Gifts

Our Lord has uniquely created each of us with certain aptitudes or gifts. (Romans 12:6) I'm not yet sure what his spritual gift is, (could be encouragement-he hates to see anyone upset), but I know that our son loves numbers and can do mathematics far beyond his same-aged peers. No matter what season we are in our lives, our gifts can be used for someone. It could be an immediate family member, a friend, an accquaintance, a stranger, or a group of either of these. Don't forget that whatever your gift may be and whomever it may bless, you are serving the Lord not man. If you don't know what your spiritual gift is, look for a book with a test at your local christian bookstore.

Fear

We've been blessed that our son hadn't been really sick until over a week ago. For the first time, I experienced seeing what influenza and pneumonia simultaneously does to a young child. He seemed so strong despite his quietness. I was completely surprised at the doctor's conclusion because I was expecting to be told that it was just a cold and I knew what to do. When you have a child with autism who doesn't know how to communicate how he's feeling and has such a high tolerance for pain...is so very strong...it really makes you wonder if you're being an overprotective mom or your instincts are correct. Sure I can ask him how he's feeling, but he'll just repeat my question back to me. I could ask him if his throat hurts, yet even if it does, he tells me "no". This child can be so difficult to care for! So, after leaving the doctor's office and communicating to my husband, I did the first thing that came natural to me...the one thing that would keep my fear away...I asked my friends and family to pray for him.

In Esther 3 , the Jewish people were reminded of who they were and what God had done for them despite what was going on and what they were feeling. I know who I am and what God has done for me. Do you?

Qualities

I was recently prompted to list three qualities that best describe my son. It was very difficult for me to list only three. I could've made a very long list. A person's qualities are very revealing. They tell us about character and behavior. They could be positive or negative. I described my son as joyful and have told people, since the day he was born, that if he was a girl I would've had to name him Joy. Despite his, now occasional, lack of eye contact he's always been a generally happy, content child. Communication was difficult and frustrating for him, but he always exibited fairly good body language. This body language generally included a smile, especially when he got what he wanted.

Esther 2:9, 4:16, 2:15, shows us that Esther's qualities were wisdom, forebearance, compliance, humility, and cooperation. These were qualities that not only made King Xerxes choose her to be his queen, but also made her likeable among her female peers. Proverbs 21:1 reminds us how the Lord directs the king's heart. For without God, when all odds are stacked against her, Esther would likely not have been chosen queen.

What qualities do you want to be remembered as having?

Preparation

My son loves calendars. There are many reasons why I think this is true. Calendars are filled with numbers, he can see each month's holidays and other special days at a glance, and they show him a simple, concrete visual of time. Calendars allow me to prepare him, ahead of time, for events that are important to him. I can show him days when he won't have school. (He adores his current school and looks forward to going each morning.) I can show him when special family outings will take place. He is able to count down the days to each event. As a matter of fact, he just recently let my husband know what day we would be changing our clocks for daylight savings time because he saw it on his calendars. Yes, that is plural. Our little guy has several calendars that he has collected either as gifts or by free advertising of certain companies. Any change that our son is to experience must be introduced ahead of time to avoid meltdowns.

As believers, it is important for us to prepare our hearts for worship when we meet together in God's house. How do we do this? Get plenty of rest the day before. Get up early enough that your family isn't rushing out the door, but getting ready joyfully. Maybe put on some music as you dress and comb your hair. Stay silent if you have to in order to avoid conflict. Preparing for a worship that not only renews your spirit, but also honors our Lord is a discipline that benefits everyone.

Discipline

Disciplining a child with a developmental disorder that affects the way they think and process things can be very difficult. Even choosing whether or not to discipline about an issue in the first place can be difficult. As a parent, we want to teach them right from wrong so that they don't get hurt. We want to treat them like a typical child. Unfortunately, we can't always do that. Sometimes their actions are part of a behavior that they can't control. Some things my son does really aggrivate me, but how do I handle it? For instance, he's lately become more verbal with the help of his teachers and therapists. He can't help it that he has to ask me the same simple question 50 times in 1 minute. I'm ashamed to admit that I've tried spanking and yelling. I've even tried telling him nicely that I'm not going to answer him anymore and that he needs to be quiet. Nothing makes him stop until he's done with his verbal routine. He can't help it. I've certainly learned about patience and self-control.

It's so easy to be ashamed of ourselves, but if we know God we don't have to be. We can repent our sins and be thankful that our God is righteous. He forgives those who are truely sorry. Hebrews 2:11 tells us that Jesus is not ashamed of us. How wonderful is that?

Standing Out

My son can sometimes stand out in a crowd. When we are in a public place with typical children, they notice his differences, especially when he runs. If you've ever seen the episode of "Friends" where the character Pheobe invites another friend to run with her in the park and have seen how Pheobe runs so freely, you will get a better picture of how my son generally runs. If not, lets just say it's an interresting sight to behold with arms moving as fast as his little legs can carry him. There are times when other children can say hurtful things.

The bible tells us that Esther stands out in a crowd of pretty girls forced into the King's palace for the sole purpose of being chosen Queen of Persia. She wins the favor of King Xerxes' closest servant. Esther 2:9. She had Godly wisdom that emphasized her people skills.

Sometimes we can find ourselves in situations that we don't want to be in. How are we going to use our Godly widsom to make the best of a bad situation?