Birthday Blessings
“Whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”
Proverbs 14:31 (NIV)
In our last Bible Bits, I shared a little bit about my recent Steadfast Hope in Seasons of Waiting workshop at Briarwood Church. The workshop audio is now available online. In addition to providing some practical strategies for how we can wait hopefully, joyfully, and expectantly, I shared some of the ways that our family has endured difficult seasons of waiting, especially with our son who has special needs.
James Bruce was two months old when I realized that something was not just different, but wrong. I spent the first three years of James Bruce’s life in doctor’s offices waiting to find out what was actually wrong with him. We tried a number of different specialists before James Bruce was finally diagnosed at age 3 with “mild mental retardation, origin unknown.” He was:
4 when he received a “failure to grow” diagnosis
5 when genetics testing revealed a chromosome anomaly on Chromosome 18
9 when he was diagnosed with autism as his primary diagnosis and
18 when his seizures suddenly began.
But diagnoses weren’t the only things Bruce and I waited on. We also waited for:
Multiple Special Education services within our local school system
Special Ed Sunday School, camp, and Vacation Bible School at our church
Adult Day program services following high school “graduation” at age 21
Residential placement at age 37 at Rainbow Omega, a Christian group home for adults with intellectual disabilities
James Bruce celebrated his 38th birthday this week. His birthday is always difficult for me, but this birthday was particularly hard because it was his first birthday away from our home. Bruce and I weren’t allowed to bring James Bruce home for his birthday or visit him on campus due to current Covid restrictions and protocols. We were, however, encouraged to send birthday cards and ship his presents. Julie, a kind Rainbow Omega staff member, worked with me to arrange a pizza party complete with ice cream, cake and balloons. Julie promised to wrap James Bruce’s presents and take a picture since we couldn’t be there.
I prayed all day Tuesday that James Bruce would have a great day and feel loved. I also prayed that God would hold him close since we weren’t able to. When Julie’s photo arrived, I literally wept. Joy, pure joy, was written all over James Bruce’s face. The perfectly wrapped gifts, festive decorations, balloons, and delicious cake were far better that what I would have done. Julie took care of everything and did it in a way that let me know she really cared, not just about her job, but about James Bruce. God used Julie to remind me that He can take far better care of James Bruce than I can.
One of the very first verses I discovered in our special needs parenting journey is a verse that I continue to pray daily for all of my children: “Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons and you commit to Me the works of My hands.” (Isaiah 45:11) With that verse, God claims ownership and responsibility for all of our children. James Bruce was God’s child before he was mine, and he will be God’s child long after I am gone.
All of us will wait, but God’s people are never to worry or churn and burn while we do. Our job is to keep asking for God to “work in us that which is pleasing to Him” (Hebrews 13:21) and to trust His timing and provision. One author quipped, “He’s an on-time God; never late and seldom early!”
Thank you seems so inadequate for Julie’s extraordinary kindness and God’s gracious provision. And so I breathe a prayer of gratitude: “May the Lord reward your work and your wages be full from the Lord.” (Ruth 2:12)
Happy Birthday, James Bruce!