Shawn Thornton - All But Normal

S OMETIMES BEFORE I SPEAK, when Im in the wings peering at the crowd, Ill wonder, How did I get here? I dont mean here in the sense of directions; I mean, how does the least likely candidate to speak at a Billy Graham crusade, or to write books that people actually read; how does a person who takes the gospel to disabled people around the world; how did the strange and twisted circumstances of my life bring me to this point?

I bet on Sunday mornings Shawn Thornton wonders the same. When hes standing in the wings at Calvary Community Church, ready to give the sermon, perhaps he glances at the crowd and thinks, How did I get here?

Shawn is an effective, godly leader who does not appear to bear the emotional wounds of a shattered and chaotic childhood. Where did he get such a glad disposition and easy manner? Knowing his background, if I were him, Id be a basket case. Yet he is easily one of the kindest and most influential Christian leaders Ive ever met.

I have only recently heard Shawns whole story it was a few years ago, when I asked him to speak at one of our conferences for Joni and Friends. I asked because his church has one of the largest, most successful disability ministry programs in the country. However, I had no idea he was actually raised in a special-needs family (a very polite way of putting it). Disability in any family is never easy, but in Shawns case, it nearly ripped his childhood to shreds.

Growing up under a parent with a serious mental illness? Being raised by someone whod scream every name in the book at you? How does a kid survive that? In the sixties and seventies, a psychiatric disorder was just not talked about, let alone treated effectively. It was a tragedy you would try to forget when you packed yourself a bag lunch and headed to school in the morning. But family tragedies have a way of catching up with you. And so it did for Shawn.

But please do not think that All But Normal is a scathing tell-all against a crazy mother. Shawn loved her then, and its obvious in every chapter that he loves her now. Like any good family member, he has taken the high road when it comes to dealing with disability. Rather than scorning his mother, he clung to those moments when he felt her love. As broken and bewildering as their relationship was, Shawns bruised heart was filled with compassion for her.

And as I read Shawns story, I learned to love her too. There is a secret why, but I wont share it here after you read a few chapters, youll understand my special affection for Mrs. Thornton.

One more thing about All But Normal. Shawns story will force you to forget everything youve ever been taught about personal power leading to effective leadership confidence, charisma, and chutzpah count for little over the long haul. As a psychologist friend once told me, the leaders God chooses are often more broken than strong, more damaged than whole, more troubled than secure. Gods most effective leaders dont rise to power in spite of their weakness; they lead with power because of their weakness. By the last page of this book, youll be convinced that Gods greatest leaders seem to rise up from beds of nails, not roses.

This is the fascinating story you hold in your hands. It is laced with horror yet softened by humor. It has lots of jagged edges yet is honed and polished by the tender traces of Gods love. There are dark, hellish storms, but you learn to see silver linings gracing most of the clouds on Shawns horizon.

No one can describe it better, though, than the man himself. One of his most touching reflections in All But Normal reads, I realized our family possessed something in our little house on Victory Road that many people simply didnt have: the love and the purpose of God in the midst of seeming chaos.

There you have it. This remarkable autobiography is filled with hope and redemption, revealing how God used unimaginable turmoil in one little boys life to ultimately rescue him, hone him for leadership, and fill his heart with compassion for the poor and needy, for the broken and damaged.

Its why I dont think Shawn would trade his abnormal childhood for any amount of normal.

Joni Eareckson Tada

Joni and Friends International Disability Center

Agoura Hills, California