It was a verbal game of chess. Winner takes all. If my son won the argument, we would return home. If I won, we would get out of the car and walk into the church. When John added a new reason why he didn’t want to go inside, I was sure he’d made a fatal mistake. He said he felt “stood up,” as he attended church each week. I countered with a correction, “’Stood up’ means showing up and no one is … [Read more...]
The Length of Love
Love has no dimensions. It cannot be measured, boundless as it is. But I have felt lately that perhaps length is the best of all love’s rough estimates. What are the lengths to which someone goes for love? How long does love last, how far through difficulty will it carry us? How far behind us will it trail after we’ve left this world behind? What is the length of love? I give up nearly every … [Read more...]
Retreating in God’s Hands: respite for the special needs parent
Hands have always been a special symbol and image of love for me. It wasn’t until I recognized my grandfather’s once-familiar, farm-hardened, weathered hands, gently laid one over the other in a pose of rest at his funeral, that I finally knew this man really was the same one I had adored all my life. It was only then I was able to say goodbye. My grandmother’s gift to me that same day was his … [Read more...]
To Those Who Have Gone Before Us
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I get so focused on dealing with all the current crises in our family life that I don’t spend enough time reflecting on our blessings. Most notably, in our fight for progress with our children’s care now, we forget how fortunate we are to live at such a time as this. Not only are treatment breakthroughs of every kind occurring more rapidly, but the flow of … [Read more...]
Power In The Body of Christ
Have you ever had one of those days (weeks, months) where you just felt like giving up? Yup. I thought so. We all have days, weeks or months like that. Especially those of us who live with children or adults with significant disabilities. Our son Joel, who has autism, has been having a rough time lately. A hospitalization for depression last fall. A 6 week manic spurt this spring that … [Read more...]
God Has Not Forgotten You
Two years ago I walked into her math class and stood along the edge in the back, where the mom of the kid who isn't good at math stands for awards ceremonies. Over the minutes that followed, I wasn't surprised my daughter's name wasn't called. It's not that I don't believe in her, it's just that I'd seen the tears, shredded papers, broken pencils and massive meltdowns that were her experience … [Read more...]