The Greatest Advocate

I have been active in the disability community for most of my adult life. I often hear "self-advocate" as a general term for individuals with disabilities. It's founded on the principle of empowering people with disabilities to speak up about their desires, passions, and dreams. Parents or another person can advocate for loved ones. As I introduce myself to you as a new blog contributor, I'm hesitant to introduce myself as a self-advocate because I view myself primarily as a daughter of the King who just so happens to have a disability. My prayer is to use my love for teaching and writing to share things that the Lord has taught me. 

What is an advocate, really? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines an advocate as "one who defends or maintains a cause." I don't know about you, but that sounds like a huge undertaking, especially knowing my heart, hopes, and understanding of others change over time. 

What if I told you we don't have to pressure ourselves to be the perfect self, parent, or congregation advocate? That it's okay to say, "I'm not sure," "I don't understand," or "I have no idea where to even begin." All these insecurities and worldly pressures to be a perfect disability advocate were nailed to the cross. We have access to the single greatest advocate that stands on our behalf and leads us to be imitators of His love!  

In John 14:6 (NIV), we find this promise, "But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." Wow! The Holy Spirit teaches us how to share the Gospel with people with disabilities and their families.  

Having friends, attending conferences, reading amazing blogs, and researching all the incredible resources are essential for doing ministry well. However, these can become merely tasks to check off on our never-ending to-do list unless we constantly connect to the Holy Spirit. Recognizing the Holy Spirit's voice requires us to be in God's Word. 

Our Advocate knows our hearts better than we do, and He walks with us every step of our journey! So, let’s lean on Him and His Word!