Friday, February 17, 2017

Dependence Afresh on God


 
Dear Prayer Warriors.

As Anna’s parents we want her talking over seeing, and seeing over walking, and walking over grasping, and grasping over eating table food. We have been forced to think in these terms as we draft up the legally binding IEP (individualized educational plan) this coming Thursday with our school district.

The dilemma is that our time and effort for therapy will make more fruit if we get away from our list of priority and observe more of what Anna is showing us as ability. These days vision and gross motor seem to get us the most response. So it gets complicated when parents want to revise an IEP’s because their child is suddenly experiencing a surge of ability in something that wasn’t a focus of the IEP. We need wisdom and a heart fixed on perfect peace for this meeting.

I’m always humbled that in my heart I have a voice of thanksgiving to God for the mercy afforded us because Anna’s IEP does not include seizure management or oxygen administration. Another perspective of grace that the Spirit places is that I live in a country that has designed a system to optimize Anna’s cognition, physical ability, and social needs through the school system. So we get a small respite. I always picture the poverty of India and how my family would fare in caring for Anna in that environment.

Anna has helped us see how much we depend on God regarding all things.

When the deluge of diagnoses kept coming, we felt helpless yet God shepherded.
When financial pressure kept coming, we felt helpless yet God provided.
When progression turned into regression of ability, we felt helpless yet God encouraged us.

It has become clear that our plans, the control we have over our lives, is such an illusion. Pride and Satan work to keep that illusion realistic like “I’m not a man if I can’t handle what life throws at me.” However I have found that there are times when life throws way too much at me. It is then that I have learned to depend, cry out to, and wait for God. The Lord holds us together because He is Sovereign. We go to Him with our illusion of control over Anna and say “Lord have your way and plan with her.”

Please Pray:

-That God would bless Anna's new GI medicine. To help resolve the reflux.
-For Anna to be surrounded and providentially placed at the right school for her with the right team of teachers and therapists.
-For wisdom as we draft the IEP document Thursday.
-For time to blend her food, she has been getting too much Gerber.
-For her upcoming third birthday celebration that there would be no illusion of who has been sovereign, May God get the glory for that celebration of Anna's life and He has helped her everyday.

Thanks for praying,

Nic, Lindsey, Anna, and Simon 

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