This blog is part of a series of lessons based the book, "Lessons from the Geese" by Dr. Robert McNeish.
Julie doesn’t let a diagnosis of Down syndrome keep her from leading a full life. Keeping up with her journey into adulthood has been a special joy to me. For example, I remember when she took some courses in a California college where she lives. When she moved into her own apartment, I sent her a pink picture frame. (She likes them and I send them to recognize milestones in her journey.) My informant about the journey is her mother. Because her mother is a well-known disability minister, we see each other often at conferences across the country. It never fails that when we are together, I am overwhelmed by the latest milestone Julie has reached.
The last time Julie’s mother and I were together I learned that Julie had been appointed deaconess in her church by the chairman of the deacons. The report got better. In the upcoming church election she was running for the position of deaconess. To spare the suspense, she won. When I learned about it, I wrote her a note of congratulations. Shortly afterwards, I found a pink picture frame and sent it to her to recognize her achievement.
Don’t forget that she works at leading a full life. In the same email that I learned she had won the post, there was an attachment. It was a fundraising letter for a mission trip. Julie was going to Morocco with her mother and ten other people from her church. She explains the purpose: “In June I will be going . . . to Morocco to work in a local center with 150 teen-age boys who have learning disabilities like me. We will be showing these boys and the staff God’s love through our actions.”
After listening to a speaker at her church talk about how we should let Jesus use us, she told her mother she wanted to go on the trip to Morocco. There were a couple of hurdles: her heart doctor’s approval and a passport. The doctor advised drinking plenty of water on the plane and walking every two hours.
When her mother picked her up after bowling, she told Julie if she was serious about going, she would need to get pictures for her passport. Julie smiled, unzipped her purse and showed her the pictures she had made the day before. With passport in hand, she was now ready to go.
Julie’s Valentine to her mother speaks clearly to her spiritual development.
Valentine to my mom….
..my gift of love for you. I feel the love
of the Holy Spirit is speaking to me through
God and the man at the dinner about being
a leader. I’d he proud to go to Morocco
with you to do God’s work through us and
tell about my life with Down syndrome to
others and hope for them to have the same
hope and faith we have. My prayer for
them. This came from my heart.
Love, Julie
Another word about the pink picture frame I sent her. In her thank you note, she explained: “At first I was going to put a Morocco picture in it. But I went to a dance in May with my friend David who also has Down syndrome. I have a picture of us together and decided to put our picture in my new frame.”
Julie’s parents, her siblings, and church family have encouraged her spiritual journey. It is obvious she is walking the walk. Delight in the spiritual growth of your friends with disabilities.
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