It would completely depend on the illness/handicap. Some illnesses/handicaps would cause absolutely no hesitations for me. Others would. I'd be a hypocrite to say otherwise, even though it's tough for me to admit that to myself, let alone on here for everyone to read.
Now, if I already loved someone (and particularly if I was already married to him), and then due to some accident or illness he became mentally or physically handicapped, that would be a whole different story...it wouldn't be easy, but with God's help I'd stick with him like duct tape to dirt. (Wow, that was a bad example!:dunce:)
Hey friends I did have seizures as a child.The meds stop them. I cover my problem up with humor and an easy going personality.I am also able to drive as long as I have no seizure.No secrets here.Dennis
I am glad you said that Dennis, for it brings a thought to mind here, and that is that we are all given our limitations and crosses to bare.
There are things we accept in other and there are deal breakers there too. We all have them.
Working with the incarcerated I have learned one thing from them for sure, and that is that we all have our own stuff to clean up. Every one of us, we are a mess. Some more obvious with alcohol and drugs, but others more subtle like hoarding disorders or issues with anger and abuse.
Just as we are all given gifts, we are also all given limitations. So the real question becomes, can you accept my limitations? We all have limitations we can accept and other limitations we cannot. For me, alcohol and rage destroyed my marriage, and I find those limitations extremely hard to tolerate. I don't like to be around intoxicated people at all, and the minute things start turning south in any way, I am out of there. Would I have trouble accepting someone with seizures? No. Mental illnesses, well, are they someone who understands their illness and stays on their medication or are they someone that uses their illness to manipulate people and will punish those around them by going off their meds? I have been around both types of people, one I could easily get used to, the other, I don't know that I could.
After living through abuse, I can tell you that there is a limit to how much abuse anyone can take before they take a way out, whether its a healthy walking out the door, or an unsavory exit into drugs, alcohol, insanity or suicide.
Anyone who has ever worked with disabled people, something I did for six months, can tell you that some were delightful people t work with, and were truly inspiring and others were spoiled and small little people that were truly unhappy, and seemed only to enjoy making everyone around them as miserable as they are.
I think our limitations are the thing that always makes it difficult for us, whatever those limitations are, for we see our own limitations as being so very much bigger than those of someone else. Couldn't would all just say, "oh, that nothing, you should be glad you don't have MY cross"
I think the challenge is finding a way to stop focusing on our limitation and find a way to turn it into something more. A really good example of this is a ministry called "Life Without Limbs". Google that and check it out. I have also seen ministers that have cerebral palsy, and the keyboard player from 33 miles (Colin Stoddard) should be totally deaf. Faith helps us overcome so very much, even if it does not take away our limitations.
It is always easier to use our most difficult issues as a crutch then to figure out how to turn them into a blessing. I truly believe the Lord did not give us things that we cannot find a way to turn around and overcome. We all have them, but they are different in everyone.
