Love in the Age of Worry “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” – Psalm 91:4 NLT I’d planned to write about Jesse this week. I'd planned a piece about theoretical fear. Jesse is my youngest child, and has autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ADHD. As He is wont to do, God changed the plan. On a Tuesday … [Read more...]
Making Peace a Priority
Crisis with Strawberry Jelly Have you ever noticed how long it takes to feel settled and calm after dealing with a crisis incident? For example, your special little darling gets into the jelly that a friend left in your home (you hadn’t realized before 5 seconds ago that jelly was even in your home) … strawberry jelly, and he’s allergic to strawberries. No, he doesn’t have an anaphylactic … [Read more...]
Saving Up the Hard Stuff
“So much will change,” they say, pointing to your swollen belly, nearly giddy with the kind of knowledge that only experience supplies. “Your life will never be the same!” I know, you think smugly. I’ve heard it, I’ve read it, it’s the mantra you mothers all repeat. But they’re right, of course. While things will change, many of those changes are expected: those that arise from the training of … [Read more...]
God, Thy Will is hard some days
Why is it that some days everything just seems to flow? Positive energy is everywhere. It keeps you motivated and fills you with an unshakeable feeling that life is truly good. And, why is it that some days everything good can disappear in a heartbeat, despite your diligence and attention to doing what you think are all the right things? Take, for instance, last week. Jan and I … [Read more...]
Invisible Diagnoses and the God Who Sees
Most times, when faced with a writing project, I’ll fold up the laptop’s screen and breathe in, ready to unpeel a new word and lay it flat. Most times, I am excited, knowing that we’ll discover things together, you and me. Other times, I will share with you something that slashes me sideways and leaves my mother’s heart bleeding. That is when the writing hurts. Today, every keystroke burns a … [Read more...]
Prepare The Way
Some of us become parents by chance. Some become parents by choice. But no one I know chooses to become parents of a child with a disability. When that choice was made for us 23 years ago, our world instantly changed. There was no preparation, no training, no idea that anything other than a normal, healthy fetus was developing. From the moment Ben arrived, we were continuously given a laundry … [Read more...]