Did you know that Jesus wants to use you in a new way? This heartwarming story about the love shared between special needs family members will help to prepare your heart and empower you say "yes" to the Lord.
Hi, I’m Shauna from Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. And today as another graduation season approaches, I am reminded of a family graduation that I attended. Actually, it was my son’s graduation, and it happened not too long ago. I’m going to share it with you right now and I hope it encourages you in some small way. I call it: Jesus Wants to Use You in a New Way.
Living with disability brings daily challenges and recurring obstacles. And at times, I’m tempted to think that Down syndrome limits our family’s opportunities. But nothing could have been further from the truth on a hot summer afternoon at Angel Stadium.
My son, Gideon, was graduating from college. It was a day I had been praying for—and paying for—for four years. Our whole family felt elated and couldn’t wait to celebrate Gideon’s big day alongside tens of thousands of other graduating students and their families. We had no idea how big that baseball stadium really was, or that the graduation crowd would fill it.
Gideon’s little sister, Sarah, was perhaps the most excited of all. Sarah has Down syndrome and she didn’t fully understand what it meant to graduate from college. But Sarah adores her big brother and knew something wonderful was about to happen. She didn’t have the words to express it, but you could see it in her twinkling eyes.
Well, the smile on Sarah’s face quickly dissolved into a grimace when we entered the stadium and she witnessed the scene before her. Sarah had never seen that many people in one place before and she instantly crumbled in a panic. And everyone within earshot turned toward Sarah—listening to her screams and watching her crocodile tears hit the floor. I had to act fast. I threw an audible, “Jesus, help us!” up to heaven and I took a deep breath. And then I started dancing.
Singing one of Sarah’s favorites songs—“You Should Be Dancing” by the Bee Gees—I danced for her, just hoping to calm her nerves and distract her from the sea of onlookers. Well, to my surprise, the crowd’s mood transformed from shock to sheer amusement. And soon everyone around us started cheering—encouraging Sarah and joining the dance.
It required a lot of coaxing and even more prayer, but Sarah finally took her seat. I straightened my dress and took another deep breath. I wiped the sweat off my brow and then we settled in and waited for the ceremony to begin.
Within moments though, my eyes grew wide. Not fifteen feet in front of us was another young lady with Down syndrome. And, you guessed it, she was having a panic attack. It seems Sarah wasn’t the only one overwhelmed by the sights and sounds surrounding us.
I started praying for that sweet young lady and her mother—who was not dancing. She looked exasperated, as though she wished she were invisible and anywhere but Angel Stadium. But, praise God, she was at Angel Stadium, and she was about to experience something I’m sure she’ll never forget.
The same crowd that initially saw Sarah’s meltdown as shocking—maybe even appalling—that same crowd that joined this desperate mother’s dance and spurred Sarah into her seat. Well, they knew what to do and didn’t miss a beat. Almost in unison, they jumped to their feet, and they cheered as though their favorite player just hit a home run.
“You can do it, Baby Girl!” they called to the little lady in crisis.
“You got this, Mama!” they yelled at her mom, clapping.
They even high-fived each other. And they started cheering, “Everything’s going to be ok!”
And you know what? That mom didn’t start dancing, but she took the crowd’s motivation, and it gave her all the strength that she needed. She took her own deep breath. She picked up her daughter and brought her to her seat. And the crowd went wild.
Oh, friend on that day, we were all on the same team, and the victory belonged to every one of us. Two young ladies with Down syndrome learned they can do hard things and they can conquer their fears. Two weary mothers showed the world what unconditional love really looks like—extra chromosomes and all. And a whole crowd saw the beauty of disability ministry in action. Because sometimes, sometimes disability provides an opportunity to cheer others on and unite us as humans. Just like it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, “…Encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are doing.”
Sarah made it through Gideon’s graduation ceremony and when it was over, she could not find her brother fast enough. Now, what happened next was the icing on our family’s cake.
Still visibly shaken from her stadium experience, Sarah marched right up to her big brother, hugged him tightly and said, “I’m proud of you, Gideon!” And this was spoken from a girl who is practically non-verbal.
We all looked at each other—Gideon, his older sister Veronica, and me—and we wondered, what just happened? We had no idea that those words were locked inside of Sarah or that she knew the correct context for their use.
Well, I’ll tell you what happened. That day at Angel Stadium, Jesus used Sarah in a new way. Because in that moment, she knew it wasn’t about Sarah. It wasn’t about her fears, or her crisis. It wasn’t even about her victory. It was about her brother. And Sarah made sure the focus stayed on him.
Sarah gave us all an example worth following that day—she gave us an education that can’t be bought with any college degree. She set her own struggles behind her in order to encourage Gideon and build him up as just as we’re told to do in 1 Thessalonians 5:11. Sarah put herself aside and she let Jesus use her in a new way.
Friend, will you allow Jesus to use you in a new way, too? When you see someone with Down syndrome out in your community, do you stop, do you smile, do you say hello? Maybe compliment their outfit or give them a thumbs up? Do you pause when you see the parents of disabled children and remind them that their family is beautiful, too? Well, I’m asking you to ask the Lord today how He would have you build others up. And then follow Sarah’s example and step out in faith.
You know, Sarah’s courage, perseverance, and devotion—well, she inspires me daily. My daughter doesn’t let Down syndrome or her speech disability stop her from fulfilling God’s call on her life. I celebrate Sarah and all her 47 chromosomes, just like I celebrate my other two children, not just during graduation season, but every day of the year. So, join us in honoring individuals with Down syndrome as the image bearers of God that they are, and advocate for their inclusion in the body of Christ. Because that’ll be a home run for everyone. And if you need help learning how to include people with disabilities in your church, or your workplace, contact us today at joniandfriends.org. That’s joniandfriends.org. And God bless you friend and thanks for listening. And if you’d like to write to us, just write to Joni and Friends at P.O. Box 3333 Agoura Hills, CA. 91376. And again, that’s P.O. Box 3333 Agoura Hills, CA. 91376.
© Joni and Friends