World Down Syndrome Day

Today, we wear our most ridiculous socks, in honor of the most ridiculously wonderful humans. It's World Down Syndrome Day. I feel weepy as I think this through. I love that I get to do this one small, wild thing to bring awareness to something that has such a huge hold on my heart.

If I'm honest, I do this in support of one boy in particular. His name is Michael, & he has more love in his teeny body than anyone I've ever met. He's done more for me than I could ever do for him. He reflects Jesus a lot that way.

He gave me my dream.

I looked at him, & I knew what I wanted to do with my life.

He & I, we both know the sound of voices telling us what we can't do; what we probably will never be able to do. My voices are mostly in my own head, though.

I never saw myself overcoming the hurdles set before me.

I never saw myself being healed from Lyme disease. He gave me hope, even while I still battled it. His story was one of my first glimpses of God's healing power in the present day & age.

I never saw myself playing any instrument that required finger strength. He doesn't let the smallness of his hands stop him from making music.

I never dared to dream. His family showed me how powerful it is when people dream on your behalf.

In short, that's what I want my life to look like. I want to be the dreamer. I want to be a believer. I want to be the voice that speaks into places that have only heard, "you can't," & whisper bravely, "but what if you could? Why can't you?" I want to be on the team of the underdog & the downcast, rooting for them with everything I have in me.

I want to see life come to a valley of dry bones {Ezekiel 37:1-14}. I want to respond to the Lord as He calls new things forth. I want to echo Him. I want to speak words of life.

I want to hold trembling hands & say, "I believe in you."

I want to lift the broken spirit onto my shoulders & carry them to new heights.

When faced with a child who cannot use their arms to their full potential, I want to stand with them & fight for their ability to reach for the stars.

I once heard a story about a little girl with Down syndrome ... Her dad said that all these odds were against her, but no one had thought to tell her that, so she'd been defying them ever since birth.

Our words hold so much power. May I never be the voice that claims logic & tells a soul to stop fighting & dreaming, because they'll "probably never ..." I want to be the voice that defies all logic & tells them that I'm with them all the way. I'll help them in their fight, & if they stumble, I'm not going anywhere, & I'm not giving up on them.

That sounds like Jesus to me, & that's who I want to follow.

The one who embraced the man He knew would betray Him.

The one who dined with those that were scorned & rejected by people who called themselves holy.

He stood with people we would never want to stand with in our own flesh, & He called life out of their dry bones.

The love, healing, calling, & acceptance I have received from Him, may I never withhold from another. 

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