Illustration results for Physical Defect

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TEACH HIM TO WALK, BUT NOT WHERE

A rehabilitation counselor took an early retirement to spend the rest of his life preaching. One day, while addressing an audience, he told of how - early in his career - he found a young boy with several birth defects. He arranged financial and medical help. Skilled surgeons restored the child's facial appearance. Trained therapists taught him to speak and walk. By his teens, the boy was able to take part in all the activities of other young people.

Addressing his crowd the retired counselor asked: "What do you think has become of this young man?" One guessed that since this young man had overcome such physical deformities he may have dedicated himself to becoming a great athlete. Someone else thought that, since his life had been changed by medical doctors, that he had become a skilled surgeon.

"No, none of these," the retired counselor said sadly. "The young man is a prisoner, serving a life sentence for murder. We were able to restore his physical features and his ability to walk and act but we failed to teach him where to walk and how to act."

I was successful in helping the boy physically, but I failed to help him spiritually. From that day on, I have determined to use the rest of my life to help people direct their steps and actions toward glorifying God.

Source: J. Furman Kearley 20th CC From Jeff Strite's Sermon "Wonderful Counselor"

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Story of little Grace: My nephew and his wife were horrified to find out that the baby she was carrying was diagnosed with Trifomy13.
Trisomy 13, also called Patau syndrome, is a chromosomal condition that is associated with severe mental retardation and certain physical abnormalities. These abnormalities include small eyes that may exhibit a split in the iris (coloboma), an opening in the roof of the mouth (a cleft palate) and/or a cleft lip, weak muscle tone (hypotonia), skeletal abnormalities, an increased risk of heart defects, and other medical problems. Affected individuals rarely live past infancy because of the life-threatening medical problems associated with this condition.
Of course the doctor suggested to the parents that they should consider terminating the pregnancy.
Instead, drawing their strength from God, the named the baby "Grace". The reason for the name is powerful in that they truly believed that she was in God’s hand. There was nothing the mother could do to change anything. There were no magical prenatal vitamins that could change things. The father had no control and the doctors were powerless. This is a testimony of true grace. They came to the realization that God was in control and they realized their helpless state.

IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST POIGNANT SNAPSHOTS OF THE VIETNAM WAR: A LITTLE GIRL RUNNING NAKED DOWN THE STREET, HER EYES WIDE WITH TERROR, SCREAMING IN PAIN.
B. AT THE TIME, CHUCK COLSON WAS PRESIDENT NIXON’S ASSISTANT IN THE WHITE HOUSE, DEALING WITH DECISIONS INVOLVING THE VIETNAM WAR, AND IN HIS BOOK WAS DEEPLY AFFECTED BY THAT PICTURE.
C. TWENTY-FOUR YEARS AFTER THAT PICTURE WAS TAKEN, AMERICANS FINALLY FOUND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT LITTLE GIRL.
D. ANOTHER PICTURE, TAKEN ON VETERAN’S DAY, REVEALS A VIVACIOUS YOUNG WOMAN LAYING A WREATH AT THE VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AS A CHILD, KIM PHUC BROUGHT HOME TO AMERICANS THE HORRORS OF WAR.
1. TODAY, SHE’S TEACHING US ANOTHER LESSON: THE HEALING POWER OF FORGIVENESS.
E. AS SHE LAID THE WREATH AT THE WALL, KIM TOLD THE ASSEMBLED VETERANS: "AS YOU KNOW, I AM THE LITTLE GIRL WHO WAS RUNNING TO ESCAPE FROM THE NAPALM FIRE. I HAVE SUFFERED A LOT FROM BOTH PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL PAIN. SOMETIMES I THOUGHT I COULD NOT LIVE, BUT GOD SAVED MY LIFE AND GAVE ME FAITH AND HOPE."
F. SPEAKING TO AMERICA’S VIETNAM VETERANS IS THE LATEST CHAPTER IN AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE STORY.
G. IN THE MOMENTS AFTER THE NAPALM ATTACK, KIM WAS TAKEN TO A HOSPITAL BY NICK UT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOGRAPHER WHO HAD JUST SNAPPED HER PICTURE. YEARS OF PAINFUL BURN THERAPY FOLLOWED.
G. AFTER THE WAR, KIM ENROLLED AT A UNIVERSITY IN SAIGON, HOPING TO BECOME A DOCTOR. UNFORTUNATELY, SHE WAS FAR TOO VALUABLE AS A PROPAGANDA TOOL. WHEN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS FOUND OUT THAT SHE WAS "THE GIRL IN THE PHOTO," THEY YANKED HER OUT OF SCHOOL AND PUT HER TO WORK AS A SECRETARY IN A GOVERNMENT OFFICE.
H. THERE SHE WAS EXPECTED TO ROLL UP HER SLEEVES AND SHOW HER SCARS TO ANY VISITOR WHO DROPPED BY.
I. IN 1986 THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT SENT KIM TO CUBA TO STUDY AND TO MOUNT GOODWILL MISSIONS. THERE SHE MET AND MARRIED BUI HUY TOAN, AN EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN, AND KIM HERSELF BECAME A BELIEVER.
J. IN 1992 ON THEIR WAY HOME FROM THEIR HONEYMOON IN MOSCOW, KIM AND HER HUSBAND DEFECTED TO CANADA. THE COUPLE NOW LIVE IN TORONTO WITH THEIR TWO-YEAR-OLD SON.
K. KIM RECENTLY TOLD NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO THAT SHE AND HER HUSBAND HOPE TO RAISE ENOUGH MONEY TO ATTEND BIBLE COLLEGE TOGETHER. THEIR GOAL IS TO EQUIP THEMSELVES TO SHARE THE GOSPEL WITH THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE.
L. WELL, KIM HAS ALREADY SHARED THE MEANING OF FORGIVENESS WITH THOUSANDS OF TOUGHENED SOLDIERS. AT THE VETERAN’S DAY CEREMONY, KIM PUBLICLY FORGAVE THE UNKNOWN PILOT WHOSE LOAD OF NAPALM SEARED HER SK...

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