I was blessed to witness something recently that was truly life-changing.
I was with a team of young men on the sideline for a game and suddenly a young man in a wheelchair joined us. His name is Michael.
What I saw was nothing short of moving.
Michael's mere presence impacted every heart on the team. Instantly.
Every young man came over to say something kind, encouraging, compassionate, empathetic ... human.
These young men are ordinary, competitive, rambunctious teenagers. They are not currently in line for canonization (smile).
It made me reflect on the word "disabled".
Yes, he cannot walk, move any of his limbs, or do a number of other tasks that most of us take for granted daily.
But he was in no way disabled. He was the most talented young man among us.
Why?
When you or I walk into a room what happens? Usually I'm going to guess - nothing. Ordinarily our mere presence does not invoke any particular virtue. We generally need to say or do something to achieve that.
Michael's presence physically changed the heart and soul of the young men around him. He INSPIRED the virtues of caring, compassion, charity and so many others.
He literally made all of us better, stronger ... because he lifted us out of ourselves and helped us to focus on something more important and more valuable ... another human being.
I pray that I will remember and appreciate this lesson, the grace every time I see or hear of a "disabled" person.
The word "Disabled" should no longer be used. They should be called "Enabled" because they enable those around them to be better human beings.
What is a stronger or more amazing talent than that?
Virtue = Strength
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