Anonymous

There are times I like to be anonymous - no one knows who exactly I am, what I believe, etc. Because I use a wheelchair, this can be difficult. But in my car - that's the best place to be anonymous. People can see the wheelchair, walker, and child booster seat. But nothing says who uses these things - I could potentially be borrowing someone's car. So I love that. No bumper stickers. I don't have the wheelchair symbol on my license plate - then I have a greater shot at being anonymous. Once I leave my car, anonymous disappears immediately. Wheelchairs don't easily disappear in a crowd, even if no one talks to the person in the wheelchair.

Today I took my daughter to a park. She's 7 and can actually put the wheelchair, "Nemo," together. She likes to do that for now as people always comment on it. Once in Nemo, off we went, for her to play in the park. I was in an "anonymous" mood - I didn't really feel like being bothered. So of course...

A little boy yelled, "what's wrong with you?" I ignored it - like I didn't hear it. So he came directly to me, face to face... "what happened?" And he was just the age that a simple explanation wouldn't do. There wasn't time for a big discussion. And I wanted to disappear.

So I suppose I played a little game, playing dumb, so we got to the point where he knew my legs didn't work well. "So, you can walk?" "Yes." "Then why don't you?" "I'm too slow." What would happen if you would speed up?" "I would fall." Lori smiled and rolled her eyes. The litle boy left.

Two minutes later he was back.
"We'll be praying for you."
"OK, thanks."

Lori played, we got back in the car, and I became anonymous again.

Thanks be to God for that. And a little boy is going to be praying for me tonight, and I wonder what that prayer will be. I wish the prayer could be that the lady he met, could she be anonymous at the park? Could we erase from our minds, the wheelchair, and instead just see the mom with her daughter at the park? I suppose that should be MY prayer.