Giving Grace…

Five years ago, we were blessed by adoption. It makes my heart happy to help others. I selfishly thought we were doing the “right thing.” Little did I know how God was blessing our family!

It has not been easy. I was only beginning to learn how “invisible disabilities” are so difficult for many to understand. People tend to believe only what they can see. I ache for my children’s “inside” life stories when I see others judging them. We all have those stories to some degree.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  Ephesians 4:29.

They ARE younger on the inside than they look outside. It takes time to realize these differences. People that do not know our family history, express misguided opinions towards them. It hurts. It’s a lifetime of learning to give grace. We are grateful to have learned a level of patience and understanding through new eyes. I would like to shout from the mountaintops, there IS a reason! I know that they are judged daily. I cannot stop that. I will continue to pray for guidance, to help others understand. Worldwide there are people, under all types of “invisible disabilities.” I believe we all need to give each other grace. The next time you are angry about something you “think” you see, remember to look up, be happy and know that there is surely a reason…

The story below is connected with the photo above and was posted on Facebook from a loving mother.  I am thankful for social media, used in this way, to share stories that may help us all understand.

To The Person Who left This on My Daughters Car,

Wishing so much for you to have stopped and talked to this amazing person before leaving this. If you had, you would have known that my daughter has a disease.

Since she was 16 years old, she has been suffering from LUPUS. Basically, her immune system thinks her body inside and out is something bad and attacks it.
It started with her joints swelling and the pain being so bad she could hardly walk. But she continued going to school and keeping up with her community service.

Her Junior year in high school, her illness decided it would hold on to joint attack, and add hair loss and a huge facial rash. But she continued going to school and went to prom wearing a wig.

Her Senior year, she suffered debilitating muscle pain which made it difficult to get out of bed. But she continued studying, got some scholarships for college, dressed in her cheerleader uniform (which she could no longer do) to cheer on her classmates.

In her freshman year in college (at OSU), she started with a chemo like drug, on top of other meds, that constantly made her sick to her stomach, weak and lost lots of weight. She carried on volunteering at a disabilities camp for children with her same illness.

Sophomore year at OSU, we thought she was in remission. But it was not to be; she developed hearing loss because her immune system thought that too was bad. So she started taking Sign Language classes because she knew how it felt to not hear a conversation and did not want to leave anyone out.

Junior year at OSU was really bad. Her lung collapsed three times. She lived in the hospital for a month, having numerous chest tubes put in and taken out. She had to drop the semester of studies. But she said ” I will be back” and she did come back but not at 100%.

She struggles every day with permanent damage she has had to one side of her body and with hearing loss, but baby she keeps going!
I may not be a perfect parent, but I know I did good with her!

Many people suffer with these “GHOST” diseases, which you can’t see but are just as bad as a physical disability. People die of depression, but we can’t see that.

It is my wish to find you. Not to tell you how wrong you were in leaving that note and how you might have turned my daughter’s day bad. But to give you the opportunity to meet My Girl. I think you would love her.

Please Don’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover!