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My Mind Over The Matter

In correlation to the previous post, another thing that DMD is unable to limit me in is my intellect, the power of my mind. God has truly gifted me with a unique way of thinking, through the wisdom He has given me as I face my daily trial! I am so grateful for this as it has meant that none of my suffering has gone or will go to waste. I have undoubtedly seen Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”, come alive in my life! Add another L to Satan’s record.

I have been told that I have an incredible ability to take a topic and consider it from every single angle, leaving no stone unturned. That I can consider and explain things in a way that is extremely detailed and yet easy to understand. I can by no means take the credit for these attributes as I didn’t give them to myself, and on my own I am prone to abuse its implementation. The Lord has designed me in such a way that these skills come naturally to me and He has used the pain of Duchenne to multiply and maximize their effectiveness. This is a great blessing in disguise to me since my number one goal is to maximize His glorification!

The Father and Creator has graciously bestowed this good gift of intelligence on me! (James 1:17) But I don’t consider myself a genius at all, just that the Genius is whispering to me and developing the talents that only He has placed in me (Psalm 139:14). As I lean further into Him I go deeper into my understanding and grow in how I use it. So much so that I am realizing that the foundation of my ministry is that through my experiences with disability and faith I can offer anyone a brand new way of looking at things.

A huge reason for this is the sheer amount of time I spend thinking. When there aren’t very many things that you’re able to “do”, you end up spending most of your free time just considering things. Recognizing all the nuances of those things, contemplating all of their potential implications, and figuring out the best approach to each topic. This follows the vein of my previous post that the more you practice something the better you become at it. I believe it’s become safe to say that I’m pretty good at thinking. In this I’ve developed an uncanny ability to analyze anything, and analyze it fully. Sometimes I have to be really careful not to get myself in trouble by over-analyzing (more on that in the future). I know my God has put a powerful mind in my head and I must submit it to Him so that I would not misuse it.

But again, I am of course physically limited in how I am able to express the power of my mind. This goes for both my logical and creative sides, of which I am equally versed. I can’t build or repair things. I can’t make works of art by hand. I can’t freely take notes or draw even the most simple sketch. And the things I can do, like write or speak, can only be done in relatively complicated ways. Nevertheless I push on! I will not give up because the unlimited power of the Holy Spirit resides in me! Logan Shannon is indeed Unlimited.

I choose to claim the victory of my mind over the matter. The detriment of Duchenne is no match for my perfectly designed and unrelenting mind! In fact, the battle has already been won. Because of this, that which I can do, I will do it well!

I remind you once again to not take a single blessing or privilege for granted! To instead take advantage of your mind and the ways you can apply it.

Whatever you are, be a good one. – Abraham Lincoln

Oh To Show You My Affection!

In part of my last post I described to you my longing to be free from Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy that I may be able express myself and my faith in a greater way. Thankfully there are a few things that DMD is unable to limit me in; one of those things being in how I love. Death and disease can not steal this precious thing from me! This is my inheritance, and just as I can never be plucked from the Hand of the Father, love cannot be plucked from my life!

I am able to love people as much as the next person, if not more! I am not perfect at doing so all the time, but my emotions and desires are not limited in their passion, and this translates to me having the ability to love deeply! My disability has no effect on my ability to display this key part of the human condition. But, let me be clear, I’m not merely talking about romantic love here, though that does certainly apply. I am talking about love for God and love for my fellow man, resulting in a genuine affection for all. Love is God’s prevailing character trait and He would never limit any of His created ones from experiencing and expressing this selfless, unconditional fruit of the Spirit! (Galatians 5:22-23) I am grateful to be able to both experience and express it; as we all should be!

Not only do I have all the ability necessary to love deeply, I have been given the means to achieve loving deeply. Because of the great suffering I have endured, I have developed real compassion and empathy for the obvious suffering of others. Through grace, God has taken my pain and given me a unique way to minister to the pain of others! With this being the case, I have a natural platform for accomplishing the call of Galatians 6:2, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” This is the greatest way for me to show my love!

On top of these truths, there is another principle that contributes to the equation. A principle that results in the multiplication of the power and effectiveness of my ability to love. This is the principle that the more you practice something, the better you become at that very thing. The reality is that with my circumstance there are very few “things” I am able to do. In this case, that is actually a blessing though. The reason being, when you have very few options of what you are able to do, you become very good at doing those few options. Loving, among other things like thinking and writing (more on that in my next post), is one of my limited options and therefore has become one of my relatively strong suits. For all of my limitations, there is no denying just how strong God has made me in the invisible attributes of virtue! Yeah, that one kind of backfired on the devil didn’t it?!

I am however limited in how I can express my love. I can’t give you a big hug, a pat on the back, or something along the lines of a high-five. I can’t help you up if you’ve physically fallen down. Aside from my words and the looks I can offer, I cannot comfort another in most conventional ways. When it comes to romance, I can’t give a gentle touch or initiate a kiss. Oh, how I long to do each of these things! Oh, how I wish to show you my affection! Oh, how I want to serve! There just aren’t many ways in which I can serve. But I won’t allow that to hold me back! That which I can do, I will do it well! May my love grow deeper, wider, and higher that I can do so!

As with anything else, don’t you dare take for granted the ways in which you are able to love! Take advantage of them instead!

“Life is short; I wanna live it well!” – Switchfoot