Story by Candy Chand
Cindy is a lovely woman with a giving heart. Her desire to help children molded her future. It brought her through college, as she studied Special Education, and helps her, even today, as she diligently teaches in the field. Cindy’s prayer was clear from the beginning–that through her strength, she would make a difference, reach out to children in need, and lighten their heavy load.
Even with dreams born of love, and a heart full of prayers, life isn’t easy. Last year, a menacing spider crossed Cindy’s leg. She panicked, leaped in the air, landed wrong, then promptly broke her foot. It was a painful injury, yet one her doctor promised would soon heal.
But he was wrong. As the weeks turned into months, Cindy began to wonder, “Why am I still hurting? Why did I have this accident in the first place? Why must I depend on others to do the simple tasks I once took for granted?” Cindy cried out to God, but her prayers went unanswered. That is, until one day, He spoke.
Nine year old, Mark had Cerebral Palsy. He was a shy child, who rarely spoke to anyone, and walked with the assistance of an awkward, heavy brace. Although assigned to another teacher, Cindy watched him from afar. One afternoon, several classes gathered together in a circle. Cindy limped in, frustrated, almost fuming from the limitations of her temporary handicap, and sat down beside him. Mark didn’t speak a word, but the following day, he sent her a note.
The moment she opened it, her eyes filled with tears. After months of heavenly silence, Cindy finally understood–why she had struggled so long, why her limp refused to go away, and why God postponed one prayer answer in order to respond more deeply to another. For in the end, it was not through strength, but through her weakness, she’d finally made a difference, reached out to a child in need, and lightened his heavy load.
The note? It simply read:
Dear Cindy,
You are nice. You are pretty. I like you, because you walk just like me.
Your friend,
Mark
