“Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2)
I have an uncle who is mentally handicapped. Uncle Melly was born in an era when people like him were sent to live in institutions and kept from the public. There were no group homes, government services, or programs available. My grandparents’ only option was to raise him or to institutionalize him. They chose to keep him at home and raise him. That meant my grandmother’s life changed.
Uncle Melly’s home was his world—and, therefore, it became my grandmother’s world. He was not able to go to school, and there were no supports that came to the home. There was only my grandmother (and his 6 siblings as they got older) to help care for him and engage him. My grandmother was a godly woman and an extraordinary example of being a living offering and sacrifice. She cared for him 24 hours a day, without much reprieve. She modeled a purposeful longsuffering that impacted how her children grew in compassion and tenderness.
As my
To continue...read the full-length post originally published on this site.
