Dear readers,

You might be wondering what happened last Sunday with the girl and my purple dress. Well, I wore my purple dress and I hoped she would be at church again. But that week she wasn’t there. I kept looking for her, wondering if she’d be a little late. I missed having her around and I missed hearing her comments and questions. I wanted to watch her mind swirl as she figured out what to ask next.

Each question, as simple as it may sound at first, points to that desire to connect with someone a little different from yourself.

Maybe the child is reaching for an answer to a specific question, but they are also bridging a gap. Until we know the person we see as an “other”, an invisible barrier exists. In order for the friendship to begin, there is a give and take on both sides. Then we can knock down those walls and find common ground. We aren’t just finding things we have in common though. We are building ways to relate to this person in front of us.

I’m fascinated with every conversation I’ve had with a child. It reminds me that there is probably someone else who wants to ask me the same thing. Kids seem to be the first ones who are eager to say exactly what they are thinking. But adults, especially those who don’t know me well or strangers who I see in public, might come up with similar questions if given the chance.

June 30 is Arthrogryposis Awareness Day and I want to hear from YOU.

• What would you ask me if we were hanging out at a coffee shop for the afternoon?
• What would you want to know?
• What questions have you ever pondered or possibly hesitated to say aloud?

Ask me anything! There is no silly question, nothing too simple. I would love for you to send me any question(s) by Sunday, June 28. Comment below or send me a message. I’ll gather all the questions and do my best to answer them on Tuesday, June 30.

I actually enjoy when people ask me questions. I would much rather hear your thoughts than leave you wondering. It is good when we stop listening to fear and start opening our hearts to others in love. I want to have these kinds of conversations because I want people to have the freedom to know. It’s not just about knowing either. Knowledge doesn’t help the world around us unless we begin to take action in some way.

Sure, I’d like you to know me, but I also hope to share answers to spread an awareness for the condition I was born with: Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita (AMC). I don’t actively talk about the physical challenges or the limitations I live with each day because this is my life. I’ve grown used to my “disability” over the years. I never really questioned this life God gave me. Yes, there are things I wish I could do without help. At the same time, I’ve figured out my own ways to thrive and I feel at home in this broken body. That doesn’t mean I don’t hope and long for redemption and Jesus to come make me new. Because I do. But I also have to be content with who I am now and find joy in how God sees me. Because in His eyes I am whole and He sees all the great and beautiful things in my life, this one full of brokenness and plenty of mess.

Aren’t we all broken though? And aren’t we all trying to live and love well?

I know I am, and sometimes, living and loving is a day-to-day thing. And that is more than okay.

So let’s keep figuring out this life together. Because part of the beauty of life is sharing it with those around you, the ones who know and love your whole self — the broken, messy bits, the different-looking bits, and the thriving, Jesus-redeemed bits.

Until next week,

Laura

P.S. Don’t forget to submit your questions by June 28. Your names will not be posted, just the questions and my answers. This will be fun. And I’m really looking forward to hearing from you!