This is Mindy. She comes in and hangs out with me every Thursday night before choir whiler her parents are doing handbell choir. She has Downs' Syndrome, a truth she shares with most people rather matter of factly.

I have this picture because lately she has taken to spending a few minutes in my office, and then asking to use the camera. She takes pictures of about everything that she can find. Clocks, about 18 pictures of her watch, a copy machine, the windows, the floor etc. She turns 21 next Monday.

Yesterday she walked in and within a few minutes my eyes started watering. She laid a "silent but deadly" blue cloud over the whole room! Says nothing while I am coughing and gasping for air. Just smiles and giggles a lot. Then she asks to use the bathroom across the hall. I am not quite sure she shut the door because I could hear her talking to herself, as well as noises of her making an strong effort at what she was doing (loud grunts). I was almost rolling on the floor Laughing by this point. She is adorable.

This morning she was still on my mind, but in a different way. I started to think of Mindy as a role model. For instance, you should see her worship in church. She will jump up and down and sing really loud and be totally oblivious that she is the only one with her hands raised or jumping at the time. She just is who she is before God, and makes no apologies for it.

She also is unconditionally embracing of about everyone she meets. She gives everyone the benefit of the doubt.

Then I started thinking about heaven. And about what it would be like. And I think at somepoint early in that moment when we are gathered on the other side of glory, there is going to be a processional. And in that processional is going to be millions of handicapped people. And many of those will be folks with Downs' like Mindy. And while they will be healed of some of their hardship and pain, they will still have that special smile on their face and that unhidden, unrestrained joy on their faces. And the folks like Mindy will be dancing around Christ's throne and sitting at his feet. Probably eating cake and ice cream.