Pam Vredevelt is the author of Angel Behind the Rocking Chair. She is also a wife and mother. Their third child, Nathan Charles, was a gift never quite expected. He was born with Down’s Syndrome. He was limited in his abilities to communicate, yet his ability to bring joy was not. Reminding ourselves of God’s unmistakable presence in the distressing difficulties of our lives allows us to appreciate all of our circumstances and gain both wisdom and greater ability to love as God loves us.
Pam knows that life is as hard as the ground we walk on. But she brings us to a place where we can take off our shoes and jump into cool, refreshing water. It doesn’t change the hardness of the ground, but it sure helps our journey.
Many years ago, Emily Perl Kingsley was asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability – to try to help people who have not shared that “unique” experience to understand it, and to imagine how it would feel to be in their shoes. This is how she related to the situation……
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. 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??? I signed up for Italy!!
But there’s been a change in flight plans. They’ve landed in Holland and THERE you must stay. It is not a bad place, it’s just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books, and you must learn a whole new language. You will meet a whole new group of people that you would have never met if you had landed in Italy. You must listen to all the stories of those who are enjoying life in Italy. You must, however, accept that you will not be going there and learn to live happily where you are.
The choice is clear. You can spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy. But if you do, you may NEVER be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland.
This story reminds me of the Apostle Paul. I am quite sure he planned to use his abilities as a Pharisee to preach to his beloved nation of Israel. God however, chose to send him to the Gentiles. God has a way of sending us where we need to be so as to reach His ultimate goal for our lives – eternal life with Him. For Paul, and for all of us in various degrees, involves suffering. Paul had to learn to accept God’s plan for him and the work He had for him to do as did this mother of a special child. He would write words to encourage us from a prison cell in his letter to the Philippians 4:11-13. May these words bless you along the way whatever befalls. “….for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Having this positive mental outlook will keep us happy and healthy in the Lord while doing His will, through the strength He supplies daily. Be Well!!
–By Jan Falwell