Friday, May 4, 2007

From God's Hand to My Heart

To comfort those whose lives are changing and to demonstrate how blessings come in expected ways.
May you place your lives in God's hand and let him lead you.

I watched the students from the Life Skills class parade down the hall. Parade is the most apt description for this procession. Swaggering happily each at his own pace, greeting everyone in their pathway. I could not help smile as they passed and I greeted each one individually thinking I was the one initiating the greeting but really they were the greeters. Mr. Lott shook each boy's hand as they passed him. The two women entering the hallway from getting their morning coffee were greeted. They zig-zagged side to side throughout the hallway to meet each person. If one did not greet them they did not even seem to notice they continued in their happy procession.

Abel commented to me in his slurred speech, "I like the rain. Do you like the rain? It's going to rain again today. Look at those clouds." We conversed briefly about the weather before we parted ways. I felt warmed by the brief conversation I had with him. How did this young disabled teen make me feel like I was important to him but he did in a brief moment.

A few years ago, I took little notice of the Life Skills classes. That was before Eric. Eric came into our world with Down Syndrome. Now I say that with so little concern, like commenting on the color of his eyes but then we were unprepared for his condition. I knew nothing of it and the thought was frightening and I knew our world was going to change.

Change it did. With the addition of this precious life came more blessings than I was prepared to understand at his birth. My tears that I cried at his birth for fear of the unknown only come now for love of a child I adore.

At the hospital, hours after his birth, this beautiful little boy melted into my arms as if to fill in all the spaces that separated us and bonded us together for all time. My heart melted. Now three and a half years later, I thank God for the gift of this child in our family and realize that his place in our family has softened some rough edges in each one of us individually. His place in our family has been one of the most precious blessings we have received.

I thank God for his life.
I know God holds him dear as he does other children like him.
Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” 15 And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.
Before God sent him to us he must have placed His hand on Eric's head and blessed him.

6 comments:

  1. Well said. What a beautiful testimony about a precious little boy!

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  2. Funny thing is I've been thinking much along these same lines. Gabe was just diagnosed with autism and I recently read something that truly offended me. Weird thing is it came from the Autism Speaks group. It said, "Help Find A Cure". As if my son has a cold or is a leper. My son doesn't need a cure, there is nothing wrong with him. God made him perfect the way he is. I wouldn't know him at all if he wasn't autistic. Everything I love in him and about him, I would lose if he wasn't autistic. I wouldn't change him for the world.

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  3. This verse was used this morning in our sermon. It spoke to me although our lesson was not about children.

    Matthew 9
    36 He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37"Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

    Isn't that a wonderful thought.

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  4. I think God knows exactly what He is doing when He sends certain children into this world. I also believe that He places them where they can best be taken care of. I think their lives are mostly for our benefit rather than theirs.

    A former co-worker in my office had a Downs son. I told her more than once that he had been born into a family that loved and cared for him. And I believed that he had the best mom he could have hoped for.

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  5. All I know is that I wouldn't trade him for anything and that God has blessed and enhanced my life ten fold since he came into my life. He gives me much more than I could ever hope to give him and I pray I won't let him down too often.

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  6. Darla, I love that verse! Makes those people that see our kids as kids and not "special" even more Christ like than they would otherwise. I watched ya'll with Eric last time I came to visit and it fulled my heart with such joy and gratitude for others like us. We are truly blessed.

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