Heroes sometimes manifest themselves in unassuming ways. For me, my greatest hero and cheerleader has been my daughter, Annika. Annika has had her share of battles that started at birth. She has faced physical and developmental challenges; however, she has always been a warrior. Being an introvert with a brilliant mind and a gift for music, she has been misunderstood by others in her school, church, and family; however, she has fought through these misconceptions and has developed a strength and attitude that demonstrates her grit and determination. When someone tells her she can't, it makes her all the more determined to prove that she can!
Along with dealing with her own challenges, Annika has assisted her father in being a caregiver for my needs for almost 10 years. When I started having breakthroughs in my health which made it possible for me to get out of the house more frequently, Annika encouraged me to participate in fun activities with her such as shopping and going to movies. She often says with enthusiasm, "It's not everyday that I get to go shopping with my mother!"
When we go to places like Walmart, Target, or Costco, she will often grab an electric wheelchair for me to use so that I can independently shop at the store. Unfortunately, she frequently encounters judgmental glares from other shoppers who assume that she, a seemingly healthy and capable young lady, is using an electric wheelchair for her personal benefit. About a month ago, we went to a movie and shopping at Walmart. While grabbing an electric wheelchair for me, a young man in a black hoodie came up to her with an angry expression and called her a "mother f------." Annika just ignored him and brought me the wheelchair. I was ready to go find him and give him some polite education about disabilities, but Annika just laughed and said, "What a knucklehead!" We both ended up laughing it off and didn't let it spoil our time together.
Our culture often fosters a "victim" mentality. Whether you have an invisible disability like my daughter experiences or a more noticeable impairment such as I have, it is easy to focus on the injustice of others who do not understand your situation and feel sorry for yourself. Although we are not perfect, both Annika and I are determined to rise above victimization and be victors instead. A while back, Annika was at church and saw one of the ministry leaders walking out of the sanctuary. Her first reaction was to feel nervous and insecure that this individual might be judging her for her black highlights and piercings. She told me later that she sensed God telling her, "Annika, is that person God?"
In order to achieve victory in our lives, we must reshape how we see our identity. As long as we attempt to view ourselves through the lens of other flawed humans, we will fall short and fall into the victim mentality; but, if we begin to see ourselves through the eyes of our image-bearer, we will find our security in His sacrificial love. We are all beautiful in the eye of our Lord and that is all that matters. I am excited to introduce a new series of articles on ways that we can achieve victory in different aspects of our lives. It starts with our identity in Christ!
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JOYFUL TREASURES: Beloved by God!
1 John 3:1a "See what kind of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God!"
No matter what our circumstances are and how we feel about ourselves, we are precious in our Lord's sight. We may be tempted to compare ourselves to others, but if we look heavenward and remember that "those of the spirit think of the things of the spirit," we can be "more than conquerors!"
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For more information about Chronic Conditions and Invisible Disabilities, you can read some of my other blog posts:
https://puresimplewholeliving.blogspot.com/2018/10/im-not-ashamed-daughters-perspective.html
https://puresimplewholeliving.blogspot.com/2018/09/glimpse-into-chronic-illness-life-on.html
