Why am I writing about running on a disability blog?

On the surface it doesn't seem to make much sense.

If our job is to ‘encourage’ the church to fulfill its obligation to the biblical command to `go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.' (Luke 14:21b, NASB), then what does running have to do with that?

Just because your task is to get the church to satisfy its duties to go to the disabled/special needs/MR population and make them a part of the church it doesn't mean that the 'church' actually will do it. In the early days of Encouraging Angels I spent a lot of time in 'cold calling' churches and pastors to 'encourage' them to allow us to have a 'Disability Sunday' at their church. This way someone in the church might take the the mantle of assimilating the affected into the local body of believers while they hear the story of our family and in particular, the story of our daughter, Hannah.

Long story short, 99% of the church could care less about the disabled. If they did, you would find them in the church. The year 2000 US Census stated that about 19% of Americans claim a disability. When is the last time you saw -one- wheelchair in church, let alone five or ten? That's why we started 'Alive At 5:55'.

I ran 10 miles yesterday without having a face to face meeting with the pavement like last week (if you didn't read it, please take a look at last weeks blog). Felt pretty good when I was done. Race coming up soon...

In life, when people don't do what they should it is disappointing. When the church doesn't do what Jesus has clearly commanded, they are probably apostate. They may talk a good game, but the real evidence of faith is -action-. If they were recruiting disabled folks at the same rate they coral business owners, professional football players and people who don't have visible 'impairments' I wouldn't be so hard in my assessments.

Running in a competition is a bona fide article of truth. No matter how you feel or what injuries (impairments) you have, the clock still tells you the real facts when you are done. Although not all can run in a competition because of certain conditions, -all- can and must run the race of life. Encouraging Angels wants to run with our 'special' friends for as long as we can.