A Spiritual Anecdote

One day a few years ago, I was walking down the Atlantic City Boardwalk with one of my caregivers. Sadly, that person is no longer with us. We had just lost a few dollars at a casino (don’t worry, it wasn’t much). Afterward, we sat on a bench, talking and enjoying the day. Then, out of nowhere, two strangers walked up to us. They asked if they could pray with us. It was an unusual request for 2 in the afternoon, but I figured, why not?

So, I gave them my hands and closed my eyes. The man prayed out loud, saying, “Dear Lord, please bless this man so that the demons leave his body and he may walk.”

Hi, my friend! I hope you’re doing well. What would you do if something like this happened to you? After it was over, I just said thank you, and we exchanged a few nice words. But my first instinct was to laugh! I pray all the time, but I wasn’t expecting that.

Some people might say I’m being punished and that only God’s grace can take me out of this wheelchair. But I don’t believe that.

I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. This isn’t a religious blog. It’s about advocacy and awareness. Talking about God shouldn’t be controversial, but I understand why it is for some people. Just like with disability, not everyone will understand.

Here’s the thing: I couldn’t write this blog or live my life without my disability. People like me, in the disability community, have made a difference in the world—one day at a time. And no matter your faith or beliefs, we can all agree on one thing: God is perfect, and He doesn’t make mistakes.

John 9:3 NIV [3] “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

Some people ask me, “How can you say that when you’re in a wheelchair every day?”

This is what I know to be true: Without my cerebral palsy, my family wouldn’t be as close as we are. My disability didn’t just affect me—it took all my family members, by blood and by choice, to help get me where I am today. And I think that’s true for most people with disabilities. Having a disability like mine makes you see the world differently, no matter how much you wish you could be like everyone else.

Here’s something many people don’t realize: You will suffer in life, but you aren’t given life just to suffer. My life hasn’t been easy. I’ve had plenty of days where I’ve been frustrated with myself—and with God. It does hurt to miss out on some experiences that others get to have.

But here’s what I’ve learned: A lot of the experiences I’ve had, and many others with disabilities have had, are things most people can’t even imagine. We aren’t given anything we can’t handle. Giving up on ourselves and others is easy. But the mission is to find the good. Living with a disability, it’s easy to focus on the bad. But we spend our lives finding the good in the darkness.