"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7
We all have needs. We need to be appreciated, accepted, and understood. We need to be able to be authentic and remain safe with people we live, work, and socialize with. We need to be "seen" for all the parts of ourselves: The good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly. We need love. I'll say it again, We all have needs.
No one person's needs are greater or lesser than the needs of another. So why do we call people with physical or psychological limitations, "Special?" Is it because they take their limitations and MAKE them special, unique, something to be admired? I like to think the answer is a resounding, "Yes!"
The photo shows winners of the Special Olympics, which was started as a backyard event and has been growing since 1968 (see more at: http://www.specialolympics.org/history.aspx). Just looking at these faces melts my heart and warms my sole. These truly are "special" people, not because of whatever is perceived as their limitations, but in spite of them.
I pray that we ALL see our own limitations as making us "special," because we are. We are beautiful in HIS sight. MercyMe has a song called, "Beautiful" (https://youtu.be/7C2o0jHNRuU) that speaks of how God sees us, and how we should not look at ourselves through our own perceptions (or accept the perceptions placed upon us) and see ourselves through the eyes of God. When we do, we can see our flaws, imperfections, and limitations as strengths and what makes us "special."