They Don’t Look Handicapped

So if you have been following my articles, you know that I have been having some health issues. For the most part, I am much better, however, I am still trying to overcome the vertigo and it has really made life complicated.

And not only has the vertigo made my life complicated, it has given me a life lesson about some things. You see, when I am trying to walk, and the world begins to get unsteady, no one can tell I am really having to work at walking – or even read.

I have seen more than one Facebook post showing a vehicle parked in either a handicap space or a space designated for Purple Heart recipients. The person posting the photo states that the person seen exiting the parked vehicle did not qualify to park there because they did not look like they were handicapped in any way or like a veteran. They wanted to “shame” them for using the space.

I saw several other articles talking about “Five Things You Should Know about Cops” and how that police officer you think is grumpy, rude, isn’t smiling, etc. may have just had a difficult call or experience. They could have just dealt with a death, domestic violence call, or other traumatic event and now is trying to deal with your situation, traffic violation, etc.

I have also seen articles about how you should not make assumptions about your pastor. He or she may have just gotten off the phone with someone who received a life changing diagnosis, death in the family, or other traumatic situation and now you want to talk about the noisy children’s department, the need to repaint some room, or other minor thing and they seem distant, moody, or a bit short.

So what do all these various internet posts and my own health situation have in common? The reality that what we see when we interact with people may not be the reality. Every person we encounter has had things going on in their world prior to our encounter. It could have been wonderful. It could have been mundane. It could have been tragic. We just don’t know. So what do we do?

We need to offer them grace. We need to mean it when we ask: “How are you doing today?” “You having a good day?” “How’s your day been?” And we need to actually listen when they respond. They may actually tell us directly, or they may tell us by what they don’t say. We need to understand that if they seem short, a bit grumpy or distant that something may be going on in their lives that we know nothing about, and we need to give them grace and understand.

Like the person in the handicapped parking space, their difficulty may not be obvious. It may be something that is not easy to understand. They may appear perfectly healthy while they struggle to simply walk a straight line without falling down, or getting out of breath, or to even get from the parking spot to the electric shopping cart. We just don’t know, and we should be loving enough, caring enough, and grace-full enough to understand. Every person we meet has experience many things before us.

After all, haven’t WE had things going on in our OWN lives before our encounter with others that they know nothing about? Wouldn’t we appreciate it if those we encounter could give us a break when WE have had a touch day, news, or experience? Then let US offer those we encounter that very same grace…

I’ll see you as I keep staggering around town.