S02, Ep. 9: God's 2020 Disability Vision
Does God have 2020 vision about disability? In her first episode of the new decade, Mandi shares a controversial faith perspective on the origin of disability.
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Transcript
Mandi: Mandi Frantz here welcoming you to my podcast - Find Your Beautiful: Life Through the Eyes of a Christian Disabled Woman.
Mandi: Hey Beauties! Happy New Year!! I had a wonderful New Year's Eve, celebrating with my church family, worshiping the Lord for all His grace and mercy. Believe it or not, New Year's is my favorite holiday. I've loved it since I was a little girl. I love the spirit of hope it brings worldwide. Don't get me wrong, I really love Christmas, but the truth is, not everyone celebrates Christmas. It doesn't bring the same joy to everyone as it does to me. New Year's though, well that brings so many people hope for good in the future. Mandi: Mandi Frantz here welcoming you to my podcast - Find Your Beautiful: Life Through the Eyes of a Christian Disabled Woman.
[Upbeat Background Music]
As 2020 rolled in, I read so many Facebook memes about 2020 vision. Everyone is extra focused on perfect vision this year. Today I may get a little preachy, ok a lot preachy on you, because I want to share a vision more perfect than we'll ever really know on this side of the rainbow. For my listeners who are not Christian, I still encourage you to listen to this full episode because it will give you deeper insight into who I am and my journey. The understandings I'll share today will allow you to see why I can't see disability as a problem or a mistake. Maybe today's episode will give you new eyes to see the beauty of disability!
[Mandi voices Ad (ads change and will vary)]
[Doorbell Sound Effect]
Mandi: On days like today, it would be so easy for me to hate my disability. I went to church, got in the elevator, and went up to the sanctuary. At the end of service, I found out the elevator broke down. Now, I was in my 500 pound motorized wheelchair. It's not easy to carry down several flights of stairs. And I wasn't the only one. There was another young gentleman who uses a motorized chair. This situation is one of our worst nightmares.
Everyone at church was so gracious, willing to do anything they could to help. They offered to carry us, our chairs, whatever we needed. Thankfully, my husband was with me and was able to carry me down. I wound up leaving my motorized chair since I have a travel chair at home, but my friend had a harder time. Yes, days like today, it would be easy to hate my disability.
Yet, today actually reminded me of the many reasons disability is needed in this crazy world. For the last few weeks I've been talking to different leaders at my church, getting involved in different ministries, and preparing to engage in serving. Today I saw a people unite to help me. Today I saw the gears in people's heads spinning as they contemplated the need to be fully inclusive and accessible. Today I saw people realize how disability can impact a life in something as basic as going up and down stairs. Today members of my church saw me, entered the struggle with me, and watched me come out of it smiling in God's grace.
You see? God has a vision for disability. He has a purpose for us. He is not using me in spite of my disability, or working around it. No, God is using me because of my disability. But all this is anecdotal, based on my experience. Let's go to something more concrete, the place we go to find God's vision, his plan, the Bible. Grab your bible or open up the app and get ready.
Let's look at Exodus, the second book of the bible, starting at chapter 4 verses 1-14. I encourage you to read it for yourselves, but as a quick summary and to offer context, God is calling Moses to speak to Pharaoh to free his people from slavery in Egypt. In chapter 4, Moses is scared. He is trying to come up with reasons not to go to Pharaoh. "What if they do not believe me or listen to me?" Moses asks in verse 1. God responds by performing miraculous signs through Moses. In total, Moses is able to perform 3 miraculous signs through God's power. I again urge you to read all these verses, but let's zoom into the second sign God performs through Moses starting in verse 6. God tells Moses to put his hand inside his cloak. When Moses pulls his hand out, the bible says his hand was leprous, white as snow. Ok, stop right there. First, it's important to note that the Hebrew word for leprous was used to describe various diseases affecting the skin. It is more important to notice that God made Moses' hand leprous! Let me say that again. God made Moses hand leprous! God caused Moses to have a disease affecting his skin, not the devil, not the food he ate, or the beverages he drank. God! This right here speaks volumes to me about the origin of disability. God does not do bad things. Therefore, this leprous hand of Moses was to work for the glory of God. We see this in the next verse, verse 7. God tells Moses to put his hand back in his cloak and when he does and pulls it out, his hand is restored, fully healed and the same color as the rest of his flesh. Moses did not have to beg, plead, be prayed over, go into isolation, nothing. God restored his hand as a miraculous sign to prove to both Moses and Pharaoh that Moses was speaking on behalf of God.
Ok, maybe you're not convinced yet that disability is from God. Let's go further down chapter 4 to verses 10 and 11. Despite the miraculous signs God has just performed through Moses, Moses is still afraid to speak to Pharaoh. He is still looking for excuses. In verse 10, Moses tells God that he is not a good speaker. He says he is "slow of speech and tongue." Now I could stop here and tell you that many people infer from this that Moses had a speech impediment, i.e. a disability, and was being called upon by God himself, but I'm not even talking about that right now. Right now I want to look at God's response in verse 11 and this I'm going to read. This is from the NIV version, "The Lord said to him, "Who gave humans their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" Boom! Do I need to say more? Alright, if you want to get cray and say, "Well God only talks about creating the deaf, mute, and blind, but not other disabilities," then you're just being silly. God does not spell out every single thing for every single situation. He gives us foundations from which we, in the intelligence and wisdom he gives us, can draw from. It is pretty safe to bet that God also gives people Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and yes even Arthrogryposis.
I know this brings up a million more questions. Trust me, I've asked them all myself. I promise I'll get to them, but first I need you to consider what I'm saying here. We must stop looking at disability as a bad thing, needing to be healed or fixed. Does God restore? 100% yes, but not all the time and that's ok. There is a greater purpose! Disability is not from the devil, it's not because I sinned, or my father before me sinned. If that were the case, we'd all be disabled because we all sin. Disability comes from God. When we get that, we start changing how we see and do things. The church becomes inclusive, not because they're being gracious. Not because we're needy. The church becomes inclusive because it recognizes it needs us. It recognizes that it is being called to bigger things and is highly favored when a disabled person comes through the doors.
I know this episode is long, but there's one more point I need to make here. In verses 14-17, we see Moses ask God to send someone else. Yes, even after the signs, even after God himself tells Moses he will help him speak, he still asks for God to send someone else. God then tells Moses that he will send Aaron with him as the speaker. I will end with a quick, but powerful look at verse 16. God says, "He [Aaron] will speak to the people for you and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him." The church has a real opportunity to be Aaron to the disabled community. The church can come alongside us and be strengths to our weaknesses. And we, as disabled people, can be as if we were God to the church.
Everyone at church was so gracious, willing to do anything they could to help. They offered to carry us, our chairs, whatever we needed. Thankfully, my husband was with me and was able to carry me down. I wound up leaving my motorized chair since I have a travel chair at home, but my friend had a harder time. Yes, days like today, it would be easy to hate my disability.
Yet, today actually reminded me of the many reasons disability is needed in this crazy world. For the last few weeks I've been talking to different leaders at my church, getting involved in different ministries, and preparing to engage in serving. Today I saw a people unite to help me. Today I saw the gears in people's heads spinning as they contemplated the need to be fully inclusive and accessible. Today I saw people realize how disability can impact a life in something as basic as going up and down stairs. Today members of my church saw me, entered the struggle with me, and watched me come out of it smiling in God's grace.
You see? God has a vision for disability. He has a purpose for us. He is not using me in spite of my disability, or working around it. No, God is using me because of my disability. But all this is anecdotal, based on my experience. Let's go to something more concrete, the place we go to find God's vision, his plan, the Bible. Grab your bible or open up the app and get ready.
Let's look at Exodus, the second book of the bible, starting at chapter 4 verses 1-14. I encourage you to read it for yourselves, but as a quick summary and to offer context, God is calling Moses to speak to Pharaoh to free his people from slavery in Egypt. In chapter 4, Moses is scared. He is trying to come up with reasons not to go to Pharaoh. "What if they do not believe me or listen to me?" Moses asks in verse 1. God responds by performing miraculous signs through Moses. In total, Moses is able to perform 3 miraculous signs through God's power. I again urge you to read all these verses, but let's zoom into the second sign God performs through Moses starting in verse 6. God tells Moses to put his hand inside his cloak. When Moses pulls his hand out, the bible says his hand was leprous, white as snow. Ok, stop right there. First, it's important to note that the Hebrew word for leprous was used to describe various diseases affecting the skin. It is more important to notice that God made Moses' hand leprous! Let me say that again. God made Moses hand leprous! God caused Moses to have a disease affecting his skin, not the devil, not the food he ate, or the beverages he drank. God! This right here speaks volumes to me about the origin of disability. God does not do bad things. Therefore, this leprous hand of Moses was to work for the glory of God. We see this in the next verse, verse 7. God tells Moses to put his hand back in his cloak and when he does and pulls it out, his hand is restored, fully healed and the same color as the rest of his flesh. Moses did not have to beg, plead, be prayed over, go into isolation, nothing. God restored his hand as a miraculous sign to prove to both Moses and Pharaoh that Moses was speaking on behalf of God.
Ok, maybe you're not convinced yet that disability is from God. Let's go further down chapter 4 to verses 10 and 11. Despite the miraculous signs God has just performed through Moses, Moses is still afraid to speak to Pharaoh. He is still looking for excuses. In verse 10, Moses tells God that he is not a good speaker. He says he is "slow of speech and tongue." Now I could stop here and tell you that many people infer from this that Moses had a speech impediment, i.e. a disability, and was being called upon by God himself, but I'm not even talking about that right now. Right now I want to look at God's response in verse 11 and this I'm going to read. This is from the NIV version, "The Lord said to him, "Who gave humans their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?" Boom! Do I need to say more? Alright, if you want to get cray and say, "Well God only talks about creating the deaf, mute, and blind, but not other disabilities," then you're just being silly. God does not spell out every single thing for every single situation. He gives us foundations from which we, in the intelligence and wisdom he gives us, can draw from. It is pretty safe to bet that God also gives people Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, and yes even Arthrogryposis.
I know this brings up a million more questions. Trust me, I've asked them all myself. I promise I'll get to them, but first I need you to consider what I'm saying here. We must stop looking at disability as a bad thing, needing to be healed or fixed. Does God restore? 100% yes, but not all the time and that's ok. There is a greater purpose! Disability is not from the devil, it's not because I sinned, or my father before me sinned. If that were the case, we'd all be disabled because we all sin. Disability comes from God. When we get that, we start changing how we see and do things. The church becomes inclusive, not because they're being gracious. Not because we're needy. The church becomes inclusive because it recognizes it needs us. It recognizes that it is being called to bigger things and is highly favored when a disabled person comes through the doors.
I know this episode is long, but there's one more point I need to make here. In verses 14-17, we see Moses ask God to send someone else. Yes, even after the signs, even after God himself tells Moses he will help him speak, he still asks for God to send someone else. God then tells Moses that he will send Aaron with him as the speaker. I will end with a quick, but powerful look at verse 16. God says, "He [Aaron] will speak to the people for you and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him." The church has a real opportunity to be Aaron to the disabled community. The church can come alongside us and be strengths to our weaknesses. And we, as disabled people, can be as if we were God to the church.
[Bling]
Mandi: Did this open your eyes to a different perspective on disability? Please download the Anchor mobile app, subscribe to this podcast, and leave me a voice message with your questions and thoughts.
This podcast is also available on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and any other place you like to listen! Visit my website linked in the description to get access to all the platforms.
[Mandi voiceover to 'Compton' music]: I know some people are saying, "But what does Jesus say about disability?" Stay tuned for the next episode where I'll take you into the New Testament. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook at MandiBoxBeauty to stay connected. ‘Til next time Beauties!
This podcast is also available on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and any other place you like to listen! Visit my website linked in the description to get access to all the platforms.
[Mandi voiceover to 'Compton' music]: I know some people are saying, "But what does Jesus say about disability?" Stay tuned for the next episode where I'll take you into the New Testament. Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook at MandiBoxBeauty to stay connected. ‘Til next time Beauties!
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