Overflowing From The Middle Seats
I have worked in the disability field for over fifteen years, and sometimes I easily toss around keywords. You know words like accommodations, acceptance, and INCLUSION. These words are what guide us in building ministries for people with disabilities and their families. But may I throw a thought out? I don’t think these concepts should be our end goal, but they are the ways in which we reach it, the goal being functioning as the Body of Christ.
I experienced this a few weeks ago when I attended a conference with a group of women from my church. I have always loved going to conferences, but I usually grow anxious in the days leading up to them. You see, most of the time when I attend concerts and conferences, the wheelchair-accessible seats are usually at the end of the row or in an entirely different section. I have memories of feeling lost in the sea of faces when I was in a packed stadium and sitting far from the group I came with from my church.
This time was different, as my pastor’s wife called the venue to see if they could block off a section for our group. Guess what? THEY DID! I had a wonderful time soaking in the Word and having time to pray with my dear sisters that I would continue to do life with when we returned to our home church.
It was not until the next day that I received a picture from my friend that tears began to flow down my face. The picture was of my row during the time of worship, and I was in the MIDDLE SEATS! Not on the end or the next section over, but in the middle. I saw the perfect picture of the Body of Christ. I could reach out and serve whoever was to my right, left, in front, or behind. That should be our heart’s desire!
In 1 Corinthians 12:27 (NASB), Paul writes, “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.” This simple yet profound truth declares that God sees us and calls each of us to be His Body. Friends, that is where our eyes should be fixed upon. When we live out this calling, all of the other aspects of disability ministry have a solid foundation, not in the catchy vocabulary or thrilling new interventions (which all can be awesome) but a solid foundation built upon the overflow of His love for us!
Angela is the Founder and Director of Roll Called Ministries and has a master's degree in Rehabilitation Counselina. She is passionate about teaching and serving the Church. Due to having Cerebral Palsy, she navigates through life using her wheelchair and believes God has opened many doors using her disability for His glory.