Thank you for your encouraging replies to my post. It felt so good to be validated. The Lord spoke to me after I posted it in 2 significant ways. First of all, I saw my daughter praying to Him a few days later. I wasn't close enough to hear the words because we were out in the yard at the time. But I knew she was praying because she would talk as she bowed her head, folded her hands, then looked up to the sky, and repeated it again. It touched me to witness her connection to Him, and helped me realize that she is ultimately His, not mine. She's only 5 years old, yet she knows the Lord. Amazing.
A few days after that, my son's 4th grade class sang a song at a school performance that made me cry. The song itself isn't very powerful (Three Little Birds - '"don't worry, 'bout a thing, cause every little thing, is gonna be alright"), but i was so moved that a group of 10 year olds could sing it so confidently. I was reminded of the verse from Phil 4:6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Also Matt 6:34 and Luke 12:22. Seems silly, but that song was very comforting.
This experience got me thinking about sadness. As I listed the important people in my life, I could name at least one experience that each of them has gone through that left a life long sadness (infertility, divorce, death of a spouse, betrayal of a spouse, illness, addiction). wow. I'm not the only one who carries pain. Even Jesus, when Lazarus died. It's a part of life that makes us real & human. I'm so glad that I have the Lord to work through it with me, as opposed to going it alone.
And now, I have you on-line friends to give me words of wisdom. thank you for taking the time to write me back. Let's keep in touch.
Hello! What a blessing to find this forum! I appreciate everyone's stories and honesty.
In a nutshell, I am the wife and mother to a wonderful family of five. My 12 year old daughter is a typically developing child who fits the mold as a "firstborn". My 10 year old son is "all boy" in every way, plus he is gifted, so he's really a handful. My youngest, a 4 year old girl, was born with "Mosaic Down Syndrome," which means that some of her genes have an extra 21st chromosome, and some do not. She does not look disabled, and many people do not know of her condition unless I tell them. She is sweet and cooperative with other people when she is away from home, but around the family, she is demanding and uncooperative. In my opinion, her behavior is one of our biggest challenges. She has had a feeding tube for the last 3 years due to her inability to consume enough calories orally. By the grace of God, she has improved by gaining lots of weight, and has a scheduled appointment to have the tube removed in November!
My husband and I have had many interactions with Ellie that seem as she she was speaking for God. Does that make sense? She will say something or do something that seems as though it wasn't her who did it, but rather the Holy Spirit. For instance, one time she sincerely told my husband and I that "God loves us" out of the blue. Both of us needed to hear that at that moment, and we felt so comforted by her words. We both teared up.
I feel very fortunate to be part of this diverse family. It's not with out its struggles, but also has many unforseen blessings.
I look forward to sharing more with you as time goes on.
Posted in: My Heart Hurts
Dear Sara, Bev, Wendy & Lorraine,
Thank you for your encouraging replies to my post. It felt so good to be validated. The Lord spoke to me after I posted it in 2 significant ways. First of all, I saw my daughter praying to Him a few days later. I wasn't close enough to hear the words because we were out in the yard at the time. But I knew she was praying because she would talk as she bowed her head, folded her hands, then looked up to the sky, and repeated it again. It touched me to witness her connection to Him, and helped me realize that she is ultimately His, not mine. She's only 5 years old, yet she knows the Lord. Amazing.
A few days after that, my son's 4th grade class sang a song at a school performance that made me cry. The song itself isn't very powerful (Three Little Birds - '"don't worry, 'bout a thing, cause every little thing, is gonna be alright"), but i was so moved that a group of 10 year olds could sing it so confidently. I was reminded of the verse from Phil 4:6, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Also Matt 6:34 and Luke 12:22. Seems silly, but that song was very comforting.
This experience got me thinking about sadness. As I listed the important people in my life, I could name at least one experience that each of them has gone through that left a life long sadness (infertility, divorce, death of a spouse, betrayal of a spouse, illness, addiction). wow. I'm not the only one who carries pain. Even Jesus, when Lazarus died. It's a part of life that makes us real & human. I'm so glad that I have the Lord to work through it with me, as opposed to going it alone.
And now, I have you on-line friends to give me words of wisdom. thank you for taking the time to write me back. Let's keep in touch.
Leslie
Posted in: Disability Support Groups: Introductions
Hello! What a blessing to find this forum! I appreciate everyone's stories and honesty.
In a nutshell, I am the wife and mother to a wonderful family of five. My 12 year old daughter is a typically developing child who fits the mold as a "firstborn". My 10 year old son is "all boy" in every way, plus he is gifted, so he's really a handful. My youngest, a 4 year old girl, was born with "Mosaic Down Syndrome," which means that some of her genes have an extra 21st chromosome, and some do not. She does not look disabled, and many people do not know of her condition unless I tell them. She is sweet and cooperative with other people when she is away from home, but around the family, she is demanding and uncooperative. In my opinion, her behavior is one of our biggest challenges. She has had a feeding tube for the last 3 years due to her inability to consume enough calories orally. By the grace of God, she has improved by gaining lots of weight, and has a scheduled appointment to have the tube removed in November!
My husband and I have had many interactions with Ellie that seem as she she was speaking for God. Does that make sense? She will say something or do something that seems as though it wasn't her who did it, but rather the Holy Spirit. For instance, one time she sincerely told my husband and I that "God loves us" out of the blue. Both of us needed to hear that at that moment, and we felt so comforted by her words. We both teared up.
I feel very fortunate to be part of this diverse family. It's not with out its struggles, but also has many unforseen blessings.
I look forward to sharing more with you as time goes on.
Sncerely,
Lc3style