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MaryJane
Member



Joined: 2006/7/31
Posts: 3057


 Re:

Greetings

I have hesitated to come into this thread. I have to admit though there have been times when I have been out and about when I have watched those with disability struggle that my heart just breaks. I find myself struggling with tears because I know that was not how GOD desired things to be for us. Sickness, infirmity, disability, aging, death, these are things brought into the earth after the fall.

A long time ago I knew a boy in school his name was Tony. He was a lovely person, handicapped mentally but filled with love. His smile use to make me smile, but it also made me sad. I can't fully explain why except to say that somewhere in my heart I knew Tony was not how GOD intended him to be. As I grew older I realized I wasn't how GOD intended me to be either. We both struggled, had trails, and sorrows in our lives because of the fall of man...yet at the end of the day we both have value to JESUS. HE looked down from the cross and saw Tony, then HE saw me and HE forgave us. HE loved us mighty and I give thanks to HIM for that.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder they say and I think that is true. I saw beauty in Tony often in the short time I knew him. I have seen beauty in many surprising places in my life time. I was in the dentist office a few years back and a very elderly couple came in, this woman was very old and she struggled with getting around.You could see she needed help with even the smallest of tasks. Tears sprang to my eyes because I knew it wasn't what GOD desired for us and yet I saw such beauty when moments later her husband who was elderly also came in and faithfully helped her take off her coat, mittens, and cap. He guided her over to the chair and made sure she was comfortable. The love he had for her was beautiful. Perhaps as we grow in JESUS HE allows us to see both the result of sin in the world around us because of the fall, and the beauty of HIS loving kindness and mercy HE has for us. I have always felt the truly beautiful things in life are those things that cause me to think upon JESUS, to look to HIM...

God bless
maryjane

 2014/9/3 12:44Profile
Sidewalk
Member



Joined: 2011/11/11
Posts: 719
San Diego

 Re: Update

Several days ago I posted about our efforts to put a church meeting together for Special Needs (Oh how important the terminology is these days!) adults in my area near San Diego California.

We are pleased to report that we have found a building, a church that is willing to let us in on Monday nights, all the equipment to hold a great service with worship, preaching, and the always important snacks afterward!

So if you have an interest in this kind of ministry and are visiting in Southern California, let me know and come see it in action!

You have probably never been to a more fun church service... I know I haven't!


_________________
Tom Cameron

 2014/9/3 23:00Profile









 Re:

double post

 2014/9/4 0:43









 Re:

Sister, I am glad you started this thread. I pray that you will listen very carefully to those who may know something about this subject so that you can grow in your understanding of the heart of God.

Do you know how many people view pregnancies that have come about as the result of sin...as an affliction? They see that the child will be a burden, and of course you know what they do...they get rid of that affliction, that terrible burden, they wipe it off the face of the earth!

The only thing wrong with the so called "victims families" is that they do not yet know the fullness of the love of God, they are unable to receive from God the love and patience and long suffering and joy that they will need to not only cope with such a birth, but to go on to see this child as a blessing in their lives...just as my brother Frank has pointed out.

We had the joy of adopting a little boy from China who was horrifically burned in a fire. We brought him home to Texas to receive medical care and he is doing great. What a joy and what a privilege to be able to raise and love and make comfortable the life of one so "afflicted". Sister, it does not matter what the source of the trouble that has brought about this "problem" for these children, we are to simply pour the love of God out into them.

Now, we have friends who have adopted 6 chinese babies, all with missing limbs and cleft palettes, but you know something. That family sees it as a huge blessing to help these little children. And the reason that they are able to do this is because the love of God has been shed abroad in their hearts.

What a beautiful thing that is!

See, you got one thing right...the title of your post, beautiful:) Yep, to love the unlovable with Gods majestic love is the most beautiful thing in the universe, and is the closest thing you or I could ever come to knowing the love of God for poor, afflicted humanity. I pray the Lord will help you sister and open your eyes to this and show His love to you in a new way as you struggle to understand this. God bless you!

 2014/9/4 0:43









 Re:

Hey bro Mark, what a wonderful post. God bless you. Over the years I have always marveled at adoption. It is certainly one thing to discover the joy and the beauty of God's love for "the least" among us when they are our children, but to adopt these children has the touch of God to it.

We actually know a family who adopted two Down Syndrome children, quite simply marvelous. The love of God shed abroad in the hearts of men is no where better demonstrated, in my opinion, than in the hearts of those who adopt children with " afflictions," or special needs. If there are rewards in heaven, and I am not a big believer in specific rewards, the presence of God eternally being the greatest reward there could be, but if there is :) then this I know, I am coming to visit guys like you in your great big mansion and then return to my little shack :)

Yes indeed, the title of the post is correct. Such deep beauty to be found in what the world considers to be of no value yet God considers to be of priceless. I often tell the story of what happened to me just three days after Daniel was born. The context is that I had just become a Christian two years previously. My first son had died and my second son had been burned, third degree burns, over 60% of his body. Now that I was a Christian I felt so sure in my spirit that God would bless me with the desire of my heart,a little girl. Not only was it not a little girl, but my child had Down Syndrome. And not only Down Syndrome, but was seriously ill as well. He was born on the Friday and my heart was cold. I went to church on the Sunday, desperate for some answers and a touch from God. After singing one song " God will make a way where there seems to be no way," everyone sat down. Typically we would worship for about 30 minutes. It was then that I realized it was baby dedication week, which only happened a couple of times a year. I wondered is salt was being added to my wounds.

There was an empty seat next to me, and as the singing began again, the person reached over and handed me a note. Puzzled, I took the note and read it, looking down to the aisle and seeing the young woman who had passed it down. The note read " I could not help noticing that you were crying, is there something I can pray with you about?" I was genuinely irritated with this note. I did not want to talk to anyone. Yet, there she was, staring, and there was the empty seat beside me, so I reluctantly beckoned her over. She sat down and asked " what is wrong?" I told her " I just had a child and he has Down Syndrome." She looked at me puzzled like she had no idea what Down Syndrome was. This angered me as I really did not know much about it either and I had zero desire to explain anything to this young woman. Suddenly, in a moment of time, God came down. I could no longer see this young woman. Her face seemed to disappear into a great light. Now it seemed to me that this light was Jesus and I could not see a face but I could make out certain features and I saw that He had a puzzled look on his face as well. And here is what He said to me, in the clearest fashion I have ever heard God speak to me before or since " Frank, I do not know what Down Syndrome is either, all I know is that I have given you a perfect gift from the treasures of heaven."

These words ran so counter to everything I had been feeling but they penetrated my heart to its very core. There was an explosion within my heart of love for my son which has never left me. Yes Sandra, a perfect gift from the treasures of heaven which has blessed me in too many ways to mention here. Daniel also saved our marriage for it drew too very independent people together as we realized how much we were going to need each other. Only the God of heaven above would prescribe such a son for two very dysfunctional people, praise Him. The irony is, our " normal son," has caused us much heartache over the years with his rebellion and sin and the whole time, Daniel has been a healing balm. Oh the love and the beauty and the mystery of God, it is truly a marvel to behold. It is the beauty of Holiness............bro Frank

 2014/9/4 7:50
Heydave
Member



Joined: 2008/4/12
Posts: 1306
Hampshire, UK

 Re:

I would just like to defend our sister Sandra here (she probably does not need me to). I do feel that folk are being unreasonable hard on her.

Please read her first post again and you can see these are certainly just legitimate questions that Sandra has and she made it clear she was not wanting to deliberately offend anyone here. I just see that this was an honest enquiry based on someone who has experienced their own issues with family members and wonders why there is a difference in how different disabilities are viewed.

I take no position either way in the discussion and do not want to talk about something I have no experience of. I just think people should be able to ask questions if they are with the right motive and in the right spirit, which this was.

Please show a bit more graciousness.


_________________
Dave

 2014/9/4 9:59Profile









 Re:

Hi Dave, when you liken peoples children to cancer and Parkisons disease, you are going to get a strong reply. There is a great deal of unawareness in the world over many issues , including special needs issues.

Even with the right motives, I am sure you would agree that there is a nesseccity on the part of any Christian for sensitivity to the issue. Words are important. Even your own last comment shows a certain lack of sensitivity to children being likened to cancer for you choose to ignore that part of the OP. It's really not a big deal to me, all I am saying is that Sandra is simply wrong in her comparison to children and cancer and the implication that there is no beauty in these children, rather that they are afflictions........... bro Frank









 2014/9/4 10:54





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