?

For years, I pondered the question until one Sunday afternoon I learned how to put action into the scriptural words.  It was a hot steamy afternoon at camp.  Each year, for Memorial Day weekend, Special Gathering rents out a youth campground in Vero Beach.  We takes about 200 people to Life for Youth Ranch for four days.  There are between ten to 14 people in each cabin.  The cabins are divided between men and women. 

Sunday afternoon, Laura was changing her clothes.  She is a lower functioning young woman whose bed was right at the doorway.  After completely disrobing, Laura stood over her bed and examined her clothes trying to decide what to wear.  At that point, one of the other women, Mercy, opened the door from the outside.  Seeing her unclothed friend leaning unceremoniously over her luggage at the front door, Mercy stood at the doorway, with the door swinging wide open.  Laura looked up and screamed, “Shut the door!” 

Startled by her screaming friend, Mercy seemed to freeze.  She continued to stand outside the cabin with the door wide open.  I was standing behind Mercy.  Quickly, I went into the cabin, closed the door and quietly maneuvered Laura from the doorway.  When Mercy regained her composure, she reopened the door.  Though out of the way of the door and almost dressed, Laura again screamed, “Shut that door!”

Like many of our members, Mercy is a woman who speaks only a few words.  However, she walked over to Laura and in a calm voice she said, “I’m not used to people talking to me like that.  Don’t scream at me again.”

Laura seemed shocked.  Mercy’s steadfast and calm attitude totally defused Laura’s anger.

From Mercy, I learned some simple steps “for not allowing people to despise you.”

• First, go to the person who is showing contempt to you.  Mercy faced Laura and spoke to her directly.
• Second, remain calm and polite.  Even though, Laura had lost her temper, Mercy did not. 
• Third, explain in as few words as possible the action you believe needs to stop. Mercy told Laura, “Don’t scream at me again.”
• Fourth, with only a sentence or two, let your combatant know why you will not allow the action to continue.  “I’m not used to people talking to me like that,” Mercy said.
• Fifth, keep your reasoning simple and clear.  Saying fewer words in this case will usually mean less continued tension and have the greatest impact.

Once again, I learned a scriptural principle played out in the life experiences in a person who is mentally challenged.  Sometimes the most difficult to understand principles need the simplicity of an uncomplicated mind to sift it into workable steps.

 

Stressed or Desserts?

I’m often amazed at how the mentally challenged community weathers their greatest times of stress.  During my first few years of ministry with Special Gathering, I thought it was because they simply didn’t understand what was happening.  However, over the years, I’ve learned that our members watch the news and follow current events.  Most of them understand the world around them.

Some of them are more keenly atoned to outside events than those folks who are considered normal.  The last year of his life, Eric started carrying a calendar wherever he went.  “It’s three months and 7 days until hurricane season,” he would update me each week when I picked him up for our Saturday program. 

Before the next hurricane season, Eric died of hepatitis that resulted from a tainted blood transfusion which he had received as an infant.  He was only a kid, about 22 years old.  Born with Downs syndrome, he was a happy person who had a passion for football and swords, Superman and that last year, hurricanes.  Some of his disability lay within the autism spectrum. 

Eric became sick shortly after Hurricanes Frances and Jean roared through Indian River County, Florida.  While he was in a securely ensconced in a Federal building during the storms, he was greatly impressed by the events.  At first he seemed greatly stressed and confused by the approaching tropical storm season.  Then one Saturday, he didn’t bring his calendar.  “Where’s your calendar?” I inquired.

“I left it at home,” he assured me.  Then patting me on the shoulder as though to calm my concerns, he said,  “It’s all right though.  I’m still keeping track of the storms.” 

Slowly, he was able to completely drop his concerns.  The Bible teaches us in II Timothy that God will look after us.  Eric seemed to grow into that comforting knowledge through the next months in which we would see the end of his life.

I read recently, “Stressed is desserts spelled backwards.”  The upside down side of being under stress is something wonderful, if we allow God’s Spirit to work in our lives.  Eric learned his lesson well.

A couple of days before he died, I visited Eric in his home.  We talked about his relationship with the Lord.  Wanting to be sure that I’d touched all the bases, I pointedly asked, “Eric, have your asked Jesus to be your best friend and to take away all the bad things you’ve done?”

Eric looked at me with a disappointed and childlike quizzical expression.  “You know I have,”  he said with confidence.

“Yes.  I did know that,” I said wanting to erase the disappointment from his expression, “but I needed to be sure.” 

Wanting to change the subject, I inquired,  ”Where’s your hurricane calendar?”

“I don’t know.  I don’t need it now,”  he said honestly. 

Even at this young age, while facing death Eric had been able to turn his stress point upside down and inside out and it had become confidence in God’s grace and mercy.  That’s a great dessert for the ending of any life.

 

Live Simply in Humble Contemplation

He is a handsome Jamaican whose family migrated from the Northeast to Florida when his parents retired from their work. For a couple of years, I thought Paul was non-verbal.  When I made him angry one Sunday after chapel services, I found that Paul is definitely able to speak.  In fact, even though I was shocked, his scolding, rapid-fire lecture, pleased me beyond measure.

Paul listens to music via his ear phones almost incessantly.  The vehicle carrying the tunes has progressed from a tape recorder to a CD player to an MP player.  However, the music has not changed.  He listens to opera and Christian music.

Paul is a quiet, dynamic Christian whose life is simple.  Work, home, bed.  On Sunday, the routine changes a bit.  Chapel, home, bed.  Some weeks the city bus that picks him up for chapel has been late.  On those weeks, Paul gets on his bicycle, in his best suit and tie and rides the ten miles to Special Gathering. In the Florida heat, that is no small feat.  No matter how much his parents and I have tried to discourage him from riding his bike on those mornings, he is not deterred.  He doesn’t say a word.  But we can see in his eyes that his resolve remains.  His commitment to worship remains the bedrock of his existence.

Whether at his work or at church, Paul often reaches over to touch my head.  Somehow, I knew that this was his way of blessing me.  However, years ago, I asked.  “Why do you put your hands on my head whenever you see me?’

“I’m blessing you,”  Paul said with a slight stutter.  Over the years, I periodically ask the same question.  His answer is always the same.  I’ve been deeply impressed with his lack of false humility.  He does not say, “I’m praying that God will bless you.”  He says, “I’m blessing you.”

In I Timothy 2, Paul tells Timothy, his son in the faith, “Live simply, in humble contemplation.”  While many Special Gathering members live this out in their daily lives, none are as consistent as my friend, Paul.

My life was turned upside down a few years ago when much of our house was damaged by Hurricanes Frances and Jean.  Frances started the havoc and Jean completed the task.  In the process, we realized that we needed to remake part of my office into a disability accessible bathroom to meet the increasing needs of my husband.  Most of the house rocked in upheaval during the transition.  I relived those months recently as I endured the transformation of our kitchen, family room and pantry. 

My life was no longer simple, during those weeks.  I had no water.  The most common tasks meant that I had to transport water from our back yard or the bathroom to the kitchen.  Water had to be heated, then reheated.  I couldn’t find any of the food or utensils I needed to prepare meals. 

Even my Special Gathering  endeavors were much harder.  I couldn’t locate the information I needed to update my data base.  I had no idea whether I would have internet access or not.  I seemed to spend my day uncovering and discovering where I had put valued papers, rather than actually getting tasks completed. 

I relished the times I spent with folks like Sam.  While my life was upside down, I wanted to be near someone who still had a parcel of sanity in their lives.  Sam would come to me and put his hands on my head and smile.  In many ways, God began to speak to me through this valued friend’s blessings.  “Your life will settle down.  You will be able to get through this.” 

Sam wouldn’t speak or even smile but I knew that his blessings were helping me to maneuver through the overwhelming waves of turmoil and confusion that were threatening to capsize my small, leaking vessel.  I’m grateful for Sam’s simple life of humble contemplation because during my time of stress and confusion, I could depend on his peace to help guide me to a safe harbor in spite of the complicated seas.