Unexpected Joy

Dear Readers, 

This Christmas Day, I find myself contemplating hope. It's this incredible thing that can impact every difficult situation in our lives. This season is a true reminder of our ability to hope in the unexpected. 

The Christmas story might be one that we zone out on during a church sermon or when watching a Christmas movie. But there is something so uniquely powerful about the hope we find in this story that puts our lives into perspective. I am awed by the unexpected pieces of Christ's birth, like the virgin mother, a king born in a manger, and a poor little baby born to save the world. I think of the power these qualities have in the story. We would still worship Jesus if he was born in a palace and we would still trust in him if Mary and Joseph had been wealthy. We would still find meaning in serving a God who was in a blood line of kings. 

But the meaning is so much deeper. Much of my reflections in this blog are about our society and how we treat those who are marginalized. These are the people who we don't see as normal. Marginalized people are the poor, the disabled, and the minorities, just to label a few. 

The first part of the Christmas story that amazes me is when I realize that Jesus was in this category too. His mother was the talk of the town because she was pregnant before marriage and his father was just a carpenter, a low- level worker. They were from the lowliest of towns, and they were rejected, with no room, even in an inn. 

The other part of the Christmas story that amazes me is the unexpectedness of it all. It was so out of the ordinary, to us. But to God, this was the plan all along. 

These two pieces join together to fill my heart with joy today, and I hope they give you joy as well. See, if someone who was an outcast to society was born to save the world and if this whole plan was out of our realm of possibility, then it doesn't matter who we are when we consider the impact we can make on the world. It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, white or black, disabled or able, a girl or a guy, or a genius or an average joe. God has plans for all people regardless of the characteristics our human eyes might see. 

Then, when we understand our value in God's plan, we add God's unexpected twists in the plots of life. Only then can we truly realize that no matter what difficult circumstances come our way, there is always possibility for change. There is always room for God to do something that seems so bizarre to us but so natural for him that can make even the most painful of struggles end. 

So this Christmas and in the new year, remember that you can change the world, no matter who you are, as long as you have God on your side. He's bigger. He's stronger. He's unexpectedly greater than anything we can imagine. 

Sing as one, 

Sjc

The Gift of Consideration

Dear Readers, 

In this season of shopping for gifts, finishing up classes or projects at work , and traveling or preparing to be with family , there can be a lot of stress on everyone's shoulders. But consider for a minute the additional stresses that can come, especially in this time of year.

I experienced two particular things today that you might not think about if you don't have a disability. The first was the difficulty of traveling around town in winters weather. We so often plow and salt roads, but we too easily forget to care for sidewalks the same way. Last week I found myself complaining (silently to God really) that the sidewalks weren't plowed, as I got quite the upper body workout pulling a suitcase through a foot of snow just to get to a bus stop a mile down the road. This weekend, my complaints changed. 

Today, the sidewalks were plowed. When I returned to the city last night after traveling across the state, I was so excited to see the plowed areas. However, I didn't notice that they were still difficult for traveling until the next morning. I got up early to head downtown for some errands. I walked briskly across the parking lot, and bam. I found myself flat on my back in the middle of the street that I was crossing to get to the sidewalk. I was in pain, but I got up and kept walking. I sort of I've skated through the next parking lot and trudged through the two foot snowdrifts to the main road with plowed sidewalks. Bam. Flat on my back again. This time, I got up, but I turned back for my apartment. 

Should I call a cab? No, that's so expensive. Should I just stay home today? No, I really need to get stuff done before Christmas. These were my thoughts as I considered what my options could be for traveling around town. I finally decided to wait an hour, since I knew I had already missed the bus with my icy delays. I decided to try walking to the bus again, only because it was cheaper. 

This time, I was armed. I took some of the salt that my landlord keeps inside our apartment building. I sprinkled salt when I felt like I was skating. I took twice the normal time to walk to the bus. This time, I fell twice more, much harder than before. But I did arrive to do my errands. 

The second struggle was actually when I had transportation. I took the bus for people with disabilities to Meijer so that I could buy a few additional Christmas gifts. I waited in the half hour checkout line just like everyone else. However, I was going to miss my ride back to my apartment because of this long line. I stood there trying to decide if I should abandon my shopping cart just to make my ride. Then I thought of the two full hours it took me just to locate the. 15 items in a crowded and overstocked store. I chose to stay in line, knowing that I would be in jeopardy of losing my access to the transportation service by not showing up for my ride.  It ended up working out that the driver was waiting for me anyway, but the principle is the same. When someone has access to a car, they have access to choice about when and where to go. Without that livery , there is great limitation. 

Consider the natural stresses of this season. Then add a few bruises, an aching back, extra time, and lack of choice. It's amazing how inaccessible our holiday routines can be for some people. Then I think about people with even bigger struggles than me. What about the woman in a wheelchair who literally can't power through the snow? What about the man using a walker who would be far more than sore the next morning after falling on ice? What about the people who are too scared, too weak, or too uneducated to just keep trying for independence no matter how hard it might be today? 

Food for thought. In this season, when things seem overwhelming to you, stop for a moment. When you burn the sugar cookies, wait in endless checkout lines, scrape off your windshield, or fight with tangled Christmas lights, remember that there are challenges for everyone. Consider the struggles of others. That may be the best gift you can give someone this Christmas. 

Sing as one, 

Sjc 

Choosing to See Ignorance

Dear Readers, 

Everyone faces adversity in life. Everyone struggles. But how we as the strugglers view the people who cause or perpetuate these adversities defines us far more than the struggles themselves. 

I see two options for how we view those who add to our struggles. On the one hand there are ignorant people who don't understand what life is like for others and therefore make decisions that hurt the struggler. On the other hand we see arrogant people who frankly don't care or whose priorities don't include the opportunities of others. 

While there is significance in the hearts of these two types of decisions that people make, the struggler is not meant to be the judge. That job is left to God and the men and women he's appointed as earthly judges in some cases. For those who struggle, the job is to choose our view of these people in our lives. 

For me, there's a conscious decision to see those who influence my struggles as ignorant rather than arrogant unless I have clear evidence of an intentional action. Usually, there's more ignorance than arrogance going on, although the egotistical part of humanity that puts the cares of others at the bottom of the pile is still a constant issue. 

But choosing to view these as issues of ignorance has incredible implications. First and foremost, it means that I can still love them. It's really hard to love someone when they intentionally hurt you or make decisions that explicitly add to your struggle. Of course, we are called to love everyone regardless of their actions, and I'm so grateful for that gift of grace. But from a practical and daily standpoint, it makes if far easier to appreciate others when I view their actions as stupid. 

The other implication is that there's hope. If people make decisions that hurt others out of arrogance, there's hope, but it rests far more on the shoulders of the arrogant one than the struggler. But there's possibility when ignorance is the issue because education and experience can often dismantle some of these misconceptions or misunderstandings. And from an eternal perspective, there's the future hope that ignorance and arrogance will both be thrown into a lake of fire one day. My, what a joyous picture that will be. 

All this said, both ignorance and arrogance often coexist. This has an enormous call to our hearts. We must evaluate ourselves every moment for how our actions and decisions impact others. This consciousness can overcome all sorts of issues that rest in both ignorance and arrogance. It's our job to be agents in the world who seek out justice in whatever circles we find ourselves. And when people hurt us, when we are surprised, or perhaps more when we are sadly not surprised by the people we love and care about who break our hearts, we can choose hope. We can choose to believe that our efforts are not unnoticed nor unimportant within the context of providing opportunities for everyone. We can consciously choose to make this world accessible in every way for all people, starting with our attitudes. 

Sing as one, 

SJC 

The Ability of Choice

I was thinking today about the ability of choice. That might sound funny to a lot of people, especially people who are generally not limited in their choices. Think about some of the seemingly mundane choices you might make. Perhaps you want to take a certain route on the way to work. Other times, you might want to stop and grab something from the grocery store on your way home from church. Even the opportunity to choose where to go out for dinner, attend church, or work are unlimited choices for many people.

But choice is in many ways taken away when we're dealing with disabilities. Shouldn't everyone have the opportunity to choose? Is free choice a fundamental right? I would suggest that it is, because if not, we have a terrible division in society. We reinforce the haves and the have notes when we see limited choices.

Shouldn't I be able to choose to drive the round=about route to work so that I can watch the sunrise over downtown Grand Rapids? Shouldn't I be able to grab a gallon of milk from the store on my way home? Shouldn't I be able to choose whether to buy my clothes at Goodwill or at Macy's, regardless of their proximity to the nearest bus stop? Shouldn't I be able to attend the church I want to regardless of its location? Shouldn't I be able to choose whether to leave at 7:30 or 7:45, choosing my own time within my own schedule?

If you're reading this and think these are silly desires that I should just get over, you're missing the point. Of course, the inability to choose cannot consume my life, or I would be too bitter to change anything. But you can choose all of these things. You have the ability to choose the little things that make you smile, make life more efficient, or just make you feel like you have a sense of dignity. But for many people in our society, this choice is removed.

I don't know the answer. I don't know how to fix this. For me personally, it likely means that I will one day hire a driver or live in a large city (or both) to overcome some of these geographical challenges. But the notion of choice and its importance in one's life remains.

 Still, I will say that the inability to choose, or perhaps we could call it a choice disability, does require me to have some dependence on other people. This might seem difficult to me and burdensome to others in some moments. But it does keep me ever aware of the importance of relationships. This also gives a job to those who have the ability to choose. This is a calling to support those who are limited in their choices by society's structures. Be aware that you are blessed with your given abilities and jump in to help others. Offer a ride to a friend. Be cognizant of barriers. And most of all, care. Actually, honestly, and intentionally let others know that you get it. Be real. Agree that it sucks. Then figure out a solution together.

We are a body of Christ. We are a community. This means we support each other. Not supporting is frankly not an option. It's about diversity and differences. We are called to care for all people. See the limitations. Verbalize the differences. Then love on another.

Sing as one,
SJC