Saturday, September 15, 2007

Why?

I have to share with you all what I read in this Yancy book I've been reading. I don't read as much as I used to, so it's taking forever to get through this book. But it's all good.
"What is the point of their lives? Do their lives have any meaning?" asked Dr. Jürgen Trogisch, a pediatrician who works among the severely mentally handicapped. He could treat the externals, but what was going on inside, within such damaged brains?

For many years Dr. Trogisch could not answer the question of meaning. He performed his medical tasks anyway, but he had no answer. Then he ran an introductory course to train new helpers for the center, and at the end of the one-year training period, he asked the young helpers to fill out a survey. Among the questions was this one, "What changes have taken place in your life since you became totally involved with disabled people?" Here is a sampling of their answers:
  • For the first time in my life I feel I am doing something really significant.
  • I feel I can now do things wouldn't have thought myself capable of before.
  • During my time here I have won the affection of Sabine. Having had the opportunity to involve myself with a disabled person, I no longer think of her as disabled at all.
  • I am more responsive now to human suffering and it arouses in me the desire to help.
  • It's made me question what is really important in life.
  • Work has assumed a new meaning and purpose. I feel I'm needed now.
  • I've learned to be patient and to appreciate even the slightest sign of progress.
  • In observing the disabled, I've discovered myself.
  • I've become more tolerant. My own little problems don't seem so important any longer, and I've learned to accept myself with all my inadequacies. Above all I've learned to appreciate the little pleasures in life, and especially I thank God that he has shown me that love can achieve more that hate or force.
I wish I had written these myself. The bottom three are definitely an expression of what I've learned over the past several months living through this thing with Ali.

Read this book. This quote can be found on pages 205 & 206.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bryon--Those blessings brought me to tears. I'm going to check out the book. Thanks and still praying!!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a great book...we'll put it on our must read list. Thanks for sharing...thinkin' and praying for you guys everyday.

Love, Bob and Dorinda

Anonymous said...

Our last year in Jupiter the kids (3 or 4 of them each time) and I served every Saturday at a horseback riding program for special needs kids through Christ Fellowship. Initially we went because I have a son that loves horses. The families and children kept us coming back week after week. We looked forward to serving all day long just to be with this special group of families. I think every church needs a special needs ministry and I think in doing so they would experience the phenomena I did. We gave of ourselves, true, but in reality we received far more than we ever gave! We learned many of the things on the list and leaving that ministry was one of the hardest things about our move. God truly pours out His Spirit on ALL flesh!

Anonymous said...

I have a very good friend who is 40 years old and has Down Syndrome. I have learned a lot about unconditional love and acceptance through her. I also have learned that although her filters aren't quite like ours, she usually says outloud the same thing that everyone else is thinking!

Anonymous said...

Okay -- God is talking to me...I just bought that last week at Mardel's. I'm going to have to read it! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

It seems like I went back so many years ago by reading this post when my mother being only 38 years only became my daugther after an accident I was only 15 then, now I have been taking care of her more years than she took care of me, I am so blessed that God was with me every step of the way even when I thought He was too busy and that is why all that tragedy was happening if it was not because of what I have been through I would had never appreciate what is really important in life and why God allows things to happen to bring us closer to Him. God bless and we keep on praying for you all!