IN THE NAME OF JESUS

Sometimes life is such that one needs to talk about what goes on in one’s heart and soul. Today is one of those days.

I wasn’t feeling well this morning, grieving the fact that I have a mental illness that causes me to say strange things and act in strange ways at times. Although I’m a real person and want people to see me as the real person I am—someone who loves others and means well—I wonder if people realize that I’m aware I’m odd at times and wish I weren’t.

This morning I grieved about all this has done to my life. All this has cost—both my husband and me.

And I think to myself how important it is that I and the friends who suffer in this way remember that we are God’s children. Loved the way we are. Recognized by him to be who he made us to be. Known by him. Seen for the beauty we have inside us. Beauty he put there. Beauty that will always be there, no matter what.

God has taught me that he loves us and will always love us. Every bit as much as he loves the most perfect human being,

. . . and yet, the tearfulness remains.

I am reminded of the story in the Bible about Jesus coming upon a blind man.

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

John 9:1-3

A long time ago, when I still had a lot of growing to do, I read this Scripture. As I studied it, wondering what on earth Jesus could mean by his response to the disciples, a light came on.

There wasn’t a cause for the man’s blindness, but a purpose. The result of the blindness was that God was able to use it to show his work. When he was healed, others would be amazed and praise God about the great things he could do. This could not happen if he were whole to begin with.

I looked at myself, living with bipolar disorder, and realized that maybe the same could hold true for me. Perhaps God could use my life as well to show how he can work. In the way he displayed his healing touch in the blind man, could he show the same through me? Could he show himself through my life?

Just think. This might be the purpose for the disability I live with. Maybe Jesus is talking about me too.

How could God’s care, love, encouragement, and strength, show God’s glory? It’s when a person deals with disability and the way God works in his life causes God’s glory to shine through in a way that might not happen if he were healthy.

Do you remember Nick Vujicic who was born without arms or legs? “Why God, was I born this way?” he asked.  Nick discovered that God had a miraculous plan for his life. He became a powerful motivational speaker. Through the great faith Nick had, God has changed many lives.

marja