National Disability Day

from February 2022

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National Disability Day

by Chad Van De Griek

It was late November and I get a text from my Senior Pastor asking if I would be willing to write something for our church. I was asked to write something for National Disability Day and share some thoughts and feelings revolving around living with a disability and how the church plays a role in that. After reaching out to others with disabilities, family members of those with disabilities, and internally processing, I realized that this was a lot more difficult to put to technological paper than I had initially

thought. But, after finally getting everything written down, I was incredibly proud of the final product. I wanted to share that final product today!

National Disability Day is an awesome opportunity to engage in conversations that revolve around living with various types of disabilities. I wanted to take some time, as a Church, to do just that. Of course, I can’t speak for everyone who has a disability, but I did want to share a few thoughts and experiences as a means to encourage and challenge all of us.

There are a lot of incredibly valid thoughts and ideas that I could bring up in a conversation like this one. However, as I began to think and talk through everything that I wanted to discuss today, I found myself continuing to come back to a very simple, yet foundational idea. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV).

When encountering people with various types of disabilities, I think that it is absolutely paramount to make sure that we keep the basic principles found in these two verses at the forefront of our minds and hearts. We need to have patience as we strive to view situations from the perspective of those who have different abilities than we do. We need to have love, kindness, and goodness as we remember that those with disabilities and their families are more than simply an opportunity to serve—they are a needed and valued part of our congregation. And we need to have gentleness as we understand that there are people in our churches that are living with disabilities that are not easily seen on the surface. My hope is that, as a Church, we remember that each human being that we interact with is made in the Image of God, and their ability level doesn’t change that. Speaking for myself, having a disability can sometimes leave me feeling extremely isolated, but I believe that is where the Body of Christ can step in and show a deep, genuine love for who I am holistically. I have a disability, and that shouldn’t be overlooked, but I am also much more than that and have so much to offer. My prayer is that we are a community of believers that is able and willing to be gracious, kind, patient, and gentle, even if that means having to make accommodations or adjustments. Because, honestly, that is what love does. That is what Jesus does.

About The Author

Chad Van De Griek lives in Nashville, TN! He loves Jesus, hockey (Go Preds), and is a big Bible nerd. Chad was born with Cerebral Palsy and is very passionate about using his writing as a way to show God’s love to everyone! You can find more of his writing at chadvandegriek.wordpress.com.

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Christian Academy

Faith Haven is an accredited, independent, non-denominational Christian school serving grades PreK through fifth grade. Our mission is to foster a safe and encouraging environment—an atmosphere that enhances the holistic growth of students: intellectual, physical, artistic, and spiritual.