I have a friend whohappens to have Cerebral Palsy, C.P. Her name is Joy. We spend at least 2 afternoons a week together, usually sometime during the work-week and Sundays at church. Joy is a petite woman who makes her way through life with deliberation and a fiery independence. Her sometimes rebellious body is supported at all times either by her hot pink walker, her manual or motorized wheelchairs or her arm-brace crutches. Joy lives on her own, is enrolled in U.T.C.’s graduate program for computer technology, takes Karatélessons, works with several ministries in different area churches, and councils via her undergrad degree in pastoral ministry, and speaks at any opportunity across the region on topics from handycap etiquette to spiritual warfare.
I am struck by 2 things when I am with Joy. The first is the absolute drive that stems from her spiritual depth, her relationship with and complete trust in Christ. She is confident that with rest and careful perseverance, she CAN do anything through the power of Jesus in her life. The second thing is theinsatiable appetite for a life saturated in Christ, doing His work, loving the way He wants her to, giving and sharing whatever He wants her to at the first opportunity. She truly lives her life to the full, freely giving her very life into His hands every day.
She never questions her condition, in fact becoming almost offended when well-meaning church members try to approach her to pray for her healing. “This is the way I am” she tells me in exasperation after visiting churches on speaking engagements. “They think I need to be healed, when I am whole, and I have work to do.”
Watching her walk through life, I am reminded vividly of the way our walk with Christ is supposed to look. Each step considered, inspected for the correct direction in the steps He has ordered for us. The weight of each movement supported wholly by the incorruptible frame of salvation and the word of God. We must concentrate on our walk, the alignment of our whole body, mind, heart, spirit and flesh, to keep in balance to take the next step toward who we are becoming.
While leaving a restaurant today after church, several people smiled sweetly at us, holding the doors and murmuring gentle greetings. I could see the thoughts behind their eyes as they looked at me with sympathetically sweet expressions: “what a good person you are, helping her like that,” as though my driving a friend to eat was an act of heroism. Joy and I just laughed together inside the car. I am just grateful to have such a precious and amazing friend in my life. I just hope to soak up all that I can.
