Just in case you're curious...A brief intro to SMA and me.

I am handicapped (or disabled--I can never quite remember which one's politically correct). Either way, I have a disease. As you will all likely know, I am confined to a wheelchair and severely physically limited. I was diagnosed at age one with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a genetic disease which affects "voluntary muscles for activities such as crawling, walking, head and neck control and swallowing." To put it simply, messages from my brain to my muscles don't always make it. It is a degenerative disease, which means its all downhill from here physically speaking, but the descent is so slow and gradual to be almost unnoticeable from month to month. Along with it comes a susceptibility to respiratory illness, especially pneumonia.

SMA is a pretty serious disease, I suppose. But, after some thought, I've come to the conclusion that it really isn't as bad as it sounds or seems. In the first place, I can function quite well in the modern world. I still have both social and mental abilities. Physically I'm pretty useless, but thanks to modern technology this is no longer a big deal. I have mobility in a wheelchair, computer technology to allow me to take part in school, and so on. And although I am physically weakened by SMA I suffer no pain or discomfort at all.

Secondly, I have a loving, caring family who are good to me far beyond what I deserve. My mother, especially, has sacrificed countless hours getting me up every morning, making sure I'm eating well, putting me to bed each night, etc., etc. In everything my family puts my needs before their own, to the point that I'm pretty sure that I have a hugely inflated idea of my own worth. Not just my immediate family either. My extended family has been a blessing to me beyond value. As has my church community, and, of course, my friends. Everyone around me is happily willing to help me out in any way. In fact, I’m convinced that being in a wheelchair has made life easier for me rather than harder in many ways.

Thirdly, and most importantly, God has adopted me into his family and blessed me richly. Without his promises of renewal, of new bodies and a new earth, it might not be so easy to shrug off a physical disability. A man I used to attend church with, who was paralyzed in a trucking accident, told a story that illustrates this nicely. In rehab, where the paralyzed have to learn to live with their limitations, he said there are two kinds of people: those who have or join the Christian faith, and those who commit suicide. I’ve never, ever contemplated suicide. In fact, I’ve never struggled with my disease at all (besides a few moments in youth when I wished I could climb a tree). The ultimate reason for this is because God has been good to me. I have SMA, God gave me what I needed to deal with it now and he will restore me in the life to come.

Hallelujah.