I first met Joseph* at The Salvation Army in Decatur, Illinois. He was assigned by my father to man the red kettle at the Sears entrance, outside of a long mall. That Christmas, my job was to check on the kettle workers, give them a break, and see if they needed anything.
On that cold day, I pulled up and greeted Joseph. “Hey Joseph, you want to go have lunch with me today?” “Ok,” he said sheepishly.
“Where would you like to eat?” His face scrunched up. “I just usually eat inside.” I assumed he meant the tiny restaurant located in the store. “Why don’t we try someplace else today?” “Ok,” he said uncertainly.
We went into the store and out through the mall. I held his hand to make him feel secure. He gaped at the ornate Christmas decorations scattered all over the mall as for the first time.
“This is beautiful! This is beautiful!” he exclaimed.
You see, although Joseph had been standing outside the Sears store for three weeks, he didn’t know there was a mall attached. That day, I saw the mall through his eyes, and it was beautiful. We can learn from someone who is different than we are. It can be scary. I know when I served in the special needs program at my church, I felt uncertain and awkward. Eventually, I became more comfortable. Now I serve with the young adults and Ilove it. I learn something from them each time I serve there.
We can invest in eternity by seeing the world through someone else’s eyes. And it is beautiful!
Three suggestions to reach out to special people:
- Ask if there is someone in your church or community who is special needs and volunteer to be their buddy for the day.
- Meet with the parent of a special needs child and ask how you can help.
- Consider helping or contributing to A Night To Remember that celebrates and ministers to special needs high school students by providing a prom night they will always remember.
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