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?

People with disabilities often struggle with depression.  The best way I find to fight depression is with worship music.  Depression is pretty clearly caused by the enemy, and the one thing the enemy can not stand is worshiping God.  I have a Pandora.com play list that I listen to when I’m feeling down that is just filled with music praising God.  There is a great song by a friend of mine Brian Fraaza called walk on that also reminds me I will not be alone through depression.  I have posted the lyrics here for you:

Worshipping God

When my soul is tired and weary
When my eyes can’t cry no more
When I know my legs won’t carry me
I shall never walk alone

Walk on child, walk on
When your days are more then you can bare
When it feels like all you have ever known is gone
You shall never ever walk alone

When my heart is cold and broken
When lonely days are here for sure
When my friends are friends no longer
I shall never walk alone

Walk on child, walk on
When your days are more then you can bare
When it feels like all you’ve ever known is gone
You shall never, ever walk alone

When this dark old world surrounds me
When faith is all I’m hoping for
When I need someone to someone to rescue me
I shall never walk alone

Walk on child, walk on
When your days are more then you can bare
When it feels like all you’ve ever known is gone
You shall never, ever walk alone

Walk on child, walk on
When your days are more then you can bare
When it feels like all you’ve ever known is gone
You shall never, ever walk alone

What songs help you with depression?

God absolutely uses people with disabilities sometimes in ways God could not use normal people.  I have Aspergers Syndrome, a form of Autism which is like being halfway normal and halfway autistic.  God has used my Aspergers in so many ways and to be honest I look at my disability as a blessing.  I have been able to see things from unique prospective – helping those with more severe disabilities and helping those that aren’t disabled understand what it is like to have a severe disability.

How do you think disabilities can be used by God?

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?

A common fear among people with disabilities is they are afraid they won’t fall in love.  This often results in poor relationships choices, including putting up with abuse or other things that should not be tolerated in a relationship.  So the question is… how do you help someone with a disability who is afraid they won’t fall in love.  The answer to this question is quite complicated.  Often as someone with a disability I get the answer “Well God always loves you” which to me it seems like people are using God as a cop out again to me.  I feel like God does love us, but God also wants us to need other people – thats why God created two seperate genders.

I do not have a good answer on what to say that would help a person in this circumstance, even though I have been in this circumstance before, so I will open it up for discussion.  What do you think you could say to help someone in these circumstances?

A question I often ask myself and don’t have an answer for myself is why does God allow disabilities to be in his people when he could heal them.  I’ve heard all the many theories on why God allows people to have disabilities when he could just heal them but I would like to hear your opinion – especially if you have a disability.  Why does God allow those with disabilities to not be healed when he could do so?

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?

Sometimes disabled people – especially those with mental impairments have outbursts in church.  How should churches handle this?  Should they be banned?  Should they be segregated from the rest of the church population?I think this is a very touchy subject.  Many people with disabilities often use unacceptable behaviors when crying for help – but at what point do churches have to draw the line?  Should people with disabilities be segregated from the rest of the church congregation during worship and teaching?  What would make segregation acceptable?

Churches must really be careful because of laws such as the American’s With Disabilities Act could easily result in a law suit if you ban someone, or treat someone different just because of a disability or impairment. Violating ADA can also result in a bunch of negative coverage for your church as well.  As people for disabilities are now more then ever starting to advocate for themselves accomodations must be made for those with disabilities – including those that effect behavior.

Obviously the safety of those in the church is a good reason to bar someone from attending.  But what about if they are a disruption during worship or teaching, should you bar them from attending then?  When do you draw the line on whats an acceptable reason to bar a disabled person from attending church?

If you do bar someone from attending – do you offer them any other form of church, such as a small group or a group of people to help this person out so that they can once again attend normal church?

I would love to hear what people have to say on this topic.  Its been in the news quite a bit in the last year, and I hope to gather some thoughts and opinions on this very touchy subject.

Far to many Christians out there who disagree with things written in the bible try to twist it, say the meaning was lost in translation or say it does not fit the circumstances there in. I think were all guilty of it.If the Bible says something and we disagree with it there is one clear answer, we need to change because we are wrong.  The bible is the truth, always.  If the bible says you should not have sex before marriage – then you should not have sex before marriage.  I for one am living in the consequences of this sin right now.

It is not for us to decide whats right and whats wrong in the bible – its up to God.  If its in the bible, its pretty clear God wants it there as its his word.  Christians and even pastors often twist scripture or say that specific scriptures don’t apply in these circumstances in order to justify the sin that they are doing.  We all do it, and we all need to stop doing it.

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.