Chapter 10

Success for the Disabilities

I have heard a lot of people say there is no cure for disabilities. Being a stutterer my entire life, I heard a lot of people get discouraged and give up on their life’s dream because they seem to think that they are useless because of their disability. Speaking is a huge part in today’s living, if you cannot speak, you mind as well give up on life. If they were Christians, they’d say just serve God and try to get any job you come across that pays minimum wage because you won’t be able to get anything better than that.

What kind of Christianity is this that we should just give up and forget about life. Yes, I do agree that speaking is a huge role in today’s societies, however, that does not neglect the fact we should just give up, or even get depressed. I have once heard it say that “…worldliness is trying to be successful while humbleness does nothing,” and that is the complete opposite of what we learn as Christians. Humbleness is submitting to the will of God in all aspects of life. It does not matter how much money is in your bank account, or the kind of car you drive or even how big your house is! It especially does not matter whether you can’t walk, speak, or have some kind of disability that hinders you from doing the every day things in life. What does matter is your attitude. How do you look at life? Because of certain situations in my life that I came across, I have heard many people tell me that because of their lifestyle, it is difficult for them to find true happiness. Difficult to have a good attitude in life’s situations because of their past up-bringing.

Again, I want to tell you that it does not matter of your past up-bringing or the different lifestyle that you had, a true attitude of happiness can be attained for in Jesus. It all matters how you look at life; don’t look at it with your eyes, but with the eyes of Jesus. By this I mean look at life with a different perspective, a better perspective. If you live according to the Bible, walking in the same footprints of Jesus everyday, a life of happiness is what Jesus promises in His Word. “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). This does not mean to give God a trial basis and see if your attitude changes, and, if it doesn’t then you go back to your own lifestyle. Who are we to “give God a trial,” that is not trusting God. We are tempting Him, and the Bible clearly says, “Do not test the Lord…” (Deuteronomy 6:16). “It is also written, Do not put the Lord your God to the test” (Matthew 4:7).

It is when we completely surrender everything to Jesus. This means, everything that is precious to you; your belongings, your past, your future and your life. Come to Jesus and commit yourself to Him no matter what the cost may be, no matter what happens next in your life - then, humble yourself. I’ve always liked to say that if Christ never did anything for you ever again, than we should still give Him all the worship and surrender are whole bodies to Him. Nonetheless, we serve a God that desires to do more for you, Christ stretched out His arms and died for you! True humbleness brings true success in life. “Humble yourself to the Lord and He will lift you up” (James 4:10). Have a prayer life, constantly seek the Lord, read His Word, and live a life according to what pleases God. Doing this is certainly the first sign of being cured. If, in fact, your disability is stuttering and you cannot speak, than maybe the very thing you need to do is speak out in your stuttering, allowing yourself to fully put your trust in Him. Whatever your case may be, do not let that be a hindrance to you, allow God to speak to you and then act upon what He says. What God says, may just be the very thing you are incapable of doing, the very thing you say you cannot do or even what others say you cannot do. Let me encourage you, my friend, if God says you can do it, than you can do it. Maybe you will fail the first time, as I did, but I learned that I did not fully put my trust in God - I was thinking of ways, other than God, to speak without stammering. I had two choices to make after I failed to speak, I could either give up and live a life of humiliation and embarrassment, or pray even harder and seek after God, learning from what I did wrong. My ways didn’t work, but God showed me a few years later that I needed to put my complete trust in Him and not worry about the outcome, because He already knows the outcome. To my surprise, I preached without stammering - this was a complete miracle! My life was being used to tell the glory of God, to show forth the splendor of His Holiness! I am now convinced that anyone who has a disability must allow God to use you and not worry about what anyone else says. Let your life be a living testimony unto God showing forth His glory.

There are very few books about certain disabilities such as stuttering being one of them. All the few books I found on stuttering only try to explain why people stutter. It enhances your knowledge explaining how the brain works. It never gives anything to help you not stutter, and it offers no hope that there is a cure for stuttering. Matter-a-fact, in one book I read it just told me that until further studies are found, there will be no cure for stuttering.

That is a reason why I had such a burden to write this book. I have found a cure for stuttering; I have found a cure for all disabilities. It requires you to take a step, put your trust in God, allowing Him to have an active role in your life. Start a journey that will last a lifetime, and maybe you already know Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, but your relationship has gotten so mundane that you don’t “feel” God in your life anymore. Re-dedicate your life to God, and let the fire burn brighter in your life - it never is too late. I wrote a poem that speaks about relationships and that in the beginning of every relationship it is always so exciting, and everything just seems so right.

A Long Journey

Relationships are exciting and always new

Full of joy and fear;

Things race by yet move so slow

A month can take a year

You must always wait and be patient

To find love’s proper form

Yet there it is, when we can look

The peace within the storm

Flying through the exultant air

Alone in pristine skies

Like the eagle that I’ve always loved to watch

She’s the mistress of my eyes

Could I but have her for my wife?

So we might fly together

Or must I watch from above

And long for her forever!

As with God’s Word

He brought forth the light

So with these words

I’ll end my flight

My heart sings in glory

The stars all sing in tune

God will bring her to me; I need not worry

To start a brand new journey; that will start very soon

It does not matter what kind of life you lived, or how far you drifted from God. The past is what it is, you can’t change it, but you can change your life right now, this very moment. Ask for forgiveness and begin to live according to God in every circumstance, and every decision that you make. When you do so, that does not mean you will never have failure, or that you will have a miracle happen in your life right then as your prayed. There very well might be, but again, don’t come to God just because you want something. Don’t ever look to the miracle, the prayer, any preacher, God’s mighty power, or even me. Instead turn your eyes upon Jesus, and worship Him for He is all you ever need.

Here is another poem I wrote, and I wrote this poem because of certain situations in my life that I had allowed to come back in and haunt me; however, God helped me let go.

The Past

Your past is one that holds many secrets

It is better to leave them untold

To bring them to the present

Is asking bitterness to unfold

The memories we cherish

Are exciting with gloom!

But the darkness and its sorrow

Ruins life to its doom

There is no need to re-live the past

To do so is to live in vain

Yesterday’s gone… today is here

So why should we live in pain?

Forget the past and turn away

Move on in life; and wish it farewell

No longer in the past

Does your present life dwell

Looking in the past can be very discouraging for most of us, so lets remember to keep in mind what the apostle Paul said about “…pressing toward the mark.” The road to eternal life is not easy, it was not easy graduating high school with a stuttering problem, it was not easy for me to hear the constant insults, have heads turned in my direction every time I tried speaking, or even graduating college was hard because I couldn’t ask questions in class. Living a life worthy of God, may not necessarily be easy, but I can say with a total assurance that it definitely is worth every struggle I went through. Every struggle that I faced made me a stronger person, a stronger Christian because I had Christ helping me along the way. I took one step at a time, and with each step there was a nervousness that came about me, but as I took that step, Jesus has always proved Himself to me that He would always be there helping me along the way. I enjoy writing poems as you have seen; when I am inspired or faced with a difficult situation I begin to write poetically about the given situation and I know that God has always been in my poems. With that stated, I wrote another poem about all the difficult times I endured and how I thank my Lord and Savior for being there and helping me succeed.

Hard Times

Many times in my life

I may have gone astray

You’ve pointed me in the right direction

And sent me on my way

Many times in my life

I’ve needed someone to pull me up

You’ve always been there to lend me your hand

And always cheered me up

Many times in my life

I may be sad and down

You’ve stood by my side and comforted me

In good times and bad

Many times in my life

I may need your support and care

You’ve always held me up

And showed me how you care

Many times in my life

I wanted to tell you this; but I never had the chance

You’ve helped out in life

And got me where I am

Many times in my life

You were there through thick and thin

You’ve taught me how to care

From the deepest of my heart; I thank you for being there