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by Joe Leroy Hemphill (Author)
Being A Writer Is God's Gift to MeThis is a book that covers my spiritual growth from a baby born with cerebral palsy to an adult man in his 70's living independently. Because I was born with cerebral palsy, my parents gave much thought to what my life would be like when I grew up. I am sure they expected to be there through my childhood and into my young years. They met each challenge in my childhood with faith and hope. I did not have much organized religion in my childhood, but my parents exhibited spirituality in their approach to how I would be raised to be strong and independent. My dad had a Bible and he was always marking pages and underlining text. This was my introduction to faith. One day my dad helped me to go to church. He made sure I went with the other kids to Bible study. To my dad, I was like any other kid who needed some spiritual guidance. My dad died when I was twelve years old, so he never had a chance to make all the plans he had for my life come to be.For a long time, I did not continue going to church after childhood. This was a lonely time in my life. I needed something to hold me up. I would see other people like me going to church but I just did not feel like going. I met two people in the residential care facility, where I lived from the age of 17 to about 30. They were both religious and had a spiritual quality about them and how they lived with cerebral palsy and being disabled. He read his bible every day. The lady went to Catholic Mass every week. I loved her and wanted to learn how she felt better after going to Mass. I wanted to belong somewhere, and she and her faith looked like the best path to that goal. She introduced me to the Catholic Church and a priest that helped me understand Catholicism. They also showed me what faith could mean in my life and dealing with the challenges of having cerebral palsy. When I moved from the care facility to my own apartment in my early thirties, I ended up living across the street from a Catholic Church. There I met some wonderful young people who helped me. I also met two priests who connected with me and gave me guidance to direct my life in a better direction. This is how I started on my spiritual path. Today, my computer gives me access to a Bible online that I can read anytime. This is important because I have never been able to pick up a book or a Bible and read it on my own. I have two care providers who read passages from faith and spiritual literature to me most days. Then we discuss the passages. Sometimes, one provider talks to me about how these passages relate to my life.I am seventy-five years old now and think about my life and how spirituality has helped me have the strength to get this far. I see how everybody around me helps me see God's influence in my life. This book is a collection of my feelings and beliefs on the strength and importance of spirituality in my life.
