A Place for You

When I was living in community with adults with disabilities, I learned a great deal about the extravagance of love. Although they may have had different “abilities” than you and I, they demonstrated a love that was unconditional. It was beautiful to be welcomed into their home, loved by them, and to have had the opportunity to grow in love for them. In that community, there was great emphasis on belonging—that it was a place for everyone to belong. The world often looks at people with disabilities and labels them ‘handicapped.’ Sharing life with them day in and day out, however, I realized that really it was me who had a handicap when it came to love. We like to think that we love easily and without strings attached, and though I had considered myself to be a pretty selfless, loving person, I found that often my love was conditional. It was hard to continue to love when I was being screamed at, had poop thrown at me, or when I was being punched. When they didn’t have the ability to communicate through speech, they’d use other means that weren’t very lovely to experience. But those were the exceptional moments rather than the norm, and even in spite of this, those with ‘disabilities’ had the ability to love in depths that I had not experienced anywhere else.

I was blessed by the love that I received, but I was also blessed by what my new-found friends taught me about myself. While living in this community, I ran across the following quote that has continued to inspire me:

“Do not ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and go do it, because what the world needs are people who have come alive.” ~Howard Thurman

In that particular season of my life, I knew that I was where I was meant to be at the time, but I also knew it wouldn’t be that way forever. I was really searching for what my future held. Where did I belong long-term? What was my place?

Thinking about our ‘place’ in the world of course makes me think of Michael W. Smith (C’mon, you know you gotta love the 90’s synthesizer jam). He sings:

The wind is moving

But I am standing still

A life of pages

Waiting to be filled

 A heart that’s hopeful

A head that’s full of dreams

But this becoming

Is harder than it seems

 Feels like I’m

Looking for a reason

Roamin’ through the night to find

My place in this world

My place in this world

Not a lot to lean on

I need your light to help me find

My place in this world

My place in this world

Finding our place is, perhaps, ‘harder than it seems,’ as he reflects. Yet even if it is hard, I challenge you to really ask yourself if you are in the place you need to be. The answer could be scary, especially if it means change. You might be wondering what this has to do with efficiency. Similar to the efficiency connected with having a place for everything, I believe that there’s efficiency (and fulfillment) to be found in us being in the right place in the world. If we have discovered our passion that makes us come alive, then we are able to offer the world what no one else can.

What makes you come alive? Go do it my friend!