Gentle words bring life and health.
Proverbs 15:4
Words That Made a Difference
Imagine finding out your son and his wife were going to have twins. Then imagine that one of those twins was diagnosed with Down syndrome. John knew nothing about this condition in 1995 other than hearing that it had grim expectations which troubled him. He was angry that his grandson had this condition. He decided to phone a good friend who was a doctor. In an angry voice filled with angst, John asked, “What is going on with this Down syndrome? One of my grandson’s has just been diagnosed.”
There was silence…when the doctor finally responded, it was not what John expected. Instead of giving an in depth explanation, he said, “I think you need to count your blessings. … What do you want from your grandchildren?”
John was taken back, “Uh, what do you mean?”
“Well, I think you want them to love you unconditionally, and you want them to be happy, right?”
John hesitated, then replied, “Yes, you’re right, that’s exactly what I want.”
The doctor responded, “You’ve got that taken care of with this child. You need to work on your other grandchildren.”
What this doctor said created a lasting memory and changed John’s perspective about Down syndrome. John Duncan, of Houston, Texas went on to become quite close to Michael. In 1998 the Duncan family founded the Rise School of Dallas, a school providing early education services to those with and without Down syndrome. They went on to found the Rise School of Houston in 2000.
That one conversation in 1995 changed John’s mindset and his heart. That one conversation ended up having a huge impact not just for one person, but for entire cities.
Have you ever had someone say something that changed your life for good? Remember what you say to someone can have a lasting effect.
If you can speak you can influence and if you can influence you can change lives.
Rob Brown
John Duncan
Houston, Texas
