Stump is a blogging project of Claremont Presbyterian Church
Sometimes we don’t recognize our gifts. I recently thanked God for my dyslexia. I always thought I could accomplish more if I had normal perception, but that particular day I realized that without dyslexia, I would have experienced the world quite differently and thus would not be the person I am today.
It takes me forever to read a book; I have no sense of direction and I often lose my car in parking lots. I couldn’t help the police by describing someone I witnessed committing a crime and I certainly couldn’t win a spelling bee!
Because dyslexia made reading painfully slow, my mother read to me extensively until I started junior high. I’m sure that listening helped develop my imagination. From very young, I made up my own stories. When running barefoot across a field, I was galloping on a black stallion, the wind whipping romantically through my hair. The ant nest in our yard was the capital city of a country called Lindonia, located on the planet Amera. I had several continuing plots running through my head at all times-I still do.
My daughter also has learning disabilities and she was complaining that she had to work twice as hard as everyone else to accomplish simple tasks. “Yes,” I agreed, “but it taught you tenacity-you’re stubborn as a mule-you never give up.” She laughed because she knew it was true.
We both work with learning disabled student, and I think our disabilities have made us better teachers. We understand our students’ frustrations on a personal level and can pass on strategies and insights that have helped us succeed.
God gives us what we need to accomplish what He expects us to accomplish. Christmas is a good time to give thanks for all our gifts-even the ones we would like to exchange.
Remember: “All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purposes.”
YoRocko! 