I read a book awhile back, the book was about a man that left a successful writing career to care for a disabled young man named Adam. In the book the author accounts a time when a woman, from a local church, came to visit Adam. The woman looked at Adam, gasped and immediately started rallying everyone around him to pray that God would have mercy on him and heal him. One of the people working with Adam told this woman "Adam is fine, but you're welcome to join him for dinner". There are a few ways to consider in what this woman says as well as how the care-giver responds, I'm not in any way criticizing either. I do see that there is a clear message in this story for ME and those who care about Michael. It could be that this message is pretty much for me. :-)
After reading this book I had a conversation with Michael. I told him the story, he grinned as though he knew something I didn't. I asked "so, would you say that you're fine?" He immediately hit his YES button. I wasn't really surprised with his yes response but I was with the emotion that came with it. I continued and asked him - "so, do you pray that God will heal you, do you want others to pray that?" He hit his Yes button twice. At this point what often seems complex and confusing was simple - I said "so, you're fine but you'd still like to get better?" YES, YES, YES he replied - then he hit yes a few more times.
Some of us are better at being "Okay" than others. Depending on the attitude and context, being "okay" can mean content, satisfied, it can mean lazy to some or maybe even afraid of something. Sometimes it is a risk to not be okay, some times that means stepping out, if we're okay with "being okay" then we might be less likely to be disappointed. There are different ways to view this. In the end I'm proud of Michael's attitude and I need to learn from it. Connie said to me, quite awhile ago before this conversation, she said that it amazed her how content, how happy Michael is. It is pretty remarkable that a young man who has so many limitations can be content with life, especially with the events that got him to where he is. I'm proud of him! I'm also very thankful to God for all that he has done and is doing for Michael.
The message is Michael is fine, he's Okay! Michael's life does not have to be consumed with being healed or even with making progress. I believe there is also a message here reminding us that we don't see things as God does. He sees more, he sees farther that we are capable of seeing. As I think about this I realize Michael isn't that much different from anyone else.