February 25, 2005 5:17 PM
Down syndrome - there's a purpose
Remember when cynics presented a blind man to Jesus and asked who had sinned, the man or his parents, that the man had been born blind? Jesus answered that neither had sinned, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life" (John 9:1-3). Usually we understand this passage to mean that the work of God would be displayed when Jesus enabled the blind man to see. But maybe it means just what it says: The work of God would be displayed "in his life."
That blind man was once a baby and a growing boy. For years his needs had had an impact on his family, his friends, his teachers, his community. Surely the work of God was being revealed each day in the growing compassion and wisdom of those who might otherwise have remained stuck in their own self-centeredness.
Last fall our local high school voted Lauren Welch -- a lovely young lady with Down syndrome -- their Homecoming Queen. Clearly those students -- and if you read the comments, their families -- had been changed by years of knowing Lauren.
God doesn't waste a life he has given. I believe if we truly understood God's purpose in creating people with Down syndrome, we'd welcome the news we'd been honored with having one in our family. As my son Matt said when Jonny was just a toddler: "Wouldn't the world be a better place if everyone had a brother with Down syndrome?" Wouldn't it indeed?
Posted in Down syndrome, Inspiration, Life Lessons From My Kids, Mothering, Pro-Life Issues | Permalink
Comments
Ah, love, compassion, understanding, and tolerance of all of God's creatures whom he chose to make a little different.
Posted by: Anvilcloud | February 25, 2005 8:43 PM
Thank you for sharing! My younger brother had Downs and he was instrumental in my coming to the Lord. Anyway, it brought back many GREAT memories. He went home to be with the Lord back in 1988 at the age of 30. He was killed by one of the other handicapped guys at the workshop where they worked. Sad, but the Lord was glorified!
Posted by: Claire | February 25, 2005 9:15 PM
Oh how beautiful! I have a 4 y/o daughter with DS. We did not know she would have DS before she was born. However, 2 days before her birth my mother felt an urgent need to copy off and give me a poem entitled, There Is A Reason, a beautiful poem, but I just shrugged and said thanks for the poem mom it's really neat. Well, after Jackie's birth I realized that poem was more than special and their is no coincidence here why mom felt such a strong need. GOD sure does work in wonderous ways. God was telling us loud and clear their is a reason....and we have been truly blessed! Thank you for all your wonderful insight. You are a true inspiration to us, keep writing!!
Posted by: Lori | February 28, 2005 8:19 AM
I have a son with DS and he is the "sun" of my life.Unfortunately his father does not accept him the way he is. Maybe he didn't have yet the opportunity to try something different. I think we live in a world that we are all worried about being the best, the most intelligent, the number one. After Joshua I changed my views about what really counts in life. This baby made me a better person and all people around.
I am from Brazil.
Posted by: Norma | August 20, 2007 8:00 AM
