Change is an inevitable fact of life that we all experience throughout our lives.  Sometimes change happens by surprise with very little time to wrap our minds around the situation and prepare ourselves mentally for the the change.  Other times we have agonizing amounts of time to anticipate the change, either with excitement or dread.  There rarely feels like just the right amount of time of preparation for the change.

Sometimes the change feels all wrong, and sometimes the change feels exactly right. Regardless of our perceptions about the change, we need to accept that change is a natural  part of God's plan for our lives. and that NOTHING ever stays the same forever.  The things that we wish would never change do; the things that we fear will never change do and the things that we don't expect to change do as well.

In spite of an ever changing life and world that can shake us to the very core of our being, we, as believers in Christ, can find great comfort in holding fast to the hand of our God who NEVER changes.  Though our world may crumble around us, we find security on our solid rock, God Himself. Though we don't understand what or why difficult things are happening, we can find comfort in knowing that God understands and that He will be there to walk with us through the change, guiding our every step, giving strength and courage along the way. We need to remember to express thanks to God for all of the ways He loves, protects, and supports us through difficult, painful changes,

On the brighter side, we also have exciting and happy seasons of change that we can reach out and share with our God.  He not only wants to hear our fears and worries, He also wants to hear our joys as well.  When we have occasion to celebrate happy change, we need to remember to include God in our celebrations and express thanks to our God who has given us the blessings of change.

Finally, we will greatly benefit from learning how to accept change as a natural part of life, rather than something that is bad and needs to be stopped.  When we learn how to stop fighting change, and accept it with grace and a unshakable trust in God, we will  begin to experience the deep abiding peace in our very soul that God's word talks about.  We never need to be afraid of or to fear change.  No matter what, God is in control and He will work all things out for our good.

I want to challenge us to think about who is the “least of these.”  I believe that the answer to this question is relative.  We may have very different definitions based on how God has opened our individual eyes to the needs/needy in our world.  Some would answer that children are the least of these, some would say the homeless, others might say orphans, and still others might say the poor.  Every answer is correct based on the awareness of needs that God has placed on each of our hearts. 

I want to challenge those of us in the mental health arena to consider the question, “Who is the ‘least of these’?” through the lens of who is the most under-served by mental health services.  I propose that individuals with developmental and/or physical disabilities are greatly under-served by the mental health community.  These individuals have emotional and mental health struggles like anyone else.  They experience grief and loss, trauma, abuse, abandonment, depression, anxiety, fear, aging and health issues, and the list goes on and yet there are very few mental health service providers that are trained and equipped to serve these precious people.  
 
I am a Qualified Mental Retardation Professional (QMRP).   In addition to my traditional clients, I also serve individuals who have developmental or severe physical disabilities.   Serving these special people presents many unique challenges for the mental health professional.  Traditional therapy/counseling techniques are less than effective simply because of the disabilities themselves. 
 
There is a tremendous need for mental health professionals to serve people with developmental and/or physical disabilities.   If God has opened your eyes to the needs of and given you a heart of compassion for these dear ones, I want to encourage you to make a conscious effort to take advantage of training that is available to your through H2H. Please contact us to schedule a training seminar for you and your colleagues on this very important topic.  For information on available training on this very important topic, please call 815-796-2207 for more details.  We look forward to hearing from you!