Life is amazing. Just when you think you've got a handle on things, the handle breaks. Suddenly, everything spills. You feel like there's a big mess to clean-up but you don't know where to start. Can you attest? I'm sure you can to some degree.
While growing up I always had a very soft heart for elderly folks and people with special needs. I spent time at nursing homes, singing and bringing cookies. Unfortunately I did not spend any time with the disabled community. I never took a moment to educate myself on their needs, their lives or their heart. I once (as politely as I could) glanced repeatedly, ok let's say stared from a bus stop at a child who had a physical disability standing on the other side of the street. Now, I'm on the other side of the street. I'm no longer the person scarcely glancing at the person with the apparent 'need'. I am the person being glanced at, well, my child should I say. Isn't it funny how life works? I said I'd never live in TN and look at me now!
Most people are oblivious to the varied needs that exist with the disabled community. I was. In my situation, Kimmi's special needs don't fall within the 'normal' or highly researched needs like ADHD/ADD, Autism or Down's (that's Down's Syndrome). Kimmi was born deaf but undiagnosed until about age 1.5. She also battles vision disturbances, mental handicaps, behavior issues, and speech delay. Kimmi however looks like the 'typical' child. You wouldn't know she had a problem until maybe you noticed the Cochlear Implant attached to her head & hooked on her ear or maybe not until you spoke to her and she answered you back in sounds instead of words or maybe when you see her flopping on the ground or pulling away frantically while I'm in the check-out line at Wal-Mart. She once suffered from seizure disorders but God led us to right medication to control this. Kimmi is an 8 year old, high energy young girl. She lights up a room with her smile, she warms your heart with her kisses & brightens your moods with her hugs. By genetics she is a dancer & avid athlete. By talent & gifting, she is a gymnast & photographer. Lately, she is into styling hair although she hates getting her hair styled! She has so much joy. I like to believe this joy comes from the love she receives from her family, her teachers and our God. I'm sure you can have a unsurpassed joy when you are un-tainted from the realities & deceptions of this self-destructing world. Oh did I mention she also has some sensory issues. This causes her diet to be very limited and what I consider unhealthy. Since I am in the health arena, you can imagine all the articles I read on the links between behavior & diet. Unfortunately, she eats/enjoys only all the wrong foods.
I'm sure you are wondering, so what's my issue. What are you blogging about this for? Well, at the heart of things it looks like this: An entire community of people exist who are basically displaced, stressed out, & sometimes desperate yet filled with hope! Where's the answer for these folks? It should be the church but the church neglects them more so than society. Why is this? Is it that religion has gotten so numbers driven that dealing with real issues are too much to handle? Does the budget only have room for the basic church curriculum designed for the 'typically' developing child? Is it because helping these folks may not yield a financial benefit to the church? I'm sure this list of excuses could go on.
I've been struggling with what God wants me to do to help this sector of people whose heart usually bleeds from uncertainty, dismay, & desire. We are uncertain (often times) on how to engage our child within the community, dismayed by the limited amount of resources, and filled with desire to give our children the best experience of living that life can offer.
My goal is to press in and press forward. While they may be tagged with having limits, we want to make it where our special gems have no limits. More to come!
Nakisha 'Kisha' Guzman
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