Overcoming

At 19 months, Helen Keller contracted the illness that eventually left her without hearing and sight. Back then those labeled ‘deaf and dumb’ were classified as idiots. But Helen’s parents didn’t agree. They hired teacher Anne Sullivan to work with her and eventually she learned to read and write using Braille. Amazingly, in 1904 she graduated with honours from RadcliffeCollege, then devoted her life to helping others. Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie paid her an annual income; writers Mark Twain and Robert Louis Stevenson praised her and almost every President of her day invited her to the White House. Even though Helen died in 1968 her legacy of courage lives on. When asked if there was anything worse than being blind, Helen replied ‘Yes, having sight but no vision’. At 12, Thomas Edison developed such severe hearing loss that his teachers recommended he be taken out of school. Instead Edison used his handicap to drown out distractions and focus on his work. As a result the boy who was labeled ‘a slow learner’ gave the world over 1000 inventions, including the light bulb, the phonograph and the motion camera.

Who gets to define ‘normal’ anyway? Is it being short versus tall, or rich versus poor? The truth is, God’s given all of us unique abilities that He expects us to explore. And interestingly, the real handicaps don’t belong to those who are born with physical and mental challenges. No, they belong to the so-called normal people who’ve accepted lethargy and limitation as part of life.

God said “My power works best in your weakness”, so you can let your difficulties impede or inspire you. Which will it be?

Peter Morphew
Chaplain