{"id":3255,"date":"2012-11-12T08:47:49","date_gmt":"2012-11-12T13:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=3255"},"modified":"2012-11-12T08:53:30","modified_gmt":"2012-11-12T13:53:30","slug":"living-bad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/11\/living-bad.html","title":{"rendered":"Living bad"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Often, those of us who minister to people who are intellectually disabled romanticize our population. \u00a0It is the most wonderful group of people with which I’ve worked. \u00a0However, like the rest of the population, there can be glaring bumps, blemishes and distractions.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>While her mother remained as part of \u00a0her life, Windy was raised by a doting father. \u00a0His greatest compliment to her was “good enough for a girl.” \u00a0When she turned 21, she was placed in a group home about a 100 miles from her father. \u00a0Extremely withdrawn because of her inability to speak clearly, Windy was basically nonverbal. \u00a0After several years, the family learned that she was being sexually molested on the back row of the church by a “normal” man who was her own age. \u00a0This abuse has marred her personality and outlook in a multitude of ways.<\/p>\n

Merrianne’s mother has spent much of Merrianne’s life in jail. \u00a0Merrianne has seen and heard things that I cannot even imagine. \u00a0Her perspective on life is much different from many of our Special Gathering members who were raised in stable households. \u00a0When I first met her, I was put off by her brash manners. \u00a0Yet, as I’ve gotten to know Merrianne, I have known very few people who have a heart for God like Merrianne. \u00a0She wants to grow in the Lord and every painful inch is time of celebration for her.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Yesterday, as we sat in a Bible study, I saw another inch achieved. \u00a0The teacher was speaking to another member. \u00a0“You have lived on your own for years; and you don’t like people interfering in your life. \u00a0Christians seem bossy and meddling to you.” \u00a0Merrianne leaned her chin against her fists that were resting on the table and whispered, “That’s me.” \u00a0Later, as we drove home, she commented on the class and indicated that she needed to be studying the Bible more.<\/p>\n

In reality, these are not isolated cases within the disability community. \u00a0Again and again, as we learn about the lives of people with intellectual disabilities, we find that their lives have been filled with abuse and insecurity. \u00a0But they survive and most of them thrive when they continue to live in an environment of love and acceptance that a Church family provides.<\/p>\n

How different are Windy and Merrianne from me? \u00a0I must admit, there is more than a few IQ point; but they are people with real needs and real desires. \u00a0They are men and women who respond to the Gospel with joyful acceptance and expectation. \u00a0Perhaps Windy and Merrianne are more like you and me than we assume. \u00a0Because like every other peson who have ever lived, \u00a0they deserve to hear the good news of Jesus’ sacrifice and the joy provided by a loving Savior who died that they might have life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Often, those of us who minister to people who are intellectually disabled romanticize our population. \u00a0It is the most wonderful group of people with which I’ve worked. \u00a0However, like the rest of the population, there can be glaring bumps, blemishes and distractions. While her mother remained as part of \u00a0her life, Windy was raised by…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,20,3,40,186,49,16,8,4,41,1],"tags":[690,21,688,696,7,699,715,701,694,689,57,6,700],"class_list":["post-3255","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-church","category-developmental-disabilities","category-faith","category-hope","category-inspiration","category-intellectual-disability","category-mentally-challenged-community","category-simple-truths","category-spirituality","category-uncategorized","tag-autism-spectrum","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-church","tag-developmental-disabilities-2","tag-faith","tag-hope","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-mentally-challenged-community","tag-prayer","tag-simple-scriptural-truths","tag-spirituality"],"yoast_head":"\nLiving bad - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Living bad - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Often, those of us who minister to people who are intellectually disabled romanticize our population. \u00a0It is the most wonderful group of people with which I’ve worked. \u00a0However, like the rest of the population, there can be glaring bumps, blemishes and distractions. 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