I had a college student who was a victim of cerebral palsy. He was able to walk, but with great difficulty as his legs and arms would fly in all directions, out of control of the motor impulses which make walking a normally simple task. His speech was slurred, slow and agonizing, demanding great concentration on the part of the listener to understand. There was nothing wrong with his mind, however, and his sparkling personality and spontaneous smile were an inspiration to his classmates and to all who encountered him.
One day he came to me vexed by a problem and asked me to pray for him. In the course of the prayer, I said something routine, with words like, “Oh, God, please help this man as he wrestles with his problem.” When I opened my eyes the student was quietly weeping.
I asked him what was wrong and he stammered his reply, “You called me a man-no one has ever called me a man before.”
by R.C. Sproul |
