The Star
“For nothing will be impossible with God.”
Luke 1:37 (ESV)
Note: I shared this James Bruce story during a recent Red Sea Rules women’s retreat session. It was well received and I thought you might enjoy it as well.
Have you ever prayed an impossible prayer - one that you knew with your head that God COULD answer, but your heart shouted, “Impossible!”
As mom to our four children, I realized the importance of finding at least one area for a child to excel. Three of our four children excelled in academics or athletics, but my heart was burdened for James Bruce, our twelve-year-old son with autism.
One by one as James Bruce attempted activities, it became obvious that it was going to be difficult, if not impossible, to find that one area. His intellectual disabilities ruled out academic prowess and his limited fine motor skills hindered success in areas that required manual dexterity. We attempted Challenger baseball and Special Olympics, but James Bruce experienced little success.
Finally it hit me one day as I heard him singing through our house. MUSIC! He was good at music. Not playing it, of course, but singing it. While James Bruce often could not retrieve information on demand in conversations, he was a sponge when it came to singing hymns. On his own, unpressured to perform, James Bruce wandered through our house singing a wide range of selections from Amy Grant to Alan Jackson. From his room I could hear him singing loudly and clearly:
I worship You
I worship You
The reason I live
Is to worship You
But how could I help him use his love of music? I had no idea, so I prayed for wisdom and asked God for help. Soon afterward our church asked us to participate in a Special Ones ministry highlight video. James Bruce was very nervous during our taping session. The recording studio was filled with unfamiliar people, bright lights, and assorted camera equipment. The interview lasted 45 minutes, but James Bruce was very quiet and had no input. As our session drew to a close, the interviewer asked, almost as a last thought, if James Bruce knew any songs. I drew a blank, but Bruce suggested James Bruce sing Amazing Grace.
Surprisingly he completed the request. It wasn’t the prettiest or most skilled performance, but James Bruce sang the first verse of Amazing Grace unassisted all on his own. The videographer then explained that a number of people were being interviewed. He wouldn’t know until the project was completely filmed and edited what would be used for the final presentation.
Two months later we went to church unaware that the Special Ones video would be presented that morning. Suddenly the movie screen descended, the sanctuary darkened, and my pulse quickened. We hadn’t prepared James Bruce for this. WE weren’t prepared ourselves. Kids with autism function much better when they are properly prepared for changes. What if James Bruce got excited or upset during the service if he saw himself on the screen? Should I go ahead and take him out or should we stay, watch, and hope for the best??
All I could do was watch and wait.
Five minutes seemed like five years as I anxiously waited to see if James Bruce was on the screen. For 4 minutes and 30 seconds I listened to parents extol the virtues of the Special Ones ministry. Volunteers shared their experiences and there were short film clips of Special Ones church camp, Sunday School, and VBS. I cried as Benji, a teenager with Down syndrome, shared his love and faith in Jesus Christ.
Just as I decided James Bruce had been edited out, there he was singing Amazing Grace to a packed sanctuary.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me,
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see.
The video was suddenly over, the lights brightened, and I finally exhaled. James Bruce had behaved through the whole thing. I heard sniffles from folks beside me as I arose to take him to Children’s Church. When we got to the sanctuary door to exit, James Bruce, still clutching my left hand, looked up at me and said excitedly, “I was The Star!”
He was right. For just a moment he was indeed the star! It was a holy ground moment for me. God answered my impossible prayer. He used a little boy with special needs to minister to His people AND He used music to build my son’s self-esteem. It truly was God’s amazing grace!
Fast forward 26 years and that same child sang Amazing Grace at his own funeral service via that video taken in 1995. Once again, there were lots of tears shed for James Bruce’s life and God’s amazing grace.
Nothing is impossible with God!