Important Lessons I've Learned Living In A Wheelchair: A Message Dedicated to My Liberal Friends"

There are some notes that I write simply because I want to begin a good conversation. Every once in a while though, there are notes I actually feel compelled to write even when it is not convenient schedule wise. I guess when God keeps waking you up in the middle of the night to remind you that you need to do something, you had better just get busy and do it! So here goes! WARNING: Even though I know this note is long, please, please read unto the very end! There's more here than it first appears!

I want to explain to my friends why a particular irony exists within me. I know I have driven some of you crazy at times and for that I certainly do apologize. The question I want to answer for everyone is this: why do I as a minister and a person steeped in the discipline of theology rather than politics – who doesn't even believe that our primary answers rest in the political system but in spiritual revival – find it necessary from time to time to even comment on political issues at all? This is a worthwhile question that does deserve some explanation.

The best way to answer this question is to introduce you to my parents specifically in terms of how they related to me and my physical situation. Dad, on the one hand was always very time conscious – he wanted things done yesterday! Therefore, if Dad was helping me with something, he often thought it was easier to do it himself than to give me time to do what I could first. To be honest, I sometimes liked Dad's approach because my life seemed to go a lot faster when he was around! Mom, on the other hand, was exactly the opposite. She was going to make sure that I did everything I could for myself in order to be as independent as possible even if she had to sacrifice a lot of her life to do so. The interesting thing is, even though my parents had almost opposite approaches, I knew they both loved me and cared for me very much.

Dad worked rotating shifts as I was growing up which meant that I was around Mom a lot more than Dad. I sometimes resented Dad's absence for key events in my life; even though I knew he had no control over it. In retrospect, I realize God had a plan in it all. Because I was around Mom a lot more, she demanded a lot more of me. Mom would make me work for things. She would often sit on our hands to resist the temptation to give me something so that I would learn to exercise my muscles by reaching for it myself. Mom's tough-as- nails like attitude sometimes seemed mean, because I didn't see the big picture. As much as I loved the faster and frankly easier pace of life when my dad was around, if the roles had been reversed, I am almost certain that I would not have gotten as far in life as I have even though I still have a LONG way to go!

Somewhere around my late high school years, an interesting change took place, a role reversal of sorts. On the one hand, Dad started becoming more patient about letting me do things for myself. He didn't seem quite as in a hurry as he was earlier. Mom, on the other hand, begin to realize that she had done such a good job teaching me to be independent and self-sufficient that I now had trouble asking for help even when it was justified! (Perhaps it really was better to ask for help with your laundry in college rather than spending three hours trying to fold it yourself when you're taking a full load of classes)! So in the years that followed Mom and Dad tried to help me reach a delicate balance between maintaining my independence, and recognizing that maximizing that independence might at times involve asking help from others when appropriate.

Today, I still struggle to find that perfect balance. Some days I can be lazy and wait for Jackie to do something that I really could have done myself with a little extra effort. Other days I'm exactly the opposite; I try to cram too much into one day and end up paying the price down the road – or I end up trying to do something myself that I should really wait for Jackie to help me! I realize more and more that balance is an art form and not an exact science and the only way I will ever come close to doing it right is with the Holy Spirit's help.

So what does all of this have to do with politics? On one level, almost nothing; on another level EVERYTHING! Our government and our country are torn between the extremes of two completing philosophies. Democrats are all too willing to "help" people with things they can do better themselves or find more appropriate help elsewhere. Republicans, on the other hand, are all too willing to encourage self-reliance but often seem unwilling to get involved in the personal lives of people and mentor them so they can become independent themselves. So what gives? How do we come to some resolution? To explain what needs to happen, let's quickly look at two government programs for the disabled with which I am well acquainted.

One program called Supplemental Security Income (SSI) is a very poorly-run federal government program that is so overburdened by regulations that Social Security workers have volumes of material to try to keep track of. Even though the federal program has added provisions to encourage self-support for clients capable of becoming self-sufficient, these programs get so little attention that most people don't even realize they exist. Sadly, this means many people who could perhaps eventually become self-supporting never have the opportunity because they are unaware of their options. Therefore, the majority of people receiving SSI are on it for the long haul once they start receiving it, including many who have the capacity to become productive citizens.

In contrast to SSI, Vocational Rehabilitation is largely state-run with federal grants being block-granted to individual states. Unlike SSI, vocational rehabilitation programs are built around specific plans designed by the individual with the assistance of trained counselors to help individuals become as financially productive as possible. Unlike SSI, people are usually recipients of rehabilitation assistance for a relatively short period of time until they are able to provide for themselves. It is a rare example of the way government programs should work, but unfortunately there are relatively few like it around.

I have used the crude illustration of these two government programs to illustrate a couple key points. I, like many of my conservative friends, are not at all oblivious or uncaring about the very real needs people face. What concerns me though is that I see a lot of people growing up in a culture where they associate compassion with the impatience my father used to have. Just give me what I need so I don't have to struggle at all. These are largely the liberals in our culture. I know my liberal friends really do care, but some fail to realize that not all intervention is healthy. They are like my dad was; they just want to do whatever it takes to get the job done even if it unknowingly inhibits one's ultimate independence. Many of these same people associate the hard-nosed tough love approach of Mom with selflessness and insensitivity to others in need. They need to learn that not all struggle and pain is bad. If the only goal of our life is to avoid suffering at any cost, we will grow to be weak, feeble and unproductive people. The more we promote reliance on the government rather than targeted assistance from it, the less freedom we really have.

On the other hand, my conservative friends need to learn that some targeted help can actually make a person more independent in the long run. Just like I had to learn that there were times when help really was productive in the long run, my conservative friends need to learn that they need to personally involve themselves in the lives of people who really need help. That doesn't always mean a handout – though sometimes it might! More often, it means a commitment to open your heart, your home, your office to mentor people who need guidance without always doing things for them. Even when Mom sat on her hands to keep from helping me when I struggled, she would still be there to encourage me as I worked with all my might. Even when Mom was being as tough as nails, she still remained involved. Conservatives need to learn to care less about their privacy and be willing to get involved! If conservatives simply tell people simply to pull themselves up by their boot straps without being willing to be involved in their lives on a personal level to help them succeed then they deserve the labels of selfishness they often receive.

To summarize, my disdain for big government does not mean a hate for government as a whole. This disdain for big-government approaches to helping people (like the Affordable Care Act) comes from two primary places. First, long-term dependence the government, no matter how well-intentioned, more often than not minimizes people's ability to provide for themselves over time. Second, the more involved government becomes in one's life, the less freedom an individual ultimately has. It's like an adult returning home to live with his parents expecting to have the same freedom as if he or she lived on their own! Your parents will always love you, but if they are paying the bills they have every right to a greater say about what happens in your life! This does not mean that there is never a place for government involvement, especially on a short-term basis as I suggested with my rehabilitation example above. Similarly there are times when it is appropriate for parents to assist their adult children on a temporary basis is perfectly appropriate. But, I also realize that promoting a smaller government, means that places like churches and ministries have to be willing to get their hands dirty. We have to be comfortable more places than just the pulpit! People don't always need money, but they do need our support.

To my liberal friends, I say this: I know you are not bad or evil; I NEED YOU IN MY LIFE! Sometimes, I just get frustrated when you’re just too much like my Dad was! My disdain for big government is not a disdain for you or your intentions. As a matter of fact, there is a place for you in my life. If it weren't for you, I would never learn to ask for help even when it's appropriate! If it seems like I am tougher toward you, it’s not because I love you less but because right now pendulum seems way too focused in one diection. Thank you for reminding me that there are time when government can be a force for good when done with discipline and restraint. To my conservative friends, thank you for reminding me that there is no substitute for giving your very best even when it hurts and takes longer to do something than to have it done for you. But please remember, that not every manifestation of "independence" may be real independence in the long run. Not all requests for help are demeaning or ill-legitimate.(I'm so glad I got over asking for help with my clothes)!

As a minister first and foremost, and an energized citizen second, I have greatly curtailed my involvement in political issues. However, as a part of making a clean break, I really felt like I had to explain my passion, even if it was misplaced at times. It is really hard for me not to feel passionate about things that strike so close to home. I hope by understanding the roots of my passion that those of you who get frustrated by it at times at least have a better appreciation for why. So as I choose to back away in order to pursue a more single-minded focus toward a spiritual revival---the only real cure for what ails us--- I hope all will continue to pray for me as I continue to do my best to follow God.

Can You Help Me .... Again?

Today as I did my usual aerobic workout, I realized I needed to take care of two items of important business. First, and most importantly, I realized that I needed to take the time to specifically thank many of my former peers especially from ORU who often proved to have a better set of spiritual eyes than the administrators that had charge over them. When I first came to ORU in 1982, many assumed that my physical disability was automatically the direct result of lack of faith or other hidden sin. Through much patience and the support of people like you, I, Chris Davis, Susan Slade, and many others were able to work to gradually change the culture of the ORU community.

Today ORU is a much better place for disabled people to attend college because people like you chose not to judge a book by its cover but to look inside the heart. Despite many in the upper administration who would have preferred people like me to just go away, you chose to invite people like me into your dorm rooms and wings and actually believe that someone like me in a wheelchair could have something meaningful to say. For that, I will always be eternally grateful. You may not realize it, but your refusal to accept unhealthy stereotypes and simply assume that my condition was the result of lack of faith on my part has gone a long way to contributing to the Charismatic Movement as a whole. You proved that it is possible to believe in God's healing power and still accept the tension of the "not yet" Your openness has helped expediate the overall maturity of the Charismatic Movement and ultimately facilitate many of the current changes we are now witnessing at ORU that many thought could never occur. Thank you so much for your openness. I pray that I have been a good steward of the opportunities your openness has given me through the years.

Today, my heart was once again troubled by an even bigger task that lies ahead. My goal here is not to be political and if I knew how to remove the political dimensions from what I will address next, I certainly would do so. All of the healthcare proposals that are currently in front of Congress will at some point require healthcare rationing. I realize that both the president and Congress have said this will not occur. However, all of the models currently being considered will by necessity require rationing. This is because there is simply not enough money or doctors and nurses to facilitate the level of need that will be created for any of these plans. The current administration has made no secret of the fact that they believe that too much money is currently being funneled to the elderly and disabled who in their opinion contributed little to society.

Like the ORU of the 1980s, the United States runs the risk of becoming a country that is actually hostile to the disabled and elderly because of the cost they generate and their perceived lack of contribution to the tax system. This in many ways directly parallels the way in which the upper ORU administration of the early 1980s tried to keep disabled individuals like me hidden and off camera at all costs. But because YOU DID NOT ACCEPT THE STEREOTYPE, the culture at ORU ultimately changed. I know it is still not perfect, but because of you and your openness to people like me, it is a lot better than it once was.

I am in no way naïve about the high cost of healthcare. However, to go after specific groups of people will have a host of unintended consequences, not the least of which will be an institutionalized prejudice against the elderly and disabled being propagated by none other than the US government. I am not suggesting that this is their deliberate intention, I am merely suggesting that the current policies being floated do not take these issues into account.

When God gave the 10 Commandments, one of them was "honor your father and mother that it may go well with you in the land." In the Jewish culture, honoring your father and mother, interestingly enough, was not specifically related to a respect issue of children as it is typically interpreted in our culture. Honoring your father and mother in the Jewish culture specifically meant making sure they were financially provided for in their old age. Sadly, many of the bills now being considered by Congress would do exactly the opposite. Because of the shortage of doctors and nurses that would be created by trying to give everybody healthcare coverage, the government would ultimately be in charge of determining who gets what. Both the president and Congress have expressed chagrin at the fact that so many of our healthcare resources are filtered to the elderly and disabled. They believe many of these resources could be better allocated if they were focused on the young who still have many years to contribute to the work force. In other words, healthcare dollars when be focused on prevention (the one positive aspect of the current proposals), but at the expense of the elderly and those like myself with pre-existing conditions (the negative aspects of the proposals).

On the surface, this may sound quite positive. If you are a young person with no health issues you will love these proposals. There are likely to be incentives for help prevention measures such as free YMCA memberships and the like. However, if you are older or have pre-existing conditions you will ultimately be out of luck. Moreover, these proposals will most certainly be used to promote abortion for those who show any evidence of pre-existing conditions. Additionally, elderly can expect to receive end-of-life counseling encouraging assisted suicide as a way of saving money for the society as a whole. Could you imagine a situation in which your father, your mother, aunt or uncle are encouraged to in their life prematurely in exchange for tax breaks for you? It is true that none of this has been codified into law yet, but do not be fooled, they are on the table. What the current proposals fail to realize is that God has blessed us in the long run when we have treated at risk groups like the elderly and disabled well. In the end, the same science that extends the life of elderly and disabled individuals ultimately saves the life of the young who become unexpectedly afflicted as well.

When I was at ORU, other disabled people sometimes became irritated with me because I never believed that the culture of ORU would change through political pressures such as threatening lawsuits because of prejudice. I am still convinced that the long way around of building relationships with people is the best course of action. By taking the time to build relationships rather than threaten lawsuits, change did not come as quickly as some people desired, but it was in my opinion more deep and more thorough in my opinion than it would have been trying to use the legal or political routes to our benefit. You and your friendship helped me prove that true change could occur without being imposed from the outside.

Today we are faced with the same kind of challenge from our own government that was facing ORU when I came in 1982. As I was praying about the situation, I felt that God had laid it on my heart to ask for your help once again. Like then, I am convinced that the real changes that need to occur will require more than political changes. As American citizens, voting responsibly is definitely important, but it is only part of the answer. Today more than ever this country is in need of a spiritual awakening. A true spiritual awakening will take care of our political dilemmas. When people's hearts are right they will vote right. That brings me to my request from you.

If I have ever been able to bless your life in any way I have one simple request: Would you consider sharing about my ministry with your pastor, church, and friends? Jackie and I are convinced now more than ever that God is calling us to be more intentional about ministry now more than ever. Additionally, would you consider supporting other businesses, organizations and projects that are sponsored by elderly and disabled individuals? I am hopeful that one of the side benefits of this effort will be a refined focus on important issues like healthcare the did not target specific groups like the elderly and disabled. Even though I am hopeful that there will be a long-term impact on our government and its policies, rest assured that my primary goals are in no way political. If you or your pastor invite me to your church, I will stick to biblical truth as I always have. Yes, I have my political opinions, and they are strong. But, at the end of the day, it will be only a revival that will save America.

Jackie and I are making a concerted effort to go where God sends us. If you or your church would be interested in us sharing on a weekend or during the summer months please let us know. We are here to serve you. By helping me, hopefully, you will be helping yourself as well. My contact information is available in the Facebook phonebook.

Committed To You Always,

Michael Postlethwaitm