http://specialhopenetwork.com/180/our-own-weakness-ahead-of-or-behind-us Just another WordPress weblog Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:42:26 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://specialhopenetwork.com/180/our-own-weakness-ahead-of-or-behind-us/comment-page-1#comment-3 gordon Thu, 11 Jun 2009 04:00:09 +0000 http://specialhopenetwork.com/?p=180#comment-3 as always, right to the heart of the matter, nelsons. i am reminded of my first day of teaching - i had begged the autism specialist to be there so that i wouldn't be completely overwhelmed by the responsibilities and remarkable challenges i knew to be coming, and he had kindly agreed. the day had crashed and burned despite our best efforts, and we were both unable to stop one child from collapsing on the sidewalk, violently smashing his head on the concrete, screaming uncontrollably, and attacking anyone who intervened. when the buses finally left and the kids were gone, he said to me, "today, all of my weaknesses and inadequacies have been revealed." your kids were easy for me to love, and it is easy for me to slip into prideful smugness when i read about people being afraid or unkind around them. however, there have been many times when i've found myself weeping with frustration and helplessness and shame when i haven't found love or patience easy to come by. and yet - how will we know if we are weak and blind and helpless? it is the gift of God that we are given, through your kids and my students and the orphans of the world who have special needs - if we can't admit the truth of our own limitations of spirit and strength and love, that we have all fallen short of the glory of God, then we can't really know His grace and salvation. in glorious irony, the Lord has made me rejoice as He has allowed me echo the words of my friend from school: "today all my weaknesses and inadequacies have been revealed - thanks be to God!" as always, right to the heart of the matter, nelsons.
i am reminded of my first day of teaching – i had begged the autism specialist to be there so that i wouldn’t be completely overwhelmed by the responsibilities and remarkable challenges i knew to be coming, and he had kindly agreed. the day had crashed and burned despite our best efforts, and we were both unable to stop one child from collapsing on the sidewalk, violently smashing his head on the concrete, screaming uncontrollably, and attacking anyone who intervened. when the buses finally left and the kids were gone, he said to me, “today, all of my weaknesses and inadequacies have been revealed.”
your kids were easy for me to love, and it is easy for me to slip into prideful smugness when i read about people being afraid or unkind around them. however, there have been many times when i’ve found myself weeping with frustration and helplessness and shame when i haven’t found love or patience easy to come by.
and yet – how will we know if we are weak and blind and helpless? it is the gift of God that we are given, through your kids and my students and the orphans of the world who have special needs – if we can’t admit the truth of our own limitations of spirit and strength and love, that we have all fallen short of the glory of God, then we can’t really know His grace and salvation. in glorious irony, the Lord has made me rejoice as He has allowed me echo the words of my friend from school: “today all my weaknesses and inadequacies have been revealed – thanks be to God!”

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