Healing.

I'm reading through Acts.  Slowly.  Thoughtfully.  It's good.

Yesterday, I read about Peter healing the man who was lame.  He had probably been unable to walk his entire life.  Yet at the age of forty, "his ankles became strong.  He jumped to his feet and began to walk."

I've heard the stories of Jesus and the disciples healing people all my life, and it was kind of like "oh, yeah. cool.  moving on from that Sunday school story."

Now, I have 20 daughters with disabilities.  I "get" it now.  The man could WALK.  I think of the kids who have learned to walk since I've come to Ongole--we cheer when they learn to stand up on their own.  But when they take their first step, there are tears of joy in each foster mom's eyes.  And that's after intensive therapies and orthotics and all that.  But this man--he just walked.  How awesome that must have been.  He just walked!

Which brings me to my "Meet the Family: Part 3"

Paula is my 12 year old with cerebral palsy who will be getting a wheelchair sometime soon! (It’s ordered!)  When I kiss my girls good night, she hides her face with the blanket, giggling hysterically.  When we have dance parties, she covers her face in embarrassment. She’s the one girl who I LOVE to embarrass, even though we both know it’s just a joke and that she really loves all of it.  (Yes, I have officially reached motherhood, if I can say this.)  Paula loves music and is eager to learn everything—from how to use my laptop to doing puzzles—but her cerebral palsy makes things quite a bit more challenging for her than others.   She is still able to do SO much, considering her disability and that she’s been institutionalized for so long, but I know having access to the wheelchair is going to give her a whole new perspective on the world.

I'm fairly certain I'm going to bawl my eyes out the first time I see Paula use her wheelchair to race one of her sisters to the ideal toy (the plastic cell phone)--and win.  I can't imagine the joy of being able to watch her contractures suddenly disappear, her joints face in the proper directions, and her first steps turn into jumps of glee.  But that's what the friends of this man saw happen to him.  How incredible that must have been!

Next, I"ll talk about Stephanie, who is my newest teenager at thirteen years old and is blind.  Because of her disability and probably because of her history--whatever it is--she is very cautious and doesn't explore anything past her arm's radius. For example, when her sisters attempt to tackle me when I walk in the door, she just sits on the bed, smiles, and claps her hands; even though I know she is just as eager to give me a hug and receive a kiss. Although she normally sits with her empty hands in her lap and a soft smile on her face, when Stephanie hears that I am near, she will grope the empty air until she touches my arm and quietly requests to "Sing a song, sister?"

She also loves feeling different textures, like the new slinkies, squeeze toys, and teddy bears she received as gifts.  And Stephanie did recently enjoy being able to feel and hold our former pet rabbit (may he rest in peace, lol) and some chicks I owned for a few hours before giving them away.  She would squeal with excitement and fear each time she felt the animals move, but her smile was enormous!

Although these verses in Acts talk about being able to walk which makes me think of Paula--they moreso make me think of Stephanie.  You see, even though Paula can't get around as easily as others, she interacts with her world to the best of her ability, whereas Stephanie misses out on so much due to her fears which I believe stem from her lack of sight.  Oh, to imagine Stephanie suddenly be able to see, and run to me when I walk in the door! To have the courage to stand up and walk through the room of Legos and 7 sisters!  How beautiful it must have been for the friends and families of those who were healed by Christ and his believers!

It's possible, I guess, that these girls could be recipients of such miracles while here on earth.  Either way, I am so glad to know that when Paula kneels in heaven, she will be kneeling before the King instead of before the bed as she heaves herself up.  I am glad to know she will traverse those streets of gold like everyone else.
I am excited and happily waiting for the day that Stephanie will get to look at the One. When she will run with abandonment to her Maker.  Even if there are gold and sapphire-studded Legos all over the floor. :)