Most people with a debilitating disease would not be thanking God for giving it to them, but for 43-year-old Roger Flourcoy, having Cerebral Palsy is a “gift.”
The beginning of a video titled “The Gift of Cerebral Palsy” is nothing short of heartbreaking. It begins as Flournoy sits Indian-style on his apartment floor while a caretaker feeds him from a plastic tray of a microwave dinner.
Flourcoy chews his food and leans toward the caretaker, who then wipes his face with a napkin.
But, the camera pans to a shot of a dry-erase board hanging on the wall that says, “God bless you, Roger,” and that’s when the tone of Flourcoy’s story begins to change.
Flourcoy was born with Cerebral Palsy, and he needs assistance with even the simplest of tasks. Since he is single, those duties are fulfilled by his caretakers. The video shows them helping to shave his face, tie his shoes and sit him in his chair.
Once Flourcoy is outdoors, a glimmer of a smile appears on his face as he rides around on his electronic wheelchair.
“God has been gracious enough to let me have community, and that really helps out my loneliness,” he said. “When I struggle with loneliness, I always remember and say to myself that Jesus is better.”
“That’s basically what gets me through every day,” he continued.
Church helps him combat his loneliness as well. Every Sunday, he wheels himself to his congregation, where he is a greeter at the 11:15 a.m. service.
“My favorite part is seeing all kinds of faces,” he said. “That is such a joy because I recognize that the church is made up of all kinds of people.”
Flourcoy said his faith reminds him that he is important.
“I don’t have to listen to lies that since I am disabled, I am not important,” he said.
Flourcoy said God gave him Cerebral Palsy on purpose.
“He loved me that much to give me CP so I can encourage the whole body of the church and non-believers,” he said of God, adding that he feels “humbled” because “not everybody gets the gift of realizing that.”
“God gave me this life to not waste it, but to use it.”
(H/T: Austin Stone Story Team)
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