Hi I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with a story about Ty Coleman.
Okay, okay, before I say anything more, you just have to go online, okay, and look at this guy’s photo on my radio page. A handsome 26-year-old African American athlete, graduate of Eastern University with an education degree; teaching Special Ed. Loving his job – and really good at it, by the way! This young follower of Jesus is going somewhere! Which is why I was so glad his girlfriend talked him into serving as a short term missionary at our Family Retreat last year. Now you have to understand, this young guy thought he had special ed in his hip pocket. Did his degree; worked his internship; knew the ropes. What could be the big deal about serving at, you know, one of these Family Retreat things? he asked his girlfriend. I’ve been there, done that kind of thing. Well, that’s when Ty’s girlfriend said, “Ty, it’s heaven on earth. You just have to come and experience it yourself!” Ty couldn’t grasp this, so he had to sign up and see it for himself.
First day at camp Ty Coleman was assigned to serve Danny Sullivan, a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome and ADHD. And Danny presented a whole different situation than Ty’s students in his classroom. And Family Retreat? It was a whole different kind of classroom! This was no “the bell rings at 3:00 and everyone goes home” kind of stuff; this was a no-holds barred, 100% commitment to Danny’s special needs for the week… helping him in the swimming pool, being his hands during craft time, praying for him, praying for his parents, racing after him when Danny would bolt up from his seat, running to get his sweatshirt, helping feed him in the cafeteria. Ty was to say later on that he enjoyed the push because it pushed him beyond himself. Way beyond himself. Especially his patience.
And this young man, Ty Coleman, gained a whole new appreciation for something far beyond just special education. One evening at debrief with some of the other short term missionaries, Ty confessed that he really had to struggle to put Danny’s interests before his own. He shared that at Family Retreat he was outside of what he was used to… what college had taught him… what the classroom had become … but at camp? He said, “College teaches you a lot but to actually go one-on-one with your own camper at Family Retreat, oh-my-gosh, it is so much more powerful.”
I don’t need to tell you that Danny, the boy Ty was helping, had a great time at Family Retreat; so did his parents. But the 26-year-old special ed teacher had even a greater time. God worked amazingly in his heart. Ty’s church does not have a disability ministry – even though he’s a special ed teacher, it never occurred to Ty that his church was lacking one. But Family Retreat struck a fire in his heart – he’s not only signed up to return and help this year, but he is focused on getting an outreach to special needs family beginning in his church. Yep, college can only take you so far – but when the Spirit of Jesus starts working on a heart, not only do you change, everything around you changes.
Hey, I’d love for you to follow in Ty’s footsteps – and you don’t even have to be a special ed teacher. Pray about signing up, would you, to serve as a short term missionary at any one of our 25 Family Retreats across the nation this summer. Get all the details at joniandfriends.org. And while you’re there, ask for your copy of Autism Strategies… it’ll prepare you to meet someone like Danny! Come to Family Retreat: Be blessed, be inspired… and prepare to be changed. For no greater love does a man have than when he lays it down for another – even if that another has Asperger’s and ADHD.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 91376
© Joni and Friends