[Faith-talk] Blindness and churches

[Beth Taurasi]

Well, I crack up when people want to lay hands on my eyes.  Some boy
at the Baptist church I go to wanted to do that, and thinking back on
that now, it really cracks me up.  The reason: people just dont
understand that my eyes are the way they are and they won't change.  I
was born with a permanent birth defect that resulted in blindness, and
nothing can stop me from doing what I want.  But the Baptist church
people see me as someone waiting for God to heal my eyes.  I guess the
boy saw me as sort of a saint.  I don't mean to go too far with it.
Beth

On 8/3/07, Alicia Richards <alicia716 at msn.com> wrote:
> Hi, everyone.  Steve, as always, your messages make good points, and I like
> reading them.  You're able to criticize constructively.  No, I'm not being a
> suck-up, I really do feel that way.
>
> Karmalynne, thank you for your welcome of me.  I appreciate it.  I hope to
> get to know you better, too.  Really pretty name by the way.  I like it:
> it's unique.
>
> So, since we're dealing with blindness difficulties in our faith, here's one
> for all of you, and I'd like suggestions.  Right now, I am looking for a
> church home.  I've lived here in Nebraska for a few months, tried a lot of
> churches, but not found one where I feel I belong.  Most of the time,
> churches view me as a charity project because I'm blind.  They see me as
> someone to be ministered to, not a contributing member of the church
> community who can minister to others as well.  Or worse, they constantly
> pray for God to heal me, or tell me they'll pray for that.  It upsets me.  I
> do believe that God could heal me if He chose to, and if He did, I certainly
> am not going to fight that.  However, I don't live my life waiting for Him
> to do it, or asking Him to do it.  I'm happy as I am, and I've seen so many
> instances where God has used my blindness for His own purposes and glory.
> He allowed me to be born that way for a reason, and that's fine by me.  But
> so many Christians don't seem to understand or agree with that.  I try to
> educate people, but often it doesn't work, though I do my best to be polite
> and patient.  But sometimes I just get so tired and frustrated with it.
> Have any of you guys encountered this problem? If so, how have those of you
> who belong to a church overcome this obstacle?  Thanks in advance for your
> feedback!
>
> Alicia
>
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-- 
"Open up my head and let me out."