Burdens that Prepare Us for Life

 19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
       who daily bears our burdens.
       Selah
 20 Our God is a God who saves;
       from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.
         
Devotion
Growing up in an inter-city neighborhood we were exposed to people from all facets of society.  We walked to school with the rich, poor, black, Asian, American Indian, and one boy from England. 

With that mix of socio-economic culture we were pretty immune to the many differences.  However, there was one exception: Those persons with disabilities were usually shunned.  One person in particular, a World War II casualty, had received an injury to the head.  His occasional “outburst” frightened us so much that we would cross the street to avoid meeting him. 

Another family had multiple physical disabilities in the household and we observed the constant use of wheel chairs, crutches, and other aids to assist with their mobility.  Looking back we might have avoided having contact with these persons for fear of “catching the disabilities”. 

A number of years later a family member was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.  That affliction was devastating to the family and created an environment that required close contact and attention to a person with mental and later physical disabilities.  We could not imagine why God allowed this affliction to happen to such a wonderful loving person. 

Several years later I found myself in search of a new career.  During my prayers seeking God’s assistance, I asked for a job where I might use my managerial skills and at the same time provide significant contributions to the community.

God answered my prayers and I accepted a job with Goodwill Industries requiring me to associate daily with persons who were both physically and mentally disabled.  My experience with my own disabled family member prepared me for the task and allowed me to overcome any concerns about working with disabled persons.

Prayer
Thank you God, for taking away my burden of fear and providing an opportunity to assist others.