Two thousand years ago, the Bible records the story of four able-bodied men and their disabled friend (Mark 2:1-12). They wanted their friend to see Jesus, who was the talk of the town in Capernaum. The men carried their friend on a mat to a home where Jesus was teaching. When the group of friends arrived, the crowd was so large that they were unable to get anywhere close to Jesus. Undaunted, they carried him to the roof where they cut a hole through layers of straw and hardened mud. They then lowered their friend to Jesus' feet.
You probably know the rest of this story. Because of their bold faith, Jesus restored the disabled man to wholeness and health. No one who witnessed this was ever the same.
The Capernaum Project is one of several ministries in Young Life. Capernaum focuses on teens and young adults with disabilities. They meet a couple of times a month. The club my daughter attends met this week.
When our daughter was born, countless people told my wife and I that God only gives babies with Down syndrome to special people. They meant well, but there were a few times when I did not feel real special.
No, the truly special people in this world are the large number of individuals who volunteer and serve the teenagers and young adults in Capernaum. And the thousands of young people and adults who volunteer and serve at Special Olympics events, or in some other way. Those are the special people.
Today's Winning Thought: "When you are around people with special needs, you never stop learning. The relationship can change both lives." -- Maggie, a high school senior involved in Capernaum.
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