Learning to accept yourself as a neurodiverse Christian

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Hi all, I thought I would create this post. Last week at church I attended a church group during Lent that is on different topics. Last week the topic was on How to love ourselves as Christians. I really wanted to listen to this topic and I thought it was really important to me as I struggle in this area quite a bit at times. As a neurodiverse person as well and having other conditions I can struggle as well like if I feel I slip up due to a sensory meltdown and it affects my behaviour and I may feel I fall short and can find it harder to love myself at those times and to forgive myself.

I did ask a question about loving ourselves with conditions towards the end and mentioned about autism around 27 minutes in but the entire video may be helpful still to some people. The Bill Bailey exhibition sounds quite interesting to me as well and the person mentioned also. They did give me permission to record this as well. Hopefully some of you may find this helpful and if you any scripture that supports neurodiversity do add to the list I have found as well.

Also, was mentioned about Psalm 139 which I love about how God knows all our ways. Isaiah 43 was mentioned also how we are called by name from God and that we all are important to God. I wanted to say as well just a few days ago a thought came to my mind and said-we will separate you from your conditions as I feeling a bit downcast from an overwhelming episode and that today really reassured me that God will separate us from our conditions to judge us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0CC80GhZK8

This is what I do like from some of the Psalms that can used to support neurodiverse people learn to accept themselves.

Psalm 139
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book

Isaiah 43
But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;

Psalm 51
This can help with forgiveness of ourselves.


Acts 17:28
and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.;‘ For in him we live and move and have our being.


Jeremiah 1
The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart;
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.

Psalm 72
4 May he defend the afflicted among the people

12For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy

Genesis 1:27-2:24
So God created human beings, making them to be like himself.
My rector said being made in God's image reflects our dignity and value and the respect each of us is due to each created as we are; also reflecting the responsibility we have to care for the creation.

To me as well, it means being born of Spirit and we can be unified to the spirit of God through baptism. Also, it means to me having some of the attributes of God and the ability to love and care for others and the ability to do good as God does as well.

Ephesians 1
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.
......................
Last week I was feeling a bit disconnected in the body-I have been having a bit of a deal with my sensory processing of late.

I read Ezekiel 37:17 and I decided to try what was written about joining two sticks together to reunite the members in the body.
I must say since last week I have been healed of that issue I was having and I feel much better and the sensory processing is working well again.

One Nation Under One King

15The word of the Lord came to me: 16“Son of man, take a stick of wood and write on it, ‘Belonging to Judah and the Israelites associated with him.’ Then take another stick of wood, and write on it, ‘Belonging to Joseph (that is, to Ephraim) and all the Israelites associated with him.’ 17Join them together into one stick so that they will become one in your hand.

1 Corinthians 12
Spiritual gifts extend to all members of the body of Christ including those with a neurodiversity and disability as well.

Amen!

I think the complexity is that accepting is in various ways: accepting us in our identity in Christ, accepting our weaknesses (knowing that God manifests his strength through those moments), accepting us in the midst of the other christians, sometimes accepting that we express our relationship in a particular manner (and not compare ourselves to brothers in faith). Accepting that we arrived at a limitation point for this or that and now we ask God to take on the matter for us.

And I guess there are other ways of acceptance.

God is a God of healing, that's one of our blessings !

I also like this- 2Kings 2:11 as it depitcs God being on wheels, and some people with a disability use this to say God perhaps himself has a disability. God is perfect regardless and he is complete perfection. I like it though given my disability that he is on wheels, it makes it even more closer as well to my own situation in life. With being neurodiverse we can be complete enough as well. You can see where it is quoted from the picture in the text.

Hi everyone, I came across this morning. Paul himself in the New Testament suffered from a neurodiversity. Paul asked Jesus to heal this infirmity but Jesus said no to Paul and that his grace was sufficient for him-Paul was graced with one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which God shone light into.
It has been said that Nicodemus had autism as well who was a friend of Jesus.

II Corinthians 12
-My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made in weakness. Most gladly therefore, will I gather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore, I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches..for Christ's sake when I am weak I am strong.

One more to add.

I also like to read Psalm 137 as it is very good for focusing my mind and escaping from disorientation. It is a well known Psalm for disorientation which helps me with being overwhelmed. It does help me to reconnect to myself.