Today we spent our morning at a special needs home for girls. I thought I was ready until I walked in. My naive conceptions dissolved into disfigurement and disability faster than I could believe. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I was completely overwhelmed. None of this was fair. These children had no control over their conditions, but were treated as though it was their fault. In African culture children with disabilities are shunned. Often, they are believed to be cursed and are pushed to the outskirts of society. In the eyes of this culture they mistakes and embarrassments. They are believed to have little value and therefore become a "waste" of time, resources, and energy. One of the girls named Gift (how fitting a name, right?) explained how some people in society don't even believe that those with mental and physical handicaps are humans. Hearing this evoked deep emotion in my soul and even caused me to question how a good God could allow this to happen. I cried tears of agony and confusion on behalf of these girls, but was comforted by the fact that here, at Cheshire school, they are loved, cherished, and cared for. That even though society rejects them my good God has provided a safe and nurturing place for them to grow, learn, and thrive.
While I don't understand these circumstances, or why they are disabled, there are a few things I know for sure- these children are fearfully and wonderfully made, they were knit together in their mother's womb with a purpose, they are cherished by their Maker, and their innocence and zeal for life is intoxicating, but most of all, they were bought with a price; the highest price. So I choose to rest in that truth today. That while things don't always make sense and life isn't fair, my God doesn't make mistakes and He surely doesn't mistake prized possessions for useless waste.
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