1. So how do you like beliefnet? I’ve had a few emails about computer trouble associated with this site, and I’d like to pass along any concerns to the appropriate tech support people. So please comment below or email me directly at amyjuliabecker@gmail.com. 

2. Are there any topics or questions that you would like me to address? In a general week, I try to cover themes including disability, the Christian faith, and family/child raising. Feel free to offer suggestions.

3. If you are interested in submitting a post for “Perfectly Human,” please read the guidelines below and email your 500-1000 word essay to me at amyjuliabecker [at] gmail [dot] com:

This weekly feature is intended to provide a picture of life
with a disability in all its possibilities and limitations, gifts and
struggles. Every week, I will print a 500-1000 word reflection written either
by an individual with a disability, or a friend or family member who has been
in a relationship with a person with a disability. And while I intend for this
space to be honest in its portrayal of some of the hardships that can come with
physical and/or cognitive disabilities, I also hope it will provide a sense of
the fullness of life that individuals with disabilities experience.

The title of this feature comes from the Greek word telos, which can be translated as
“perfect” but which also can be defined as, “the end for which it was created.”
People with disabilities are just as human as anyone else–flawed and gifted,
beloved and broken. They are “perfectly” human, which is to say, created with a
purpose. I would like this space to convey the things that connect us as human
beings, things that go beyond our perceptions of able/disabled. Similarly, I
would like to suggest ways in which individuals with disabilities can, at least
sometimes, help individuals without disabilities to understand their own
humanity.

In preparing your reflection, I suggest you consider one or
two specific stories to illustrate your point. Imagine that you are talking to
someone who has never experienced (whether personally or through relationship) life
with a disability, and thus views it only in terms of hardship and burden. For
instance, you might describe a time in your life when having a disability (or
knowing someone with a disability) has been a particular challenge, or a
particular blessing. Or, describe a moment of transformation or expansion in
your life that resulted from your experience with disability. For most people,
abstract ideas or general insights are only helpful as they are illustrated by
concrete examples. So try to be as specific as possible.

Thank you!