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Hello,
By way of
introduction, many of you will recognize me because I come to church
with Mark, an adult who lives with cerebral palsy and a
developmental disability.
Dare to Dream:
I have dreamt
all my life. It’s what keeps me from being depressed. I dream about
what’s next, what opportunities can I create for myself, what places
do I want to go, what things do I want to do. That’s the fun side of
dreaming. The trouble with dreaming is that I don’t always get what
I want. But I always get something new and different.
My Dare to
Dream testimony has a theme – not surprising because I’ve been
dreaming about this in one way or another all my life. It’s around
disability.
1. What
makes you proud/time you felt most alive at the church?
I have been
proudest of this community when you include my son Mark. When people
approach Mark and tell him they like his singing, I see him duck his
head in a shy, pleased reaction. I was proud of this community when
Mark Morrison Reed welcomed my son from the pulpit – that was
critical to Mark’s engagement here and his sense of belonging and
helped open the door for you to approach him as well. Thank you.
2. What do
you personally bring to the church?
I am changing
my role here at Toronto First – taking on more of a leadership role.
I offered a session at the Leadership Workshop and will offer a
Disability and Me workshop on Nov. 12th. When I lead
here, it changes my relationship to this place and to you.
Leadership here makes me grow into this community.
3.
If you had a magic wand, what three
things would you wish for and how would the church look in five
years after you got your wishes?
My Magic Wand
idea is best described by reading a quote from Margaret Lawrence’s
memoir - “Dancing on the Earth”.
Talking about
her birth, she says:
“My mother and
I were lucky. I often think, however, of the children born with
birth defects. Their parents are by necessity heroes, caring for and
loving their children, refusing to give up, coping somehow under
stresses that I have never known and feeling, despite all the
terrible difficulties, that their lives have been immeasurably
enriched by the life of their child. Also feeling…so often that
sense of being overwhelmed and defeated by the sheer awful presence
of need: so much care, so much strength, when human strength even at
its utmost is limited. I stand in awe of those victories of the
human spirit, while at the same time I wonder at a society where the
caring parents of disabled children, and the children themselves,
are so inadequately helped.”
Where are these
children? Where are these parents? Where are we as a community??
I believe this
statement applies to more than parents. It’s also true for people
caring for those who are terminally ill, those with Alzheimers
Disease, those who are struggling with addictions and mental health
issues. We will all be touched by our own disability or the
disability of a loved one at some point in our lives.
I believe this
“presence of need” is all around us here in this
congregation. We keep it hidden. Put up your hand if you have a
disability that no one/or only a few people here know about….Put up
your hand if you know of someone with a disability that could use
some extra support….I believe we have the capacity to be more honest
about our own needs and I believe we have the capacity to bring into
our congregation others who are in need.
This
congregation set out to become a welcoming congregation on sexual
orientation with great success. My dream is that this community will
also become a welcoming congregation to those who are differently-abled.
You have already started with your generosity towards Mark.
Just being
welcomed and accepted here means the world. Thank you. |
