Having a disability can add extra challenges to your life, as well as humbleness but lets explore if having a disability can actually help you have more faith.  When you have a disability you are often much more reliant on other people and God.  Its not as easy for you to get things done sometimes so when you have a disability sometimes you just have to rest and realize that God is going to handle these things for you.

Often times Christians struggle with their faith but people with disabilities often rely on their faith – because often times that is all they have.  Due to my disability and it causes me to be very poor at socialization I often time have to rely on God when I need help, because I have no one else to ask.  I find when I rely on God to help me with these things they get done, either by someone just showing up or me somehow managing to get it done myself.

How do you feel a disability can affect faith?

Fasting is a common way in the Christian walk of opening yourself up to God more, and seeking to allow God to do huge things in your life.  The problem though is many people with disabilities and diabetes can’t fast.  Well that’s not entirely true.  You can fast if you have a disability or diabetes you just have to do it differently.  Here are some ideas for how to fast so you don’t mess up your medications.

• Fast One Meal A Day: Don’t eat one meal every day instead of just not eating.  Spend the time you would normally spend eating reading the bible and in prayer.
• Daniel Fast: Eat only fruits and vegetables during meals.
• Give up Soda: Yea, give up the soda pop.  Drink the water.
• Give up TV: Spend the time you would normally watching tv in prayer or reading the bible.

What are your suggestions for fasting if you have a disability, medication or diabetes?

Many people with various disabilities also have social fears, and pets comfort them.  Church’s are a very social environment.  Lets explore whether people with disabilities should be allowed to bring pets such as dogs to church.  Many people with various disabilities have assistance dogs, such as those that are blind or hearing impaired.  People with other disabilities such as Autism and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome often have companion dogs to help them cope with stressful and social situations.  To many disabled people their dogs are their lifelines, and without them they would have trouble coping.

In many states the American With Disabilities Act can be interpreted along with state level laws to allow people with disabilities to bring companion dogs anywhere they go, in order to help them function – but many people see this as an abuse of the intention of the American With Disabilities Act.  I have a dog myself – his name is Lucky.  I have decided that from now on any church I go to Lucky will be there with me, and if hes not welcome I am not welcome.  I have Aspergers Syndrome a form of Autism and have a lot of trouble being overwhelmed in social situations, even more so in large crowds like churches.

Do you think people with disabilities should be allowed to bring companion dogs to church?

While this topic does not have much to do with Christianity, I have noticed that Christian parents of those with disabled tend to be overprotective of their disabled children – to the point of causing harm.Parents are called to love and protect their children, and when your child has a disability there becomes a fine line on whats overprotective.  Disabled children just like any child need to make mistakes in order to learn, and if you don’t allow a child to make mistakes and learn it will never learn.  Parents of those with disabilities tend to not allow their children to make mistakes in the guise of protecting their children, without knowing they are causing greater harm then their disability ever would.

I have seen one occasion where the overprotective parent who is a christian went to the point of lying, and manipulating people around her child in order to protect her daughter.   It has just about come to the point of being abusive.

At what point does protecting a child become harmful when the child has a disability? I would like your input.