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