Overcoming Disabilities in Serving God

By: Anthony Joseph Schabel

Note: Anthony is a college student who is paying his way through college. He is from a tough background and struggles with Tourette syndrome which causes, among other disabilities, a serious speech problem. Rather than feeling sorry for himself and giving up, Anthony endeavors to serve in a local church like ours and strives to use the strengths God has given him instead of getting discouraged about his weaknesses. Anthony serves as an usher, he takes attendance and desires to learn to write even better to communicate the truths of God's Word far and wide.

Following is a little bit of his story in his words and some advice he has learned dealing with his special needs. We think we can all learn from him.

God uses all of us.  Those with special needs are powerful means of ministry in the hands of a mighty God.

Here is Anthony’s Advice…

It can be very easy to get caught up with making comparisons. In most cases, this will result in focusing on our own shortcomings. This can turn into a huge waste of time and energy. Nothing good comes from dwelling on our weaknesses. Instead, we need to accept the way that God made us. No, I am not talking about sinful weaknesses such as angry outbursts or greed, I mean weaknesses such as physical disabilities or

We are all made in the image of God. God has also given each person a unique blend of gifts and abilities. Each of us has role to fill. There is no role that's more important than any other role. All the roles are supposed to work together in harmony.

I know this can be easy to say but extremely hard to do. I understand the frustrations that are involved. Playing your strengths will only take you so far. Your shortcomings will persistently remind you of their presence. No matter how hard you try, it's impossible to ignore your weaknesses forever.

If you look closely, you probably have at least one area of struggle that actually amplifies one of your strengths. List out your strengths and weakness. Also, list out some general things that you like. It's likely that you'll see a few things jump out at you.

I'll use myself as an example. I like to communicate thoughts and ideas. One of my biggest struggles is the ability to speak. I have a disability that makes the act of speaking very difficult. On the other side, writing is one of my greater strengths. The struggles that I have with speech play a large role in amplifying my ability to write. Much of my desire to become a better writer comes from the difficulties that I have with speaking.  With that in mind, my greatest weakness is also my greatest strength.

There will still be days when your weaknesses will usher in feelings of frustration. You're still going to have those rough days. You're still going to face those struggles that shatter your morale. Dealing with your shortcomings will still be tough. It won't be easy, but properly understanding the bigger picture will make those rough times a lot easier to manage.

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.  --2 Corinthians 12:9-10 

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It is summer and time for family vacations. Amid the potential negative parts of vacation such as long drives, hot muggy days touring outdoor attractions, kids fighting over who sits by the window and grandma’s mysterious broken vase, there are so many memorable times as well.

For the Christian family, vacation can be a time to forget our spiritual life and take a vacation from God if we aren’t careful and don’t plan ahead. For instance, will you just pack play clothes and swimwear or will you throw in some decent outfits for visiting a church along the way?

Will you plan ahead for some car games that focus on Bible trivia or Scripture memory? There is a great smart phone app called “Fighter Verses” that turn Scripture memory into a game. It is worth the little bit they charge for it.

What about the DVDs you plan to bring along for the travel time?  Are they all just Hollywood and Disney movies or will you grab a few from Answers in Genesis on creation or others teaching good Bible principles? If you have a Netflix or Amazon Prime movie account and a hefty data package on your phones, there are some good Christian based movies and biographies to be found there too that you could watch while driving.

If your children are older and get bored on the road trip, look up “Ungame” questions online on your smart phone. Find the Christian version and you’ll have scores of conversation starter questions to get the family talking (instead of everyone just popping earbuds in or texting the whole trip.)  You might even try the Ungame questions with relatives and friends you visit with along the way.

The point is, when you take a vacation, don’t take a vacation from God. Use the time away to refresh and recharge every aspect of life including your spiritual life. Use the time to strengthen your family spiritually as well. If you’re in our area, we hope you’ll drop in for a visit. We’d love to have you.

What are some other ways you’ve kept God at the center of your family’s life on vacation?  Leave a comment below.

Along these lines, I just wanted to pass on a sweet moment from a family I know. The grandparents had orchestrated a combined family vacation for themselves, their three grown-up sons, and their sons’ families. It was quite a gathering—about 20 in all. This might give you some ideas too especially if you have some younger children.

Grandpa gathered the family for a Bible time with a very practical application. Especially for the children, he taught from Ephesians 6* how to have LOTS of fun on vacation.

L  Listen

When mom and dad are telling you what to do—tune in. You don’t want to get to the campfire and be the one who forgot the marshmallows! Sometimes it can be a matter of safety. Sometimes it is a matter of showing respect. And it’s just good manners to listen—to really listen with thoughtful attention—to the person speaking to you, no matter who it is.

O  Obey

When you are told to do something, obey, obey right away, and obey with a willing spirit (or, depending on the age of the children, “obey with a happy face”).

T  Think of others

When everybody has fun, you have more fun. Share. Give. Help with the work. Be a part of the family team. You don’t always have to have your own way, and selfishness takes the joy out of whatever you might get for yourself.

S  Stay thankful

Say “thanks” to mom and dad, to the people who help us with the tickets, or the people who make lunch. Being thankful lets you enjoy something twice as much—first in just doing it or having it, and second in reviewing it. A thankful spirit also honors God and makes your mom and dad—and your grandma and grandpa—happy.

* Ephesians 6:1-2
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise. 

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Ah, summer! Sunshine, picnics, and baseball! 

Yes, there are the major leagues . . . I don’t think I’ll ever be there, except as a spectator ‘way up in the nosebleed section. And there is the little league, where you go to watch your kids or your friend’s kids play. We all have a soft spot in our heart's for the little league team. So many of life's fundamental lessons can be taught and learned on the little league field. 

There are many similarities between a little league team and the church. If you're wondering about what church is like (or what our church is like at least) here are some good analogies. We hope you'll come visit to learn more. 



1. We need to value our differences.  Teams are made of individuals who each contribute to the whole with their unique design, backgrounds and strengths. Our church attempts to function as a team. For instance, you need a lot of different skills to put together a team. Someone who is a great hitter may not be such a great pitcher. The coach might be the greatest coach in the world—and work from a wheelchair.  Just so, 1 Corinthians 12 says that there are “diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.  . . . differences of ministries, but the same Lord. So, When the "black-and-white-rules person" wants to come down hard on some rowdy teen, and the "gentle-spirited, all-mercy" person takes offense and desires leniency for the kid, perhaps the perspectives of both are needed to properly work for the good and growth of the teen in question. You need a lot of different skills on a team and in a church, and every person matters. Instead of resenting or despising the person with a different perspective, perhaps we need to see what we can learn from each other. 

2. I love the words of encouragement that you hear in a little league game. These are needed in the church as well.  “Keep it up! You’ll get it next time.” The church is all about encouraging one another: “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting [encouraging] one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” [i]

3. And, yes, we have those errors. Baseball, the game of statistics, has a category just for the big E, right up there with batting averages and league standings. In the church we need to let go of our errors (“forgetting those things which are behind”), but we need to learn from them too. Linus, that great philosopher of the Peanuts comic strip, offered this comfort: “Don’t worry Charlie Brown, we learn more from our failures than we do from our successes.” Charlie Brown, of tragic baseball experience, replied, “That makes me the smartest person in the world.” We do not need to be that hard on ourselves. If God has forgiven, hadn’t we better get on board with that? It is Satan (literally, “the accuser”) who keeps us crushed under the weight of past errors. But we should learn from our errors, whether they are individual errors, or our ideas in the church that just do not reflect God’s Word and God’s character. We need to learn from our errors. 

4. It’s absolutely essential to maintain unity on a team or in church. Sometimes in the big leagues the bullpen empties into a mid-field brawl. But they tend to fight the guys on the other team. “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?” [ii] Need I say more? Let’s keep our eyes on the goal.

5. And that goal is . . . what? A baseball team just wants to get more players across the home plate than the other team. They do what it takes. Someone takes a risk and steals third. The next batter bunts between first and second, sacrificing his run to let the player on third reach home. Each does his part toward one simple goal. Our one goal in the church is to glorify God. God speaks of us a “precious in my sight  . . . everyone who is called by my name, whom I have created for my glory.” [iii] Yes, sharing the Gospel  is part of glorifying God, as are keeping one’s conscience clear, serving the community, or being faithful to your local church; but these are all just part of the one, over-arching goal. The church is here to glorify God. Are you on the team?



[i] Hebrews 10:24-25
[ii] James 4:1
[iii] Isaiah 43:4, 7