If you only see Mary Schmuland, you might describe her as a woman who had polio as a child. The outward effects are obvious when she walks, but it doesn't define who she is. Mary is a person who lives by Paul's admonition, "we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive'" (Ephesians 20:35). She and Carl have blessed our family many times during our years together at Bethlehem.

Mary writes out of her own experience when she comments on the blog entry about Brian Gault. 

What an amazing story for a 13 year old to display such courage and  faith to be who God created him to be and not to please man. I  especially appreciated your words: "...not a homogenous, one-attitude-fits-all group." There seems to be a tendency to either elevate the "differently" abled person to near sainthood or to look down upon him or her in pity as a lesser member of society. To see a differently-abled  person as God sees them and for who He created them to be is truly to  be Christ to them.

We are all disabled in one way or another because of sin. My  disability is more physically visible, and that is the difference. The  true measure of a man or woman is the heart, not the body. We need eyes to see the heart and not to assume or judge by the outer shell.

I look forward to reading Brian's book. His life gives testimony to  the truth that God's grace is sufficient for all our needs.