Last year I wrote about a man I had observed who lost his legs; he is bound to a wheelchair and lives in a less than prime part of town. However, I had seen him out tending his yard and the sidewalk in front of his house on one of my weekly trips downtown, bobbing up and down to prune and water his flowers, pick up trash from the walk, etc.

I saw this gentleman again today down the block from his house, picking up trash around the bus stop which is located adjacent to an old, run-down gas station that now services radios and electronics.

Last week we had a group of summer associates from an Indy law firm who were here to stain the trim on a couple of our cabins and to put in a stone path through a small area we have planted with prarie grass and wildflowers. They did a great job. One of the young ladies is a parapalegic who relies on her help-dog Duke to do little things that we take for granted, like turning on and off the lights, opening drawers and cabinets and retrieving the mundane necessities of life. It is obvious that this young woman was up to the challenges that life has dealt her and she seemed to have a very upbeat disposition about things.

Today we had a guest who spoke about the upcoming 2007 Disabled Water Ski National Championships which take place next week just outside of Indianapolis. I decided I am going to volunteer to help because I need to be around people like these who have learned to overcome the obstacles that have intruded into their lives, who make the best out every day.

Each one of us deals with some type of handicap, though for most of us they aren't physical. I am much more crippled by my fears and anxieties than many are by missing limbs. I spend too much time wondering "what if" (a common theme for single men - ok, maybe most men in mid-life) and not choosing to be proactive in my situation.

My license plate may not identify me as having any special needs in my life like some folk's do, but their ability to cope, even thrive in their daily lives gives a wonderful example of what we could accomplish if we put a bit of effort into it. The thing that holds most of us back each day from serving others and in so doing, serving our Lord, is not something others look at us and notice, but the inner workings of a defeated mind or spirit - certainly one of Satan's greatest pleasures.

Today, make the decision not to give him the pleasure....

Brad