Faith & Disability

I normally don't participate in blog hops. Not because I don't like them or because I think they are stupid, but because I just normally don't know when they are going on. I saw from a few of my blogger friends that a blog hop is going on this week from the "Summer Disability blog hop", and the topic this week is "Faith & Disability". As soon as I saw the topic, I knew that I had to participate. If you are a friend with me on Facebook, you know that I am not afraid to speak out about what I believe in. I have been persecuted, deleted from Facebook, etc. because of it. For some reason, people just don't like when I voice my opinion. I don't know if it's because I am "young" or if it's because I don't share the same beliefs as 95% of the world that I live in haha Anyway, I have seen many people share their beliefs about Faith & Disability this week, so I guess I can't get in that much trouble for stating my opinion along with everyone else, right? ;) Well, I guess we'll see.....

So, I am a Christian. I don't say that lightly like some people do. I have a personal relationship with Jesus, and I am proud of it. I'm sure that pretty much all of you know that already just from reading my blog. I have never been one to restrain from asking for prayer or talking about God freely on my blogs. 

I believe that God created everything and everyone which means that I believe that God "created" disability. Well, more like He allowed it. When God created us, He created us as pure and sinless. When sin came into the world, things became very imperfect. I believe that God allowed disability to come about because of the imperfection in the world. I am not in any way saying that Down syndrome is a "curse" or anything, but I believe that God did not intend for Down syndrome or any other disability to be. Because of sin, though, imperfections came into the world, and therefore we have disabilities. We have flaws. We have imperfections.  I don't believe that Laura got Down syndrome "by chance". When I look at how Down syndrome occurs, I can't help but believe and have faith that there is a Creator. How is it that one extra copy of the 21st chromosome causes the same effect in every.single.person? Sandel toe, short nasal bone, hard time with speech, hard time learning, higher chance of being born with a heart defect, etc. How could it be "by chance" that this extra chromosome causes the same exact things in every single individual that is diagnosed with Down syndrome? I am not in any way trying to say that you are "dumb" if you don't believe what I do. I am in no way judging you for not believing what I believe if you don't. I am just asking you to think about it. I have faith that there is a Creator that created Down syndrome. I believe that that Creator is Jesus Christ who came to the earth as a baby, walked the earth doing miracles all of the time, and died a death that no one should ever have to just to save every single one of us from our sins because He loved us that much. When I look at Laura or any other person with a disability.....when I look at the way one extra 21st chromosome effects a person, I can't help but believe that it didn't just happen by chance. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and I have faith that God has perfect plans for Laura's life....Down syndrome or not. 

I don't believe that God only gives special needs kids to special people. I believe that He brought a very special little girl named Laura into this world so that her big sissy would know what it felt like to love someone so much that it physically hurts. I am not special. I was just chosen by God to be blessed with such a special sister. 

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart....." Jeremiah 1:5