Joshua: "I May Be The 'r' Word"

(sigh) 

I had a different post ready for tonight, but then my sweet Joshua posted this as his status (he is posting something he is thankful for during each day of November). I copied it exactly how he wrote it:

"Day seven I am thankful for who I am and I may be the r word but I don't care what anyone one think's. because I have got a lord Jesus and he call's redeemed. And that is more then enough. Because living this way I know that I may have been bullied. Through that in the lord's eyes I am blessed. I've developed through the trials of life. Through heart surgery. And a disability. Has made me more attuned. That is rightly so. I am both blessed and redeemed. This gives me a small nugget of confidence. In not just myself but in Christ himself."

He "may be the r word?"

Not gonna lie...I died a little on the inside reading the word he used to define himself. 

I mean, we like to think that we have made everything "okay" for Joshua. We have built him up and talked about his strengths and encouraged him...and we let him know how thankful we are for him every day. 

But then he uses the "r" word to describe himself?

My heart just broke into a million pieces. 

Because, this is not okay. It's not okay for Joshua, and it's not okay for anyone. 

Every year, in March, there is a campaign called "Spread The Word To End The Word." People say the political correctness has gone too far...that we can't say anything these day without someone getting their feelings hurt. 

Maybe. 

But then there's a post like this from one of your children...or from someone you love more than anything, and all you can think of is how awesome they are...and how you wish everyone else could see it, too. 

There are millions of words in the English language...WHY do we continue to use words that hurt and dehumanize others? 

Please can we just do better?

"Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person." Colossians 4:6