Jesus Wants to Use You in a New Way

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Living with disability brings daily challenges and recurring obstacles. And at times, I’m tempted to think that Down syndrome limits our family’s opportunities. But nothing could have been further from the truth on a hot summer afternoon at Angel Stadium.

My son, Gideon, was graduating from college. It was a day we had been praying for—and paying for—for four years. Our whole family felt elated and couldn’t wait to celebrate Gideon’s big day alongside tens of thousands of other graduating students and their families. We had no idea how big that baseball stadium was, or that the graduation would fill it.

Gideon’s little sister, Sarah, was perhaps the most excited of all. Sarah has Down syndrome and didn’t fully understand what it means to graduate from college. But Sarah adores her big brother and knew something wonderful was about to happen. She didn’t have the words to express it, but you could see it in her twinkling eyes.

The smile on Sarah’s face quickly dissolved into a grimace when we entered the stadium and she witnessed the scene before her. She had never seen that many people in one place and instantly crumbled in panic. All those within earshot turned toward Sarah—listening to her screams and watching her tears hit the floor.

I had to act fast. I threw an audible, “Jesus, help us!” up to heaven and took a deep breath. And I started dancing.

Singing one of Sarah’s favorites—“You Should Be Dancing” by the Bee Gees—I danced for her, hoping to calm her nerves and distract her from the sea of onlookers. To my surprise, the crowd’s mood transformed from shock to shear amusement. And soon everyone around us started cheering—encouraging Sarah and joining the dance.

It required a lot of coaxing and even more prayer, but Sarah finally took her seat. I straightened my dress and wiped the sweat off my brow. We settled in and waited for the ceremony to begin.

Within moments my eyes grew wide. Not fifteen feet in front of us was another young lady with Down syndrome. And, you guessed it, she was having a panic attack. It seems Sarah wasn’t the only one overwhelmed by the sights and sounds surrounding us.

I started praying for that sweet young lady and her mother—who was not dancing. She looked exasperated, as though she wished she were invisible and anywhere but Angel Stadium. But, praise God, she was at Angel Stadium, and she was about to experience something I’m sure she’ll never forget.

The same crowd that initially saw Sarah’s meltdown as shocking—maybe even appalling—the same crowd that joined this desperate mother’s dance and spurred Sarah into her seat… They knew what to do and didn’t miss a beat. Almost in unison, they jumped to their feet and cheered as though their favorite player just hit a home run.

“You can do it, Baby Girl!” they called to the little lady in crisis.

“You got this, Mamma!” they yelled, clapping.

They high fived each other. “Everything’s gonna be ok!”

And you know what? She didn’t start dancing, but the crowd’s motivation gave that dear mother all the strength she needed. She picked her daughter up and brought her to her seat. And the crowd went wild.

We were all on the same team, and the victory belonged to every one of us that day. Two young ladies with Down syndrome learned that they can do hard things and conquer their fears. Two weary mothers showed the world the unconditional love we have for our children, extra chromosomes and all. And a whole crowd saw the beauty of disability ministry in action. Because sometimes disability provides an opportunity to cheer others on and unite us as humans.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are doing.”

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Sarah made it through Gideon’s graduation ceremony and when it was over, she couldn’t find her brother fast enough. What happened next took my breath away…

Still visibly shaken from her stadium experience, Sarah marched up to her big brother, hugged him tightly and said, “I’m proud of you, Gideon!” And this from a girl who is practically non-verbal.

We all looked at each other—Gideon, his older sister Veronica, and me—and wondered… What just happened? We had no idea that those words were locked inside Sarah or that she knew the correct context for their use.

What happened that day at Angel Stadium is that Jesus used Sarah in a new way. In that moment, it wasn’t about Sarah. It wasn’t about her fears, or her crisis. It wasn’t even about her victory. It was about her brother. And Sarah made sure the focus stayed on him.

Sarah gave us all an example worth following that day—and an education that can’t be bought with any college degree. She set her own struggles behind her in order to encourage Gideon and build him up as we’re told to do in 1 Thessalonians 5:11. Sarah put herself aside and let Jesus use her in a new way.

Will you allow Jesus to use you in a new way, too?

When you see someone with Down syndrome out in your community, do you stop, smile, and say hello? Maybe compliment their outfit or give them a thumbs up? Do you pause when you see the parents of disabled children and remind them that their family is beautiful, too? Ask the Lord today how He would have you build others up. Then follow Sarah’s example, and step out in faith.

Sarah’s courage, perseverance, and devotion inspire me daily. My daughter doesn’t let Down syndrome or her speech disability stop her from fulfilling God’s call on her life. I celebrate Sarah and all her 47 chromosomes, just like I celebrate my other two children, not just during graduation season, but every day of the year.

Join us in honoring individuals with Down syndrome as the image bearers of God that they are, and advocate for their inclusion in the body of Christ. That’ll be a home run for everyone.