Unwanted Beautiful Noise

I don't know if I should call this a 'guest' blog since his name is on the url...but Jimmy wrote this one and I just had to share. 

I just got back from a Pilgrimage to Haiti with eight people from the Apex UMC Family of Faith communities.  It was a trip that I went into not knowing what to expect.  We visited five different orphanages, each with different purposes.  One focused on infant through toddlers.  Two focused on Boys ages 10 to 21.  One had kid’s infant to eighteen.  The final one had people of all ages with various degrees of mental and physical disabilities.  The name of this orphanage is Wings of Hope.  This may be one of the most appropriately named organizations ever.  The stigma hanging over the physically and mentally disabled in Haiti is large.  Many Haitians with children with disabilities will give them up because of the stigma and the cost of raising a child with disabilities.  Wings of Hope gives these people the love and support they deserve.

Our first morning at Wings we went to the morning worship they hold every morning before school starts.  It was a combination of readings and singing.  Watching these people worship is a very moving experience.  There was one problem.  The first song started and one of the boys in a wheelchair started screaming.  I thought it was an involuntary noise he was making.  I also thought it was so unfortunate that he was disturbing such a beautiful worship service.  Then there was another reading followed by another song, and he did it again, right on cue it seemed.  I had the same thought again, what a shame.  I noticed right at the beginning of the third song he began yelling again.  I then realized he was not trying to “ruin” the church service.  I realized he was singing the best and only way he knew.  He was not worried about what everyone sitting around him was thinking about his singing like I do at church.  He was worshiping with a reckless abandon that should be celebrated and not something to be ashamed.   In the end, I believe a lot can be learned from this young man screaming in church.