If you’re a regular reader, you know that nearly all my pieces come from my own personal experiences. Sometimes my ideas come from my interest in Nature Nature. Sometimes they come from my involvement with Human Nature. Either way, I share my personal life experiences in the hope you will gain some insight and understanding about yourself, the Lord, even me! (g)

Well, two weeks ago I wrote about not letting ourselves off the hook too easily. This piece probably drew the most response of any of the nearly 150 I’ve written. The following e-mail contains a request that I consider addressing this subject again and include this lady’s viewpoint. She agreed to allow me to use a couple of her mailings, so here goes. I will comment at the end.

“I have read several of your articles but don’t have a lot of time to spend on the internet so haven’t become a ‘regular’ 🙂

I realize the ‘Don’t Let Yourself Off The Hook Too Easily’ article is a past article, but felt led to comment. My husband was quite sick toward the end of his life and after having his left leg amputated, was in a wheelchair for about six months. (He passed away in Dec 1998 at the young age of 52). Since you mentioned being in a wheelchair I know you will understand what I am about to say.

I have never been so hurt for my husband as when he was in that chair. People ignored the fact that he was even around. We didn’t get out much because he was very weak, but I’m talking about people in the doctors’ offices. Usually they would address me when making appointments, paying the co-pay, etc. (which wasn’t too bad), but on one occasion the front desk person started asking me questions about him and his condition rather than addressing him – as if his hearing were gone because his leg had been amputated. Of the four doctors he saw on a regular basis during this time, there was only one office where all of the personnel treated him like a person.

On the few occasions we were out in public, people would look above his head rather than at his face or simply turn away. I was so frustrated during this time by the way people were treating him.

I know you must experience this at times. I would like to see an article on ‘not letting yourself off the hook’ by ‘ignoring’ people with handicaps. Treat them like the people they are. Make eye contact. Talk WITH them, not about them.

Whatever part of my e-mail you would like to use is fine with me so long as it will produce an article to bring this to people’s attention. But I know your real motive…. you want me to keep watching for the article and get me hooked as a regular reader 🙂 :)”

PAPAJ: I AM in a wheelchair some of the time. However, I still have both my legs and do walk short distances. I lost my knees in a bad accident in ‘84. Well, truth is, I really didn’t lose them. I mean, they’re still between my femur and my fibula! It’s just that this French Countess didn’t stop at a stop sign and…….oh, well, it’s a long story.

I have not suffered the indignities my friend describes very often. However, I do know what she’s talking about and am in complete agreement with her conclusions and plea for a whole lot better treatment for those who are handicapped, particularly those in wheelchairs.

One of my complaints involves stores that don’t follow the law and allow enough room in their aisles for wheelchairs to get through without knocking things over. I recently spent a day with a couple of friends dating back 28 years in my life. Steve is responsible for helping write and oversee the compliance with laws in a northeastern state (Maine) regarding safety and wheelchair access, etc. His state has the toughest laws in the nation.

Laws here in Florida would be fine if there was adequate enforcement and compliance. If you’re a business person, keep in mind that those of us who rely on wheels spend money and need to see your merchandise easily and freely.

I look forward to your responses each month. Please take a couple of minutes and let me know what you’ve sensed from this piece. Hit my name in the lower right hand corner of this page.

– Mark’s piece was good to read. Like ivy, little sins can grow and grow and “topple” over the house very quickly when the wind comes along.

– Many good applications come to mind, mostly how little, appealing “things” can slowly choke the love out of relationships, especially with God. A good word that was emphasized in a meeting with a new friend this very afternoon.

– I like Mark’s allegorical comparison. Like the vine, sin, allowed to stay close, will get inside us where it can really do damage. Also sin, in the end, will be the death of even the strongest Christian if it is allowed to attach itself to him/her. It must be nipped in the bud and destroyed before it destroys us.

– I’m so sorry about your mom’s finger. I’ll be praying for her. I liked Mark’s story very much and know that if we let even little sins stay in our life, they can get a stranglehold!! This weakens us so much in our testimony, even if the sins are not visible to others! God knows and we know what takes root in our hearts. We always need to be in the Word and praying.

– Too bad we cannot do as Jesus did with the fig tree. “I condemn you, p oison ivy. Take that, you silly weed.” No. It is not that simple; however, with God’s help we can prune back those useless things in our lives that hinder us and cause us to commit sins.

     Way to go, Mark. That high altitude apparently does not affect your brain with the thinness of oxygen. 🙂

– LOVED this weeks “Inside Out”, as usual. AND, I might add, I will never look at ivy the same way again!!!!….hehehe.

– I think Mark hit the nail on the head when he wrote about “little” sins. If we do not stop at the beginning, we keep on sinning until they get BIG! He writes very well.

– Your son did a wonderful job with this piece. It has caused me to sit here and ponder how that first little sin creeps in and if we are not careful to use the full armor of God, sin will take over our lives and weaken our spirit the same way that the ivy can weaken a tree. First, it is a little thought here or word there, then it is full blown and out of control. Sure can make you think about those little things in our lives that we do not think are so bad. One by one, I want them out of my life.

     We have examples of what one little visit to a porno sight on the internet can turn into – a full blown sin (including extra marital affairs and same sex affairs). We are dealing with this right now. Our youngest daughter has filed for divorce on the above grounds and mental and emotional abuse. She has had to take our three special needs grandchildren to a safe house and is on the run until this is settled. Please keep them in your prayers. And, keep me in your prayers that I will not lose my Christianity if he calls here or shows up at the door. I thought this fit right in with the lesson of the climbing, ever growing ivy.

     Thanks for blessing us with this, Mark. You are a chip off the old block!! I look so forward to all these articles and mind ticklers.

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