Dear Prayer Warriors,
Christmas
is a time of thanks for the gift of Jesus. He is the gift of grace,
redemption, healing, regeneration, and eventually glorification to
sinners. Alleluia
I will drag
my index finger across a row of chimes carefully to engage Anna in sound and then
Simon attempts to repeat my gesture, after about fourth chime he grabs them all
and starts tugging. It’s a grace to see Simon explore the ability of his
fingers. Simon is exploring the octaves of his screams too; Anna’s left quiet,
teary, startled. My son will crawl straight to the toilet bowl because he has
the ability and memory of every water exposed place in the house.
There is
this interplay in my home between the constant activity of Simon and the
immobility of Anna, ability and disability, independence and dependence. It may
be heartbreaking to outsiders, it certainly is a demanding dynamic, however all
this is a grace opportunity to see the Almighty more clearly. I’ve never had to
open a book to grasp the neurological complexity of the human body and mind
because Anna and Simon show me. I’m filled with wonder about God’s infinite wisdom
to create a brain that commands thought, able hands, legs, and feet. Even more
miraculous is the minimal training and equipping it takes to teach an able
bodied child a motor skill.
We are currently
teaching both kids to walk right now. Simon is on auto-grow compared to sweat-and-tears
Anna. There is progress in both kids and joy to behold. The teaching part with
Simon is more external, making our home safe, giving him an assist, and a
smiley target to walk to. Then on his own he can stand up, boldly wiggle his
legs and laugh about the fact that his legs are working. With Anna the teaching
is at first internal we need to break the tone/spasticity, stretch, put on her
equipment, and then from routine to remind her that it is good and normal
to be weight bearing.
I recently
revisited a book (on tape) about the biblical model of parenting. The thrust of
the book is how parents are actually accountable before God for the gift (their
kid) that He gave us. “Train them up in the way they should go.” It made a
whole lot of sense when I was thinking about Simon, I have to guide his
choices, call out sin, impart wisdom, and show him what it looks like to abide in Christ.
This is teaching by example and explanation. Then outta nowhere it hit me I
started weeping; I know Anna has excellent cognition however she is currently non-verbal
and immobile. All the application points of the book seemed null and void until
the Lord furnishes His full healing. So I asked God “What are you asking me to
do with the gift of Anna? Tell her not to play with matches? To look both ways
before you cross the street?” I don’t often get sarcastic with God but this
thinking just surfaced -it’s not funny to Him.
As I rested
my case, calmed down, waited, and asked God for what I’m accountable before Him
for regarding Anna. The book continued on with the passage in Deuteronomy 6 about
how parents need to remember, explain, and share God with their kid when they
stand, walk, lay down, on the road, in the home. It was the walking that struck
me. Perhaps because Anna recently spent three weeks trying to learn to crawl and
walk. I thought of those neurological connections she doesn’t have, the ones
that gives a sense of balance, the ones that intelligently show Simon that alternating
feet is way better than walking two lefts then one right.
So a vow is
in order. I think a valid application for me to fulfill Deut 6 with
Anna would be for me to show Anna the way she should go, meaning that I should show her
how her body should go. I need a greater personal pledge to Anna’s PT, OT,
vision, and speech. Not aligning paid professionals but becoming Anna’s
servant intentionally.
Please Pray:
-For grace to fill our hearts, make things possible, and bring joy to our family
-For progress for Anna in crawling and walking and head control.
-For
health, a week ago Anna became sick again, waking up coughing, needing
repositioning, and struggling to keep her throat clear
Praise God for:
-Christ with us!
-For a nurse we interviewed and will help us two days a week!
-For Anna's wheel chair that was once denied being accepted for purchase through insurance.
-For the CES waiver re-evaluation that went well.
Joyeux Noel,
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