Christians with Disabilities

Introducing a new site called Christians with Disabilities for people with disabilities and those who love and care for them.

via its site:

Friendship, Encouragement, Compassion, Comfort, Understanding, Joy ~ That's what you'll find here. We can never replace relationships with Christians who understand our journey. Everyone will have different experiences and God will use every single one of those experiences to connect us all together.

The site includes groups, a member spotlight, events, blog posts, photos, videos, poems and other writings, video chat, daily devotions - and more.

Check it out.

"Testing Fate"

An article in Newsweek by a 16 year old who mulls over whether or not to get genetic testing for Huntington's disease which runs in her family. She wonders about still pursuing her dreams if she tests positive..

"On the other hand, I'm scared that I may not cope well with the test results, or lose my motivation for life. The last thing I want to happen is to lose hope. I know that whatever the result of the test, I need to stay focused on school and my goals in life. As long as I channel my energy towards causes for HD I hope to stay on the right track...My parents have taught my sister and me that all of the doubts, the "symptom searching" and the stresses can be successfully managed. They've demonstrated this by empowering themselves with involvement in the HD community. As they take us to Huntington's events, I've seen people go through the growth and adjustment caused by the rollercoaster of HD.

... Testing is a personal and emotional choice. Each individual has his or her own reasons for wanting or not wanting this information. Although the initial result may feel overwhelming, as I've seen, time is a major factor in the coping process--so is an optimistic outlook. There are no guarantees in life, so even with a positive test result, the world, as I know it, will not come to a halt. Embracing life and living it to its fullest potential is a choice, especially with the difficult reality of HD."

I think she described the importance of support by becoming involved in the HD community very well and also describes the considerations involved in any kind of genetic testing. The article discusses family issues in more depth than I quoted and is worth reading, not only for anyone facing genetic testing, but for all of us living in a world where we will face more choices about how to utilize medical knowledge.

CarePlace

Need online support for your illness?

Their website states: "Share pictures, write in journals, post in forums, and send private messages." Click above and check out CarePlace where people share their common experiences about their illnesses.

"Coaching the Grief-Stricken"

In this week's issue of Sports Illustrated, there's a great piece by Rick Reilly in his column the Life of Reilly. He writes about how he heard from a truck driver named Mike Lemke who nominated his 19 year old son Cory for Faces in the Crowd. Cory had died in a motorcycle accident recently.

Colts coach Tony Dungy, whose own son died three days before Christmas in 2005 by hanging himself, called Mark up. They struck up a phone and email correspondence to support each other and Mark was in the stands when the Colts went to the Super Bowl, courtesy of Dungy.

It appears, moreover, that since his son's death, Tony Dungy has struck up a number of friendships such as this with others who have lost loved ones - fathers, a young kid who lost both parents in a car wreck, etc.

"I'm awfully grateful to Tony Dungy," says Lemke, who , like the coach, lost his son. "He helped me keep my faith. He taught me that he and I - we're not alone."

So many people grieve alone. I get emails from folks who suffer terribly after losing a loved one . What a great reminder this is that by reaching out to others, we can enrich their lives and our own as we journey through such experiences.

Rest Ministries

..serves those with chronic illness. Its website can be found here.

Being present for someone in difficult times...

When I return to my house I find that visitors have been there and left their cards, either a bunch of flowers, or a wreath of evergreen, or a name in pencil on a yellow walnut leaf or a chip.
Walden, Thoreau


I was reading Thoreau this morning who , in my opinion, was a bit too fond of his solitude. He wrote of not needing human company and extolled the virtues of his pond and surroundings. Although I, too, love nature, my reaction sometimes to his writing is that he protests too much!

However, what is interesting is that he wrote about his occasional visitors with such fondness and it clearly meant a great deal to him that people came even if he was out on one of his long walks. They would leave signs of their arrival, such as cards, flowers or a mark of their name. I saw this as proof of the fact that he really did not enjoy his total solitude as much as he pretended. But it also reminded me of a very hard time in my life and a friend who reached out when no one knew what to say.

I had a series of difficult things happen in my life - all in a row. People didn't understand and began avoiding me .
But one friend knew what to do. One day while I was out getting medical care, she stopped by my home and left a complete dinner for me with a card and her name on it. It read simply "Thinking of you".

As I went inside, my fears from the day began to dissolve and changed into gratitude. I felt better immediately. Instead of feeling alone, I realized that she, like many others who perhaps didn't know how to reach out, were with me in my emotional and physical pain. This was a sheer gift - and it wasn't about the meal (although that was , on a practical level, helpful). This kind act of my friend nourished my soul.

Like the gifts left at Thoreau's door by his friends, it was a true treasure to me.