Shining A Light For The Lord
Have you ever felt like you were forced to live in the shadows? Well, of course you’ve felt that way. You know, that if only someone would give you a chance, you know you could really shine a bright light for the Lord? Well, hi, I’m Joni here with my friend and co-worker Shauna Amick. Hello, Shauna!
SHAUNA: Hey there, Joni!
JONI: And you have something to say about this topic, don’t you?
SHAUNA: I sure do. I sure do. Today we’re going to shine a spotlight on a coffee shop called Bitty and Beau’s in Wilmington, NC.
JONI: Okay, why is a coffee shop so important to talk about?
SHAUNA: Well, I’m glad you asked. You know, you’re not going to find any coffee shop more full of love, more heart-warming or welcoming than Bitty and Beau’s. It’s a place that has truly stolen the hearts of everyone in their community; because the atmosphere – it doesn’t just smell like great coffee, Joni. It’s full of acceptance. They instantly just feel this place permeated with love.
JONI: So, how so? What makes that difference?
SHAUNA: Well, all of their employees have intellectual disabilities.
JONI: Okay, like Down syndrome …
SHAUNA: Down syndrome, autism, CP, you name it.
JONI: Wow!
SHAUNA: And there are 40 employees at this point. Three different locations. And, you know, it’s not uncommon at any given moment for not only the employees, but also the customers to just break out in a joyful dance.
JONI: That’s incredible! Well, you know, I do know, because I read up a little bit on this – Amy Wright and her family, they opened this Bitty and Beau’s just, what was it, three years ago?
SHAUNA: That’s right.
JONI: Okay, and they discovered that between 70 and 85% of adults with intellectual disabilities are underemployed – they’re forced to live in the shadows of their communities. And Amy, bless her heart, not only wanted to create a non-profit organization where her two children, Bitty and Beau, who have disabilities, could work one day. She saw that unemployment rate as an embarrassment, and she was not going to sit idle about it. She decided to let God use her to create a place that would change the way people see those with disabilities, and what good employees they can be.
SHAUNA: That’s right. You know, Bitty and Beau’s mission statement is to change the way people see other people. And it’s really calling everyone out of the shadows. Folks, like you said, with Down syndrome, or some other kind of intellectual disability, where they can serve their community, and make their town a better place.
JONI: So they’re serving up a lot more than just a good, hot cup of coffee.
SHAUNA: Oh, you better believe it! It’s actually been called the happiest place in Wilmington. So, Amy herself would say, it’s more than a human rights movement; it’s more than a social justice movement. I would say it’s a honest-to-goodness example of living Scripture out loud. Because now, with all of these folks serving at Bitty and Beau’s, when they put on their aprons, they are actually clothing themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience – just like God’s chosen and dearly loved people are described in Colossians 3:12.
JONI: Thank you for this, Shauna. Whether it’s this month, which is of course Disability Employment Month, or any month … pray that, oh, I don’t know, this unemployment epidemic is gonna end; that individuals with disabilities who are qualified would be embraced in the workplace and also embraced in our hearts. And, friend, you can go to joniradio.org to request your free copy of our really great pamphlet Help a Friend with a Disability. And while you’re there at joniradio.org, watch this super video about Bitty and Beau’s coffee shop. You’re going to want to drive to Wilmington and order a good cup of java, I tell ya. And you can find it all today at joniradio.org!
© Joni and Friends
Help a Friend: Disability
Disability comes in all shapes and sizes. How can you be a good friend to someone affected by disability or facing a new diagnosis or chronic illness? Get equipped with Bible verses, tips, testimonies, and more from the 20-page Disability pamphlet and gain the confidence to be there for your friend or relative when they need you most.
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