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Number seven was born with Down syndrome and she just turned one last weekend. Her birth has changed a lot of things about how I see life, about my priorities and about God. I am most grateful for her and for the change she has made in me if not seen on the outside certainly on the inside.

Children born with Down syndrome are born with an extra chromosome. This causes a variety of issues for whatever reason. There are mental handicaps as well as some physical ones. Often Kim and I will look at each other and say do these kids get a break at all?

Here is what I have found out about children like Gracie. They are sweet beyond measure. Gracie for certain has a smile that melts everyone’s heart. She has a spirit unmatched by anyone around her. Without fail everyone I have talked to with a child with Down syndrome have shared with me what fun they are to be around and how good spirited they are.

The word normal has become one that bugs the devil out of me over the last year. For instance many believe I have 6 normal children and one well I guess is abnormal. I beg to differ and I am not sure there are not 8 abnormal people in my family and one normal one.

Us normal people hate, get angry, cheat, lie, are rarely as happy as we should be and have to work at putting a smile on our face. Is that what God thought of when he was thinking of normal? We do unspeakable harm to one another, are capable of holding a grudge for years and when it comes to forgiveness we fall well short of what the Bible expects. Is that what God thought of when he was thinking of normal?

Here is a thought; maybe that extra chromosome is normal and those of us without the extra chromosome are abnormal. Maybe God created us to have joy and to show love and to have smiles that break across our face in an instant. Maybe he meant for us to be innocent and to love all things and all people no matter what they look like or even no matter what they had done in the past.

Perhaps that was normal before the fall and after Adam and Eve sinned he took that chromosome away. Maybe ever once in a while instead of creating people with a disability what God is really doing is creating people in His perfection and the rest of us can’t understand it because we are missing something.

Is what I am saying absolute truth, probably not, but I know this there is something missing in our lives that only God can replace. Something Gracie already appears to have; contentment, happiness and unconditional love.

We are sinful people with a sinful nature, living in a broken world and only God can fix it. He chose to do that on the cross and through the power of His Holy Spirit. Many are looking for happiness, joy, peace and contentment and let me assure you God holds the key.

When we get to heaven I assure you we will be a lot more like Gracie than she will be like us and that will be a good day.

Disabled?..........I wish we all were.

Scripture: 139:13-14, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall no perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.”

John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

Prayer: Dear Lord, we are thankful that you sent your son to die for our sins. That you love us and that one day we will be able to spend eternity with you in heaven. We thank you for those you send into our lives who teach us how to love and how good your love really is. We ask these things in Christ name, Amen.