#hangingupsidedown

“Another rainy day but with our inbuilt raincoats and snuggled up to mum, we don't mind the weather. ... Flying Fox babies have a very close relationship to their mums and stay with her for many months, even though they may mot depend on her anymore for survival.”

quote and pic from https://www.instagram.com/batsqld/

Post #2

So, why do I use a wheelchair part-time? My diagnosis is spastic diplagia cerebral palsy. I also have a severe, potentially life threatening, rare form of asthma.

CP is a form of paralysis caused by lack of oxygen to the brain shortly after, or during the birth process. It's most common in premature babies. Different parts of the brain can be affected, causing delay in multiple parts of the body- potentially mental and physical. Mine is only physical, with my two legs being the body parts most affected. Although, my whole body is affected. Spastic means that due to the paralysis, some of my muscles are tighter than they should be. There are four types of CP that encompass different symptoms: diskinetic, ataxic, spastic and mixed.

CP can cause many symptoms such as: abnormal gait (the stance a person uses when they stand/walk),siezures, muscle spasm, muscle pain, stiffness, speech difficulty, balance/coordination issues, swallowing difficulty, incontinence, mobility issues, muscle weakness, and cognitive delay. Symptoms vary in degree and intensity from person to person. My case of CP is considered mild.

No two cases of CP are identical, and the above list is not fully inclusive. Most of us don't have all those symptoms either- I don't. CP is also not progressive or degenerative. A person's condition, however, will become more difficult as the aging process continues throughout life. Feel free to learn more on your own.

Probably doesn't sound pleasant. And honestly, it's not. BUT, it is a tool I use all the time to reach others for the sake of the Gospel. Suffering, even in its most intense forms, has purpose.

And it's that suffering that has brought me right to the cross and Jesus. Do I believe God created me this way? No.

But why? How do I trust God in such devastating circumstances? How can I trust someone I can't see or touch, hanging upside down in my wheelchair?