We all have times of feeling totally helpless. Either so frustrated at not being able to change something that our anger gets out of control, or so scared we feel like we're freefalling. Sometimes all trust of God having control, and any concern for our Christian example seems to allude us at that moment, leaving some regrets about that when the "episode" is over .
But everyone's life also has issues that
don't end, and we are meant to benefit from having them. We have the choice to play the hand we're dealt or live in bitterness. To learn to trust that God is planning out our lives along-side these struggles or to create ourselves a shroud of self pity. I'm
not saying I don't indulge in fear or anger at first thought of hardship, I do still have a human nature to battle, and each battle has it's own meaningful results.
Like when I finally realized that our Down Syndrome son Stephen was not going to "grow out of it" just because I insisted that everyone treat him like a normal baby. It seemed like the only thing I could do to force him to be what I thought he should be, when in fact it was denial. We did meet with our pastor and deacon board a couple of times for anointing and healing prayer. It's hard to accept it when God doesn't dumb-down His plans to agree with ours. I knew God didn't want me to waste my life hoping He would change His mind about how He saw fit to fashion Stevie, but to thankfully accept him as the gift that children are intended, from a wise creator who doesn't need me to tell Him how things should be. Stevie will be healed as all those redeemed will be, and in the meantime I can choose to either be disappointed with God and my life, or get past it, knowing He is sovereign and doesn't make mistakes; to examine my faith and find out if it is strong enough to surrender to His purpose. A purpose I wouldn't comprehend even if He did clue me in to it.
We were enjoying our easy, "normal" life with a very undemanding little girl when the Lord knew that our lives were going to benefit from this new challenge. He knew ...of the blessings of sweetness from our childs' simplicity ...the rewards from the struggles for his accomplishments ...that our fears would fade into adjustment and discovery ...and would learn to be thankful for things that some can't understand.
Stephens' Creator already planned that everything Deliverance would learn to deal with in those years growing up with a disabled brother would be shaping her character as well, and adding those dimensions to her life that we all instinctively kick against at first, because He was her Creator, too. Her life was not meant to be shielded from unpleasantries. Even if you ignore someone or something in your life, it is still there. As parents we want to smooth their way but we couldn't take the bumps out of a road we weren't familiar with. We had to realize it was God's purpose to effect her life as well. We hoped she would learn to find blessings and become strong from the winds she would have to sway with. I'm sure she has felt second to our concerns for Stevie's life, every sibling does at times, but each child has put us through the ringer just as much as the other. For each one we have a different kind of prayer, concern, joy, pride. Through each stage of her life Steve & I have often wondered why we had been so undeservedly blessed with such a daughter. Sometimes it's a whole discussion in itself. We think God has been molding her nicely and even though she has doubted it at times, Stevie has always relished her attention. From the time Deliverance was born we had prayed every night for the boy God was bringing up to be her husband, if that is what He planned for her. Joshua has been such a big asset to our family in may ways that we can't help but love and admire him, but since this story is about Stevie I will only emphasize that Josh means the world to him. That alone says a lot about our son-in-law.
This would be another kind of story if I didn't have a husband that believed so strongly in standing by your family, no matter what. So many things can break up a marriage even when you have a faith as strong as Steve's, but the Lord granted me a partner that has created a track record with his love and commitment that I can depend on. I don't know what else I could ask for that would mean as much. The Lord deserves so much more gratitude from my life than I have ever given Him. He has proven so many things that I might not have known otherwise.
Ever since he was born I've always taken Stevie most places I go in public so I've witnessed Stevie being God's vehicle for "awareness" as people learn to share their environment and communicate with those considered to be less than desirable. I would have missed out on a lot if it were possible to get my own way and God had "fixed" Stephen when he didn't need fixing. I thank the Lord that He knew what we needed, something that was more perfect for our growth than we would have thought. Maybe not perfect in tangible ways, but a perfect on-going lesson in trust, and through it He is "fixing" me instead (a frustrating task I'm sure).
Welcome to Holland - by Emily Perl Kingsley
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make your wonderful plans. The COLISEUM, THE MICHELANGELO-DAVID. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting. After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go.
Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "WELCOME TO HOLLAND"! HOLLAND?? you say. "What do you mean Holland"? I signed up for Italy!!
But there's been a change in flight plans. Trying everything possible to gt what you want you finally realize there you must learn to enjoy what you have.
"The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a disgusting place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place"!
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole NEW LANGUAGE. And you will meet a whole NEW GROUP OF PEOPLE, you would never have met!
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there a while and catch your breath, you look around, and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills. Holland has tulips. Holland even has REMBRANDTS!!
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy and they're bragging about what a wonderful time they had there and for the rest of your life, you will say, YES, that's where I wanted go. That's what I planned! The loss of the DREAM is a very significant loss at first. But if you spend your life MOURNING the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about HOLLAND"
We didn't really know if our son Stephen (Stevie) would ever have a job. Though we did have that hope, because shortly after he was born we attended some Down Syndrome support group meetings in my area and heard testimonies and saw films of the achievements of Down syndrome adults. We started Stephen at a rehab center for mental disabilities when he was just 6mo old at the request of his doctor. I went with him for the first year there, learning the excersizes and diligently following through at home. In public school I opted to keep him in the special ed classes up through high school, though it was frowned upon by some of the other members of the support group who promoted integration and were trying to eliminate special education classes. I knew the extra challenges work good for many mentally handicapped, but I did not think it would work for his personality and disposition, and he thrived there, also making friends with the "normal" students. Stephen
now has the temperament of a 5yr old, but some of his ability levels are close to 7yrs. He got to stay in school until he reached 21. A job coach assigned to his class assessed him for learning different types of jobs during his last year. Such as volunteering at the public library 1 hr a week and helping in the school cafeteria. After graduation I got him on a waiting list for a job coach to find a regular job according to his ability. He had a couple of working interviews before the coach found one that I would agree he could deal with. Sweeping popcorn at the cinema. I was unsure that he could do the hardest part of the job which was to follow a team of co-workers into each individual room after the movie was done and the people cleared out, and VERY QUICKLY get down on knees to hand sweep popcorn, etc, from under the seats. There are lots of short breaks between movies to rest, and sometimes he just hands out 3D glasses or helps the ticket taker. It took a few nights before we decided that it wasn't too much for him since he would start with only 2hrs a night, only 2 days a week. He didn't dislike it too much (got more used to it later) and he got to know his co-workers who help keep an eye on what he is supposed to be doing, along with his boss of course. He loves getting a pay check and now at age 24 he tells his friends "I a workin' man". a book
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