The wisdom of Ecclesiaties says,
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the
heavens; a time to be born and a time to die." Boundaries are part of life. Every person is born with attributes
which create mental and physical limitations for his or her activities. Limitations can be viewed as either negative
or positive, Life hands us moments to
depend on wisdom to change things that can be changed, and other moments to
depend on grace to accept the things that cannot be changed. Whether self-imposed, or generated by others
around, each person's life story is written in great measure by how he or she
responds to adverse surroundings. Here
is one person's story.
On September 27, 1957 in Hanover PA,
a healthy 8 lb. baby boy was born to
teen parents. Some time later this
first born son was diagnosed as having opticatrophy, a severe deterioration of
the optic nerve in both eyes. No
explanation for the cause of this disorder was available except that It was
congenital. The doctors informed the
parents that the condition was not likely correctable with glasses, it would probably
remain a serious limitation for life.
The boy was termed legally blind and as such would need special
magnification devices to read newspaper-sized print, never be eligible for a
driver's license, and participation in competitive sports would be
improbable. He would be considered
disabled, and therefore, could become a burden to family,
friends, or government.
Would it have been responsible medical practice for the
doctors to try to
prevent the birth of this child? By
today's standards, through the use of ultrasound imaging and other medical data
collection technologies, it could have been determined by the third month in
his mother's womb, that this baby had some sort of
abnormality. If indeed that were the case, would it not
be more responsible for the parents to abort this child and "try
again" so to speak?
Well, I support the right to life
for every human being from the moment of conception because I was that baby boy
born in 1957. My blindness was most
likely caused by an injury during the birth process. Whether it was the buildup of pressure from the long labor my
mother experienced, or maybe the forceps used by the doctor, only God
knows the cause. Irregardless of
whether someone can be blamed or whether an explanation can be found doesn't
matter nearly as much as how I decide to respond to it. My faith and resolve is strengthened, knowing
that God has ways of making good things happen out of situations in which we
feel hopelessly lost. I can truly say
that it is God's grace (His ability)
that has overcome my inabilities.
Coping with a disability is not an
easy matter. In my case I've had to
work much harder to achieve the same level of success commonly enjoyed by
others. I have no intentions of giving
up or of being a burden on others for my livelihood. Through the prime years of my life I lived in a single-income
household with my income as the sole income.
Although my wife spent a number of years teaching special education in
the schools, after our first child was born, she was able to devote her time to
our small children at home. I was
employed as a computer programmer/analyst, having earned a Bachelor of Science
degree from Millersville University.
First came a BA degree in German, a
language which I speak fluently as a result of having studied at Marburg
University in Germany my junior year.
After a 17 year career in software development, I went back to school
and earned an MA in Human Service Counseling.
I was awarded the Outstanding Student in my class at Regent University.
Prior to this a terminal degree was not even dreamed of, but in 2010 I finished
a Doctor of Religious Studies at Trinity Theological Seminary. My
dissertation project was the basis for a book I published in 2011 called
Escaping the Pain of Offense: Empowered to Forgive from the Heart.
In 2002 we opened a bed and
breakfast business and I now remain multi-vocational. I have been privileged to serve on various boards and committees
in our community. In 2007 I became the founding President of a local affiliate
of a national advocacy organization for blind and vision impaired persons. I
served with the Lancaster Abilities Coalition to promote dignity, opportunity,
equality, and empowerment for persons with disabilities. Besides my education, employment, and
community work, my wife and I married in 1980 and raised 4 wonderful, now
adult, children together. Our entire family has been actively involved
in church ministry over the years. I
have done much to defy the societal stereotype of a blind person, but it is God
to whom I give the chief credit for these accomplishments. If all this sounds exhausting, it is!
Though severe limitations are not
the fate for all of us, we all face things that remind us of our human
frailty. It is our choice whether to
become overwhelmed by the difficulties, or energized by the opportunities. Perspective determines life
experience. Napoleon Hill has said,
"Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and
struggle." It is my belief that in
whatever circumstances we may find ourselves, God is more than willing and big
enough, not only to help us to overcome, but also to empower us to help those
around us overcome as well.
Our shortcomings do not have to
threaten our life's purposes from being accomplished. So whether we consider ourselves enabled or disabled, rich or
poor, skilled or unskilled, part of the "in" crowd or not, a victim
or victor, a divine purpose exists for each of our lives. Understanding the value the Creator places
on each individual human life is essential to overcoming discouragement caused
by infirmity and limitations based on bodily function. The concept of "normal" has no
place when considering human value and worth.
The value of an athlete's performance at the professional level, is not
necessarily greater than a high school athlete's. In team sports, the contribution to the team determines the
value. The most gifted, well-trained athlete is not automatically the most
valuable team member. I recently heard
success defined as your journey of
reaching your God-given potential in life. Each individual person is a member of the team of the human
race.
I pray that each person reading this
will find the courage to believe that meaning and purpose is forging a way to
make a difference in the world. Each of
us has a story being written with the details of our life. The final sentence of our story cannot be
written without our final breath to be taken. It's never too late to get on
track. Vision for destiny keeps us
going. Both blind and deaf, Helen Keller said, “The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has
sight, but has no vision”
by Ed Hersh, Blue Rock BnB Healing Ministry
