Many who have not had the experience of illness or disability struggle to understand or validate the quality of life, skills and value of people who live with illness or disability.

The strength of this book is the way in which it portrays people with all kinds of disabilities so that various differences in appearance and ability may not seem so strange. It suggests that we should look with our hearts and that the desire to understand someone's appearance or abilities should be motivated by kindness. This principle is reminiscent of (insert Scripture reference?) Which says, "people look at the outward appearance but God looks at the heart."

As Christmas approaches and I prepare to celebrate the miracle of Jesus’ birth, I reflect on how the Saviour of` the world was once a tiny, vulnerable baby who depended on others for survival and remained vulnerable even as a man (Isaiah 53). Despite or perhaps because of His reliance on others, Jesus was called Emmanuel, "God with us".

I do not want you to suffer any more than you have to, but there has to be a solution other than physician-assisted death, because whether it seems like it or not, I believe every person, including you, is here for a reason. I hope you know that your life has value regardless of what you can or cannot do for yourself. You can still make a valuable impact on those you come into contact with.

Thanks, Sesame Street for striving to "see amazing in all children," and helping to contextualize such an important biblical truth, that is, the value of embracing differences. As people of faith, may we be reminded that God sees amazing in all children as well as in all people. Further, may this be cause for the church to celebrate the different gifts of every person.

There God's presence was vivid to me because each of us was worshiping in spirit and truth, according to our abilities which He created.