Every person is worth understanding!
On this past Saturday evening I took my wife out on a date. We were waiting to be seated in the restaurant when she noticed one of her students there. She greeted the young man and his family. However, when I reached out my hand to greet him he stepped backwards until his back was against the wall. He appeared to be uncomfortable.
You see, my wife is a 7th grade Special Needs Paraeducator. I understood the reaction because I understand the students that my wife teaches. Her students interact with her daily and they trust her and are comfortable with her, but it takes more than just an occasional encounter to gain this same trust and comfort from others.
Although I knew what was happening, my wife quickly spoke up to give me understanding of why he reacted the way he did. She stood up and spoke up and created a bridge to connect the young man and myself and in doing so she protected both her student and me (as I could've been offended by the response...had I not already known the reason). This is what prompted me to write this Post.
I thank God for my wife and all of those who care for our Special Needs brothers and sisters. The special attention given teaches us all that EVERY PERSON IS WORTH UNDERSTANDING! May we all see that all of God's creation is worthy of understanding; thereby, bridging the gaps that really doesn't need to exist. God has created us all to be a part of one Body.
Not everyone can be a hand, nor can everyone be an eye..."But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other." (1 Corinthians 12:18, 20-25)
Prayer: Almighty God, help us to see others as you see them and help us to understand that we were all, each one of us, fearfully and wonderfully made and not only that, but that you have created us in your image and in your likeness. Some may move about differently than others; some may think differently; some speak differently; and some may require special assistance today. Lord let us not be indifferent to the differences that make us unique because you created the uniqueness; therefore, we must understand that this same uniqueness is your greatness. Indeed equip us to give special care to those special and unique members of our one Body because if any part suffers, then the entire body suffers. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
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