Dear Family and Friends: I have a deep interest in adults with dyslexia. Most, if not all, remember with sadness those years in school. Some of the memories are dark blotches as we aimlessly wondered what was wrong with us. And why was learning so hard and painful? Some memories are as clear as if they happened yesterday, such as the shame and embarrassment of being made to read before others or the hurtful thing said about us and to us.
For the past year or so, I have taken part of online support groups for adults with dyslexia. As I have read posts, there remains a common thread that is evident, a loneliness in many that cannot be filled. A sadness that won’t stay hidden. A simmering frustration and a learned hopelessness that will not go away.
Yet there remains hope—a longing for something better.
We all have gifts and talents. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Yet, for those who have dyslexia and have not found that steady, constant inner peace, that joy that comes from God, we tend to look at our gifts as something not to be shared. Instead, we focus on our weaknesses because we are afraid to reveal our strengths and talents. We discount them as being ordinary, declaring who would care even if they knew. We downplay our dreams and tell ourselves if we were really honest, our perceived deficits outweigh any strengths, gifts, or talents we may have.
I can only speak for myself, but today the kind of foreboding future that I have allowed myself to become accustomed to ends today. I can say that because today is all I have. Tomorrow is not promised. So today, I can begin again. I can choose to give my strength, weakness, gifts, and talents to the Lord and ask for His wisdom and knowledge to use them for His glory.
I was reading this morning Isaiah 55; the entire chapter gave me such hope and encouragement. The chapter starts with God making us an offer for something that money can’t buy. The catch is we must acknowledge our need for it. And when we do, it’s ours. What is being offered is salvation. Mercy. Isaiah 55:1
The Lord says that we must stop trying to feed the longing of our soul, mind, and hearts with things that do not and will never truly satisfy. He admonishes us… “… hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.” Isaiah 55:2
When we listen to Christ with our hearts and mind open, we will live, and the everlasting covenant He renews with us each day. He has given us Christ, a leader who will lead His flock beside the still waters of life. He will feed us, protect us when we choose to accept His offer of salvation. Not just once, but daily. The new birth experience is to be experienced every day because, with each experience, our character takes shape, and we become closer to reflecting the image of God.
I have been podcasting for a year, and Christ is moving me to do something different with the show. To my fellow dyslexics, it’s time to put the shame, the disillusionment away and take up the cause of Christ. We have dyslexia which is not a death sentence. It’s not an affliction. We learn differently. The language system of our brains was uniquely wired. Our past teachers didn’t, would not, or could not appreciate our unique wiring; therefore, they could not facilitate our learning. And that hurt. It was disappointing. We felt like an outcast and misunderstood. But it doesn’t have to be our life anymore.
Christ is asking us to re-evaluate our strengths, weakness, talents, and gifts and, if not already, to use them to share the gospel. He has uniquely positioned us to share the gospel and will use our vast experience directly related to dyslexia for His glory.
Don’t let this scare you. There are so many ways to share the gospel, which I will start sharing with you in April. You’re going to be amazed at how simple and powerful sharing the gospel is.. So please give it some thought and do the following:
Read Isaiah 55 and answer the following questions
1. How powerful is God?
2. What fears or apprehension do you have in sharing the gospel?
After answering the above questions, please do the following:
· List two of your strengths
· List two of your weaknesses
· List your gifts. What are you good at and really enjoy doing?
That’s it for today… I am so exited the direction the Lord is taking Make Room for More Podcast. I hope you’re exited to and will join me in sharing the good news that Jesus loves us and has a work for us to do.
You can also listen to this blog at https://makeroomformorepodcast.buzzsprout.com
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