a soul searching week

It's been a week now since we had our first service to prepare ourselves to nominate and ordain a youth pastor/deacon in our church. It was a very difficult time as we earnestly tried to discern the Spirit's leading and not let our own personal feelings get in the way. After the the names were released of the 5 couples who were willing to be used of God in this way we had several days of praying for each couple. Some of the couples were our peers so you felt even more inadequate if you tried to put yourself in their shoes. We were truly blessed by seeing our friends willing to give themselves up and be open to God's leading by way of the lot in this way to serve the church. Our new deacon/youth pastor is Wendall Glick along with his wife Janelle. He gives a very awesome testimony on his blog www.wendellglick.com
about his willingness to follow God's call. Our memory verse from our SS lesson this past Sun. was this "Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We are also with you. Be of good courage and do it." Ezra 10:4. This verse had been on my mind a lot this past week. It is also my prayer, desire & goal for our new pastoral leader in our church.

Part two of article submitted to Midwest Focus

Thirty five years later I came across the article my dad wrote when going through a box of my mom’s things looking for things to make a scrap book for her 60th birthday. And now I want to continue the story.
My parents did not have continual sunshine after that. They had 7 more children, 5 girls and 2 boys after me. I have 4 mentally challenged sisters and my very youngest brother was like my 2 older brothers.
As a child I did not realize anything was different about my sisters until they started attending school. They were unable to function in a normal classroom setting. At the time we a had a lady living with us who took an interest in the education of my sisters. She became the special ed teacher for them for several years. She taught 3 of them how to read & write. After she quit teaching all 4 of my sisters were enrolled in a Special ed class at the local public school.
One Sunday afternoon when I was around 11 years old my parents called my brother, my sister next to me and myself into the bedroom and told us we were going to have another brother or sister. We were very excited about this and could hardly wait for the new baby.
On Feb. 3, 1981 my youngest brother Rodney Dale was born. We were excited about a baby boy in the family. One of my first memories is getting down on my knees beside my bed at night begging , and imploring to God that Rodney would be normal.
I do not remember the Sunday we had baby visitors. But at 3 weeks old my mom was changing Rodney and he had a seizure. My mom was heart broken. She kept the seizure to herself until the company left. That following week Rodney was taken to the doctor. Then the journey of hospital stays began. We children often went to other families in the church after school until our parents came home from the hospital to pick us up. Sometimes we children had no warning and were picked up by someone else because Rodney was admitted to the hospital again.
One of the ways that I helped my mom care for Rodney was to feed him the bottle. He was a very slow drinker so it took a long time. After school my sisters and I would gather all our dolls together and line up our chairs in a row and play church. This is when I held Rodney and gave him a bottle.
As a child I often wondered why us and felt that we were different. I also had to deal with the curious looks and questions as some inquisitive child asked their mommy what was wrong with those two boys as my parents carried there two handicapped boys into the nursery at church.
In the fall of ‘83 Rodney developed pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital. The night that Rodney passed away my mom was at home in bed with a severe headache. My dad was with him when they took the respirator off and he died 3 hours later.
This was a very sad time for our family. My mom’s work load was relieved slightly but she still had her second oldest son to take care of. I was 13 and was able to help care for Keith somewhat. I was able to hold him and feed him his meals.
After Rodney’s funeral my parents decided to visit their friends in Parry Sound. So one freezing rain Sun. Morning we started creeping up to Parry Sound. Several times we almost turned around but we begged dad to keep going. The weather finally cleared a bit and we made it to church. This was a very enjoyable weekend sharing with friends.
As we look back now that trip was a blessing because we focused on something else other than our loss. Because the following Sat. morning my parents woke up to hear nothing. They could not hear Keith breathing. He had passed away in his sleep 3 weeks after Rodney did. He was 14 years old. So we laid another brother to rest. Now my mom had break in caring for handicapped sons. She told me she washed diapers for 15 years.
Caring for these handicapped boys was hard physical work. They did not respond to any stimuli. They were either in bed or in wheelchairs.
Caring for my sisters is a little different. They are physically able to care for themselves. They do not have the cognitive skills that a normal functioning adult does.
As a teenager I struggled with meeting the needs of my sisters, yet having my needs met. I wanted them to be accepted as part of the group yet sometimes I was embarrassed that they were my sisters. I longed to have a sister I could have heart to heart chats with like my friends. My second youngest sister, who is 8 years younger than me is now my heart -to -heart sister. She was blessed with perfect health too. She is married, has a family, and is serving the Lord in Africa.
When I attended Bible School one winter I was given the assignment of explaining how my childhood shaped my life. This was an easy assignment for me. I remember discussing this assignment with another individual who was frustrated with that assignment. I said, just tell about your childhood and then proceeded to explain my point my telling my story. This only frustrated this person more. "See, nothing like that happened to me. My life was normal." That discussion has stuck with me because it showed me that my life was different then most people and yet it was normal for me.
My 4 sisters have all graduated from the Life skills program at high school. They all hold jobs in the community. About 4 years ago they went together and purchased a house. They have a measure of independence. Two of them own a car.
While they have their independence it still takes tremendous patience, grace and mercy on our part as a family.
The issue I struggle the most with in relating to my sisters is taking the time to listen.
It means answering the phone at inconvenient times to assure them or answer a question, having them pop in without notice to show you something they bought when it really does not work to have them there. I found this particularly challenging when I am looking after my own two little boys. They need my attention and yet the girls were demanding my attention.
It seems rude and unkind but at times we just have to say now is not a good time. We will have to talk about this later or something of that nature.
I did not know until the day of my wedding when my dad was giving his father of the bride speech that my parents had anointing of oil when they were expecting me.
Since then a verse and a phrase go through my mind, there but for the grace (and mercy) of God go I and unto whom much is given much is required. Luke 12:48 These are the two things I try to live by when I am challenged by the emotional issues I face when I am with my sisters.
Often if we just take the time to stop and listen to hear what the mentally challenged have to say or show they will be satisfied. A relationship with a mentally challenged person is often nurturing, giving but not receiving. This is where it is vital for we as care givers to have friends who can give us the encouragement we need to have the stamina to face the next situation.
When I am tempted to cut my sisters off because I think I don’t have time for this right now I have to think how would I feel if was treated like that. What if God had blessed my sister with a sound mind and I was like her, would I want to be treated like that?
Some rewards, blessings of having mentally and physically challenged individuals in your family is it makes you sensitive to the needs around you and other handicapped people. You develop empathy. You are kept humble! Nobody is a stranger and nothing is kept private. Another blessing you receive is the unconditional love they lavish on you.
I think the biggest gift you can give a mentally challenged person is the gift of your undivided time and attention. Some ways you can do that are taking time to talk to them when you meet them, remembering them on their birthday, inviting them into your home for a meal. These are all things we enjoy but it takes special effort to do this with the mentally challenged.
My mom does a very good job of this. She always answers the phone cheerfully. She usually has them at her place for Sun. dinner and is often helping them with something at their house. I admire my parents for fulfilling the role God has called them to. I feel they have faithfully followed God’s purpose for their lives. They have also done it with acceptance and thanksgiving.

Part one

After the Rain Comes the Sunshine
by Delfred Weber
It was a wet rainy day Wednesday, September 27, 1967; the day that Doris and I had long waited and planned and prayed about. I t was the day of our wedding. We were united in holy matrimony. We knew not what the future held but we knew that God holds the future.
We had bought a farm and looked forward to settling down in our new home and begin life together. On our first wedding anniversary the Lord saw fit to bless us with a little son. How happy we were with little Timothy Wayne.
I still remember how I used to press against that big glass window longing to pick him up and cuddle him. It was a joy to take care of this little fellow. We started to take him to church and we noticed then that Timmy was not progressing like other babies his age. And as parents, we became concerned and made an appointment with our doctor. He told us not to become alarmed because he was smaller when he was born. It would just take a little more time. So we went home and prayed that God would help us be satisfied with the way He saw to have Timmy grow.
But as time went on Timmy grew more and more upset. Sometimes he cried for hours at a time and even had seizures. The doctor advised us to try different formulas, but all to no avail. The doctor then said that he is puzzled, and he made an appointment on a very near date with a baby specialist.
We were not prepared for what the doctor told us because Timmy looked like a normal child. The doctor told us that he is not sure whether Timmy and see or hear, and that he might have a brain tumor and must go to the hospital right away.
Then we took him to the hospital in Kitchener and left our loved one in the care of strange people. It caused a lot of tears to go out of that room and leave him there. It was a very trying time for us while we were there every day, and he cried nearly all the time. It just seemed they were not doing anything for him.
We then we talked with our family doctor about it. He arranged to have him moved to the Sick Children’s Hospital in Toronto, about 75 miles from our home. The doctor said we could take him down if we wanted because if Timmy had a tumor he would die even though he was in an ambulance. So we took him to Toronto hospital, feeling he was under better care.
Timmy was in the hospital for 7 weeks, going through test after test. His different doctors came to take different tests to try to see what was wrong. They found a drug that could quiet him down and control his seizures.
As time went on we began to question, "Why us?" Then we had to ask, "Why somebody else?" We needed to realize what a great god we have and that He is a God of purpose and does not do things without a purpose. I believe that one purpose was to draw us closer to Him. In 1 Thess. 5:18 we also found comfort: "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God concerning you." How can we give thanks for an abnormal child? First of all, we have to accept it as the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us. Then we can give thanks. It does not have to be an abnormal child, but in any way the Lord has chosen to chasten us. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth. As Doris & I together accepted this as the will of God in our lives, we prayed that God might give us the strength and patience and love that we would need to take care of this child for Him. We could also feel the many prayers that were offered in our behalf. Yes, when one member suffers, we all should suffer. Perhaps this often is not as it should be.
As time went on Timmy grew and we spent many happy hours with him. The Lord then blessed us with another little son. We named him Keith Lamar. We were thankful for this little boy. WE had prayed for a long time that God would grant us a healthy child if it was His will, but he saw fit to do otherwise. Keith was the same as Timmy.
God will not give us a greater burden than we can bear but will give abundance of grace to bear it.
At 3 months of age, Keith was taken to the Toronto hospital for tests and 2 operations. He was there 9 weeks, and during these 9 weeks Timmy also became sick and had to be taken into the hospital for oxygen and treatment. Our house seemed very empty at this time. WE used to take turns. One of us would go to Toronto and one to Kitchener. How thankful we were for friends who offered to take us to the hospitals! Those who could not drive would help with the work at home. It was a time that we truly learned to appreciate one another.
Timmy seemed to improve so we took him home again. Then Keith was able to come home from Toronto after 9 weeks. It was nice to have the family together at home again. But this did not last long. Keith got a hernia, so he was rushed to the hospital for another operation. But his stay was not long this time, for the Lord granted quick healing.
We were expecting another child in the near future, so you can realize that we were very concerned about this one. The doctors had told us after Timmy was in the hospital that we would not have worry because they did not think we would have more children like this. But then we had Keith he was the same.
Then one morning in our devotions we read James 5:14. It was just seemed to be the answer to our prayers. WE had an anointing service. While we do not feel this is a commandment, it is a divine provision and privilege. We must let the Lord do this and have faith that He is able to heal.
Timmy was losing weight quite fast the last few weeks. Then on May 31, 1970 Timmy went to a better home. This again was a time we felt the prayers of the saints.
Then on August 29, 1970 we were blessed with a little girl, and most of all answered prayer. We named her Judy Lynn. She is now 4 months old and a picture of health. Praise God for this.
So let us remember that God is till the Almighty One, and that the doctors are limited only to what God will allow. So as Christians let us pray for one another that we may remain faithful until Jesus comes again for those who are faithful to His very appearing or till our journey here is over. Again, let us pray for each other, for this is a Christian’s vital breath.
Christian Example, Sept. 17, 1971
Submitted by Judy Martin with permission from her dad

Out of the mouths of babes

I have two incidents going through my mind that i want to tell you about. Do I do serious or cute first? I'll do cute. The other evening my husband and I and the boys wnt out for supper. The waitress asked my 3 yr old osn what he wants to drink. He says, I want orange juice and then pointing at us he says and my mom and my dad they will have coffees! After we closed our mouths we burst out laughing. I had to call the speech therapist on that one because she likes to know how many word sentences he speaks. PTL for Jackson's improved and increasing speech.
The second thing was my oldest son's memory work. His teacher sent a note home from school telling us he said his memory work perfect and that he should say it to us. At supper the other evening this dear, sweet innocent boy started repeating the gospel in a nutshell to us. John 3:14 -19. This time my husband and I had to wipe the tears from our eyes. What a priceless memory!