"I realized very
clearly that happiness has nothing to do with the material things
which surround us; it dwells in the very depths of the soul. One can
be just as happy in a gloomy prison as in a palace." ~St.
Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul
Sometimes I become
frustrated when I find myself limited. I can't get enough things
done during the day. I sleep for too long. I talk too much and
can't get at what I'm trying to say. My weaknesses seem to bind me,
to steal my happiness.
My instinct is to fight. I
want to overcome my limitations. There I go, pulling chains behind
me as if I could outrun them.
The other week in the
women's group I attend, we watched an interview with Katherine Wolf.
Here is a woman who is not bound by her circumstances. At age 26,
while her six-month-old was napping, Katherine suffered a massive
brain stem stroke, and her life was never the same. Katherine and
her husband, Jay, have co-authored a book called Hope Heals about their journey through surgeries, brain rehabilitation, and healing. Together, they are now ministering to families and
individuals with disabilities.
In this interview, Katherine
is asked what freedom means to her. Katherine responds that for her,
freedom is living with a disability. Katherine is funny, charming,
and self-assured as she describes her journey to freedom. She quotes
psalm 139 in a way I have never heard it quoted before. And she is
unbelievably relatable. In Hope Heals, she writes "What
has happened to me is extreme; however, it is not that different from
what everyone else deals with. [...] My voice is messed up, but who
feels understood even if they can speak plainly? I have double
vision, but who sees everything clearly even if they can see
normally? My future is uncertain, but whose isn't?" (page 18).
I will let Katherine Wolf speak for herself here. May her words bring hope to everyone
who is on a journey with disabilities, and to everyone else as well.
May we all be as brave as
Katherine when we find ourselves in a situation where we are limited.
May we remember that our circumstances—even the ones that seem to
hold us back—are avenues for grace and freedom. They allow us to
let go of control.
No comments:
Post a Comment