First Week of School Thoughts and Reflections

Hey Friends,

Yahooooooo......one week of school is now officially under my belt! We made it through an incredibly crazy week! I re-read my last post and I chuckled slightly at how blissful my post sounded recalling such a wonderful first day back. LET ME TELL YOU....... my little munchkins had a very short honeymoon period. It only lasted one day!!!!!!! Day two was back to "normal" which would include behaviors such as crying, screaming, flopping to the floor, being lost in what we call "autism land", and lots and lots and lots of noisyness (is that how to spell it?!). I had forgotten all the noises that little children with autism can make! Things like deep growls, high pitched squeals, echos of whatever conversation they hear, scripts of various cartoons and the oh so popular Disney movies....and of course, the crying, crying, crying!

I'd also forgotten the sweet things like how they walk around on their tippy toes, how they flap their little arms so much so that they look like little birds attempting to fly the nest, how they come right up into your face cupping it in their little chubby hands and put their forehead right up to yours! How they give you a "backwards" hug (backing up into you to lean against you) and how you have to turn them around and say "give me a REAL hug!", how exciting it is when you get that one little word out of them such as Oreo, Swing, or Go when they want something. It shows that their precious little souls are in there and that they are not completely "detached from reality and the world around them". When they connect with you....oh, how wonderful it truly is! It can make you cry.

As I ponder the privilige and ministry that the Lord has given me in these children....I am humbled. He continually shows me that whatever we do for the least of these we are doing for HIM! I pray that He will continue to see me fit to care for these little ones, to love and support their parents and families, and in doing so, I would bring Him glory in all that I do.

Lord, let me never forget that I am your servant! Thank you for my ministry to these children. Work in our lives every day Lord....work in them (you know what I am asking Lord). Give them security so that they are not afraid, help me to help them when they experience sensory overload, and give me patience Lord...fill me with so much LOVE for them that I see them as you do....not through my sometimes prideful and critical human perspective.
Amen