Assignment

Assignment

Spirituality can be described as the as the eventual reality or inspiring measurement of the world. Spirituality is the internal course that enables one find out the importance of him/ her being alive. During my childhood life, my parents ensured that I attended the church services, which contributed so much in my growing spiritually. This is because “caring for some one else in the most significant sense is to help him grow ad actualize himself” (Mayeroff, 1971, p. 1). This is because my parents brought me up in a way to belief that it is through going to church and reading the bible that we can be taught good values that we could in turn extend to the other members of the society. This is evident from Fowlers book that, “children construct their experience I the world in terms of new linearity and experience” (Fowler, 1987 p. 55). I grew knowing that through the preaching from the church and reading the bible was quite important in the sense that I learnt how I could live positively with other people in the society. They taught me that I should extend these good values to other people in the society regardless of their physical or mental status.

It was until I joined high school that I was separated from my parents and I was convinced that I was big and mature enough to know what is right or wrong. My parents ensured that I joined a mission school in my native land. In that school, there was also a school for the students with disabilities. It is since my stay in high school that I learnt how to live with people with disabilities and since my parents brought me up positively knowing what I am supposed to give to the society, I did not encounter any problems when relating to my fellow students both with and without disabilities. I knew that the students with disabilities needed my assistance and it was my duty to make sure that I made sacrifices whenever I could, to make sure I assisted them in one way or the other. This is the reason why I do not have trouble at my work place today in L’Arche. This is because “in L’arche upholds the intelligence of people with intellectual disabilities” (Vanier, 1992, p. 29).

After leaving my high school, I joined college in a nearby town, where I met people from different origins. These people had different spiritual beliefs and traditions. Here, the studies were quite hard and no one could handle it on his/her own. We had to come up with discussion groups where we could assist each other in solving the problems that we came across. Here I learnt a lot in giving the society what I could no matter the challenges that I might face in the accomplishment of my mission. Growing spiritually does not entail going to church and reading the bible only, it is necessary to give to others what we would expect to get back from the society. Life is all about making sacrifices for others for in turn there are incidences that we will need the same people to make similar sacrifices for our benefits. This is evident from Eastham’s book, that, “the notion of personal destiny stresses the importance of particularity in living out ones vocation” (Eastham, 2003, p. 73). It is in college that discovered how important it was to grow socially interacting with others for you borrow good values from them or they can borrow the same values from you.

At my work place, I have not been experiencing difficulties in handling the people with disabilities. This is because I have experience it before, when I was still young in high school. People with disabilities need our assistance where in turn we benefit in that, they make good company. In so doing we keep loneliness at bay. This is evident from Nouwens book that, “The wound of our loneliness is indeed deep” (Nouwen, 1972, p. 87). This is because it is through interacting with them that we learn good values such as we should make sacrifices in life for the improvement of other people’s situations .Living with these people who are either physically or mentally impaired inspires me quite a lot in that, I come to realize that I have a purpose for living. This is because if they did not exist, it means that I would not have people to live for. I can say that I have a reason and a purpose to live where I spent most of my time assisting other people make a living no matter what it takes. It is because of these people with disabilities that make me keep loneliness at bay. Every other day I wake up having a reason to go out knowing that I have people who appreciate what I offer, and in turn they make me feel accepted in the community. This is as stated by Peck in his book that, “It is channeled life that community may touch something perhaps deeper than joy” (Peck, 1987, p. 106).

I always remember that it is always good to give the society what you expect from it. This is because when I was young and helpless my parents took good care of me and they ensured that they instilled good values in me so that I could give this back to the society. They made sure they took me to good schools where I could grow spiritually, and it is through this that I learnt that it is always good that I should give the best I can to the people that need my assistance. Back in college, I remember so well that my course mates ensured that they assisted me in problems that I could not solve. It because of them that I went through my college for they always gave me the best assistance they could have offered. I got inspiration from my parents and my course mates back in school that I should always be good to others and give my assistance wherever it was needed.

Assisted living can be described as the art of providing care and assistance to the disabled and elderly persons who are not in a position to carry out their daily activities all by themselves. At my work place in L’Arche, I give my assistance to the people with disabilities. I always have in mind that I should make sacrifices no matter what it costs when giving assistance to people who are in a helpless situation. This is because in one way or the other, I may desperately need their assistance and it will be their turn to make a sacrifice for me. This is because if a person is physically impaired it does not mean that he/she cannot give you company whenever you are lonely. I always make sure that I work at my best to improve ton their situations for I know that if they get well they will in one way or the other be useful to me. It is through assisting them that I might end up getting some assistance from them.

In conclusion, it is always good to make sure, when giving care or any form of assistance to others it is always good to do it at our best. This is because it will benefit the society for they will end up giving the society what you give. This is from experience in that; I am giving to the society the good values that were instilled in me by my parents. This is illustrated in Bly’s writings that, “we can create a personality more acceptable to our parents” (Bly, 1991, p. 11). They made sacrifices to make sure that I got the best I could when I was still a small kid. Back in school, my friends and course mates sacrificed their time in ensuring that they shared the best knowledge they had for my sake. This is depicted in Palmers book that, “as teenagers we learned that self knowledge counts for little on the road to our work places” (Palmer, 2004, p. 1-2). This is the reason as to why I am giving the society the best I can. This is because I grew up knowing that we should assist others wherever we could, and ensure that we give the best. I always make sure I show love to the disabled people that I interact with at my work place to ensure that they feel accepted in the community. In so doing I boost their self esteem and in turn their well-being. “L’Arche communities offer faith centered shared community living for individuals with and without intellectual disabilities” (McDonald &Keys, 2005, p. 5). This makes my work in this place easier for these people with disabilities are accepted in the community.

 

 

 

Reference

Bly, R. (1991). The Long Bag Behind us in C. Zweig & J. Abrams (Eds). Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of Dark Side of Human Nature (pp 6-12). New York: Petnam.

Eastham, M. (2003). Vocation and Social care. In m. Nash & B. Stewart (Eds). Spirituality and Social Care Contributing to personal and wellbeing (pp 71-91) London: Jessica Kingsley.

Fowler, J. (1987). Stages in Selfhood and faith .Faith Development and Pastoral Care. (pp 53-77) Philadelphia: Fortress Press

Mayeroff, M. (1971). Introduction and Part 1 on Caring (pp 1-15). New York. Harper Perrennial.

McDonald, K. E. & Keys C. B. (2005). L’Arche. The Success of Empowerment in Faith Centered Community. In Journal of Religion, Disability and Health. Vol.9 (4) (pp 5-28) Chicago: Harwort Press.

Nouwen, H. (1872). Ministry of Lonely Minister: In the Wounded Healer. (pp 81-96) New York: Double Day.

Palmer, P. (2004). The Bizzard of World. In a Hidden Wholeness Journey Towards undivided Life (pp 1-2) San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

Peck, M. S. (1987). Stages of Community making In the Different Drum Community making and Peace. (pp 86-106). New York: Simon and Schuster.

Vanier, J. (1992). Loneliness and belonging. In Becoming Human, (pp28-32). Toronto, ON: House of Anansi Press.