Garry, Terrie, and Grant’s Story
There’s one particular notebook that our son, Grant, is determined to carry with him everywhere. Its spiral-bound cover bears an elongated hand-drawn blue heart—Grant’s subtle nod to his favorite sports team, the University of Kentucky Wildcats. Backing the Big Blue is a decades-long family passion: Grant’s grandfather, Lindle Castle, played on UK’s 1951 NCAA Championship team.
An inch or so above that blue heart are words testifying to Grant’s deepest passion—his love for Christ and His Word. The inscription reads, “Inspirational Bible Verses of the Day.” Grant fills the notebook with verses gathered from Southeast sermons and daily Bible reading. Only a few pristine pages remain, not yet inked with God’s inerrant Word.
Each week, Grant and his fellow special needs baristas browse that notebook, selecting verses to painstakingly transcribe onto Shine Cafe coffee sleeves. Shine Cafe is the in-house coffee shop in the Atrium of the Blankenbaker Campus that is staffed by individuals with special needs. Guests come for a hot beverage, but the warm hugs, sweet smiles, and joyful attitudes provided by the servers are free—and those refills are unlimited!
Those who have been labeled “disabled” are most often the recipients of the kindness of service providers, but the Shine Cafe offers them the transforming opportunities to serve others.
On a recent Sunday evening drive to Grant’s Special Olympics basketball practice, I noticed that he was compiling a list of Scriptures under the heading, “50 Bible Verses on Encouragement.” I asked Grant if the list was for him or others. With Christ’s love beaming through his eyes, he answered, “Both!”
That others-focused mindset is a beautiful fruit of the Shine Disabilities Ministry. Those who have been labeled “disabled” are most often the recipients of the kindness of service providers, but the Shine Cafe offers them the transforming opportunities to serve others.
Last Fall, Shine participants made the 5-hour drive to Louisville, Tennessee to live out the same missional mindset as Christ: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve…” (Mark 10:45 NIV). The Shine crew serves Christ and others very well.
The day after Grant was born with Down syndrome in 1989, a well-meaning but misguided pediatrician encouraged my wife, Terrie, and me to put our son “into an institution and get on with your lives.” But Grant is made in Christ’s image for God’s glory. His name was written in the Lamb’s Book of Life before the ages began (2 Timothy 1:7-9). That physician didn’t understand that—the Shine Ministry does. And because of that, thousands of well-loved people are recognizing it, too!
Grant is a member of the Shine Disabilities Ministry community.