[Faith-talk] autism, healing and whatever else...

[Emanuel]

Sanda are you blind and have autism ? 

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Från: Faith-Talk [mailto:faith-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] För Sandra Streeter via Faith-Talk
Skickat: den 31 augusti 2016 23:18
Till: faith-talk at nfbnet.org
Kopia: Sandra Streeter <sandrastreeter381 at gmail.com>
Ämne: [Faith-talk] autism, healing and whatever else...

Okay, everyone, so I just can’t resist jumping in!!! Wow, that respite lasted so-o-o-o lo-o-ong, rofl!!! I love the balanced line of thinking that’s demonstrated in our forum—the validity of both medicine and divine healing, and when I pray, I leave direction of which to do up to God. After all, back in the day, St. Paul advised Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach, and who knows what was in the clay that Jesus put over the blind guy’s eyes? Good Scriptural cases can be made for both. What does concern me, though, is that most of the mainline church ignores or tries to spiritualize miracles and other gifts in the Bible, and in the “electronic church” (TV, radio, perhaps now internet), there’' seems an over-emphasis on physical healing, which some of the more charismatically-oriented churches take up. I can remember as a young Christian in a Christian liberal arts college becoming really freaked out when some well-meaning person just BRAHM—dove in and prayed for me! I had been blind all my life, and had much more important things on my mind (finals, concepts discussed in class, issues in relationships) on my mind, at that point. After that happened several times since, having put in a lot of prayer consulting with God about His will re sight healing, I became convinced that, this side of Heaven, that is not to be, that He will gain greater glory from seeing me function differently than most people and hopefully simultaneously being an example of His goodness in the world. I feel similarly about autism, as I do about the healing of other conditions: can God heal, and is He willing? Yes. Does He always deem that necessary for everyone? No. And, those of us who have disabilities (including autism) may serve Him better with the condition than without.

As to a condition arising from sin: Jesus Himself addressed that in Scripture, before the guy blind from birth got healed, and also, with Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”: “My strength is made perfect in weakness,” and, “This man’s condition has nothing to do with his or his parents’ sin—but that I may be glorified in him.” Which can certainly mean, he was blind so Christ could be glorified in his healing, and, I wouldn’t exclude, in the guy’s life before he became sighted.

Unfortunately, Ericka, I am a “word autistic”—math and I were never friends! Having to do calculations to Taylor some of my craft items and doing my checkbook have made math more comfortable, but I notice needing frequent breaks before my brain can get clouded with the mathematical juggling! I did worse taking Algebra 1 in junior high the second time!! However, in sixth grade, I was prone to read the dictionary, and some of my peers derisively said, “Streeter, why you gotta use such big words all the time!” I tend toward skills in writing (poetry, newsletter articles, essays), and am a better writer than a speaker, because writing gives me more time to consider 1, how I come off to others, 2, how I WANT to come off, and 3, whether what I said was really what I meant. I may have some sensory overload issues, fixate overly-much on some things, and get a bit pedantic in my speech, but God has given me many gifts in Aspergers as well: because of the very “negative” tendencies I mention, an empathy with others who have autism, which can be used in helping others understand them and/or in building a bridge between them and others, an easy tie-in with a relationship with the Lord because my brain is already wired to stay on subjects (therefore, also on connecting with the Lover of my soul), a facility with words that would enable me to make easy work of writing projects others struggle with, a yen for research that will certainly contribute to future career direction (I’ve probably read 20 books each on autism, eating disorders and Emily Dickinson)! So, that’s it in a nutshell. As to autistics getting healed—as I implied before, while God may want to heal some and they do recover with whatever assistance that may or may not include prayer, He doesn’t always choose to, and those of us who have autism can contribute in our own unique ways, and that isn't shabby!!!



Sandra
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery The Little Prince 


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