Music Monday: “Different” by Micah Taylor
By: Debbie Waltz
Forgive my “radio silence” over the past 2 weeks; it could not be helped. Since Windows is slowly transitioning its users to the new update in the foreseeable future, I thought I would get a heads-up to adapt to its changes. As usual, things did not work out as planned and forced me to hand over my precious computer to the professionals. It was a good thing I did, though; they found some problems with registries which forced Windows to undo changes whenever we tried to install it ourselves.
They did their best to “rush” the job, considering I use my computer for virtually everything. But let me tell you, the time away gave me a new appreciation for the age I live in today. The disabled community has benefited immensely from the technological advances introduced by voice recognition technology like Dragon NaturallySpeaking and voice-controlled technologies like Alexa, which allow disabled users to have a sense of independence and freedom over their living spaces.
Sadly, this has not always been the case for those in the disabled community. Depending on when you were born, the term “disabled” had negative connotations and placed limitations on a person’s ability to live a fulfilling and productive lifestyle; sometimes doctors encouraged parents to forgo any dreams they had for their children and put them in institutions. With the Americans with Disabilities Act signed into law in 1990, you’d think these times those times would be behind us. Unfortunately, few employees are willing to look past someone’s physical limitations and see their capabilities. That’s why I am so passionate about advocating for people with disabilities. If it weren’t for that one employer taking a chance on me and creating a job description (tailor-made for me) I’m convinced I would not be where I am today- truly knowing what I am capable of both confidence-wise and independence-wise.
I believe everyone should have that same opportunity. (Okay, I’m getting off my soapbox now.)
As if this wasn’t enough, my personal assistant is considering quitting after 4 years at the end of the summer. Not that I blame her inflation being the way it is. People in caregiving roles do not get paid well for the duties they assist their clients with; as a result, they are forced to work 3 jobs just to support their families. They sometimes have to give up jobs they love in search of other high-paying opportunities. I hesitate to say more knowing my political views are not why I created this blog in the first place. But let me just say I’m sure I am not regularly dealing with such issues. It’s hard finding decent caregivers as it is- those who simply do the job because they love helping people.
Even so, I’m convinced that God is in control of all these challenges. He’s teaching me that people and circumstances may fail you. God won’t. Psalms 71:7 reminds us that even in difficulty we are examples to those around us; David writes, “I have become a sign to many: you are my strong refuge.” The same is true with us when we face trials that test our faith and endurance: people will look to see how we respond.. Will we give up or hold on to our faith?
As Christians, though, it is essential to remember God is always holding onto us. Nothing that we experience is out of his reach. Psalm 94:18- 19 says, “When I said, ‘My foot is slipping’ your unfailing love, Lord supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy’ ” (NIV). This doesn’t mean we will always be happy in our circumstances; we will have to deal with human emotions. That’s what makes us special and complex creatures- the way God made us. But we can find comfort in knowing God will always be there for us
They say the teacher is silent during the test. May I pass this test- literally
To listen to Micah’s song, it can be accessed here: