Autism Awareness and the Gospel

Joshua is on the far right of the picture

Once again, our family is doing everything we can to raise awareness of Autism in light of April being Autism Awareness Month.  April 2 is Wold Autism Awareness Day where many buildings and people light it up blue.  We participate in these activities in honor of our precious son Joshua (8 years old) who has Autism.  He has Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD-NOS), which is a moderately-functioning form of Autism.  A year ago, his diagnosis was changed from Asperger's Syndrome (high-functioning Autism) to PDD because of concurrent mental health issues he now struggles with which decreases his functionality.  If you are not familiar with what Autism is, please see the description at the end of this post.

I have been very burdened to pull the Gospel into Autism Awareness.  Too often, we look at the deficits those affected by Autism have rather than seeing them for who God made them to be.  God has made each person PERFECTLY - He does not make mistakes!  If there is any doubt, read these verses:

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb." (Psalm 139:13-14a,ESV)  

"Then the LORD said to him [Moses], 'Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?'"     (Exodus 4:11, ESV) 

"...bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." (Isaiah 43:6b-7, ESV)

God made my son and others with Autism exactly the way He had designed and intended.  Josh's Autism is not a mistake.  It is God's design to show the glory of God in a lost and broken world. Joshua is VALUABLE.  What some may see as a weakness, God deems IMPORTANT.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31, ESV)

"On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable..." (1 Corinthians 12:22b, ESV)

"But he [the Lord] said to me [Paul], 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" (2 Corinthians 12:9a, ESV)

Joshua is NOT Autistic!  He has Autism!  He is not defined by his developmental disorder!  It is simply a characteristic that God placed in Josh's life to proclaim God's glory!  Joshua is an image-bearer of Christ, a child of the King.  His sins have been forgiven and washed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ, and by God's grace through faith, Joshua has an eternal home waiting for him in God's eternal presence where Joshua will some day have a perfect body without any limitations where he can continue to glorify God for all of eternity!

God has some incredibly big plans for this young man!  We feel overwhelmed yet honored at the task God has equipped and entrusted us with in raising this child up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord for God's honor and glory!

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11, ESV)

The next time you hear about Autism or see a person with Autism, don't forget to look at them through the lens of the Gospel!  Praise God for His handiwork!

Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder are the umbrella terms for a range of developmental disorders that cause difficulty with social interaction, verbal and non-verbal communication, and repetitive behaviors and often, many other struggles as well as some special gifts.  These difficulties present in varying degrees in different people.  I heard the saying once, "If you have seen 1 child with Autism, you have seen 1 child with Autism."  That statement is so true!  Each individual with Autism is uniquely themselves with their strengths and weaknesses.  The disorders under the spectrum classification of Autism from lowest functioning to highest functioning are:  Autistic disorder, Rett Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger's Syndrome.  For further information, check out the Autism Speaks website or see my previous blog posts linked below.

As of last year, 1 in 88 children in the United States have Autism making it an epidemic.  It is our responsibility, especially as Christians, to raise awareness and help these children and adults alike know how important they are and to help them feel accepted as Christ accepts us!

Past blog posts about Autism (most recent to oldest):

Russell World Autism Awareness Day 2012

The Impact of Autism

Lighting it Up Blue for Autism Awareness

Autism Awareness Month

After the Winter comes the Spring

The LORD is far from the wicked,
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
and good news refreshes the bones.
(Proverbs 15:29-30 ESV)

After praying for 6 years for God to heal David of his debilitating Primary Immune Deficiency Disease, we are seeing God finally answer those prayers "yes."  We are refreshed just like the earth is refreshed after a long winter at the good news that has unfolded before our eyes!

As an infant, David's doctor's determined that he had an "immature immune system" explaining his continued battles with ear infections, bronchitis, and a bout of pneumonia.  After the doctors operated on 2-year-old David putting tubes in his ears and draining his current ear infection which had been resistant to 5 different antibiotics, we saw a sudden decrease of ear infections only to see a nearly-monthly battle with sinus infections.  Despite the drugs to treat his sinuses and nose and prophylactic antibiotics (antibiotics given at lower doses daily to help prevent infection), the sinus infections continued.  David's doctors then decided to take out his adenoids almost exactly one year after his ear surgery.  After the surgery, we saw a slight decrease in the number of sinus infections but a huge increase in tonsillitis infections.  At this point, with the continued prophylactic antibiotic use mixed with the full-strength antibiotics for active infections, David had built up a resistance to 2 classes of antibiotics.

When David turned 4, the age that kids with "immature immune systems" turn the corner and improve, David's conditioned only worsened leading to many more tests which led to his official diagnosis of Primary Immune Deficiency Disease.  David's body was barely producing IgG antibodies (those which fight bacterial infections).  Just before his 5th birthday, David's immune specialist decided that we had done everything we could to fight this immune disease and with his worsening infections and continued antibiotic resistance, the only other option was to give him infusions of antibodies taken from the blood of 70+ donors and given to him weekly subcutaneously through a pump.  Once the infusions began, we did see a huge improvement in his health.  He set a new record of being infection-free for 5 months.  At that point, tonsillitis infections and sometimes sinus infections on top of that began to take vengeance on David's body.

In a year's time, David had suffered from 11 bouts of tonsillitis despite always being on an antibiotic.  In September 2012, we were faced with the decision of allowing David's surgeon to perform a tonsillectomy on him despite the fears of what removing yet another immune organ would do to David not to mention his trend of having the infections move to another site, which at this point would only go to his lungs.  We bathed David in prayer asking that God would allow the surgery to be more successful than we could ever imagine.  God heard our prayers and answered them in the most incredible way!  Since his surgery, David has not had 1 bacterial infection making his new record of being infection-free at 6.5 months!!!!

In discussing David's continued progress with the immune specialist this past Friday, the doctor has made the decision to take David off of the prophylactic antibiotic and see how David's body responds with only the weekly antibody infusions.  We are thrilled beyond words!  As we see the ground and trees around us start to show signs of life after the winter, we feel that Spring for us has truly come, and the darkness of dealing with this Primary Immune Deficiency Disease is starting to be made light through God's amazing work.

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
(Psalm 30:11 ESV)

Tonight, as David prepares for bed, he will NOT be taking an antibiotic for the first time in a year straight!  We are continuing to cover him in prayer asking that God would allow David's body to fight without the antibiotics.  We are praying that the next step in the goal--decreasing his antibody infusions to every other week from weekly--will be able to happen this summer as a result of David's remaining infection-free!  We know that this can happen only through God's power and will.

Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
who conducts his affairs with justice.
For the righteous will never be moved;
he will be remembered forever.
He is not afraid of bad news;
his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
His heart is steady; he will not be afraid...
(Psalm 112:4-8a ESV)

We invite you to praise the Lord with us for his continued goodness in David's life and continue to pray with us that God would continue to bless David with good health.

Light is sown for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name!
(Psalm 97:11-12 ESV)

Testifying to the Good News of God's Grace

I have been completely refreshed and encouraged by my recent personal study through the book of Acts in the Bible.

• I was reminded anew of God's amazing sovereignty over people and events.  It truly is amazing to read about how God moved people to be in certain places at certain times to have providential meetings with others so that the Gospel can be shared and God can be glorified in and through it. There truly is no such thing as a chance meeting, for all meetings are orchestrated by God!  
• It was encouraging to see that God rescued His saints when He felt it was necessary, but He also allowed them to face various and often difficult trials as well.  In the end, it was all for the furtherance of the Gospel.  Many times, it was the persecutions and hard times in which the Gospel went forth in a greater way.
• I also thoroughly enjoyed reading about the places Paul traveled throughout the region which is now Turkey, knowing that I probably walked on the same soil on which Paul walked so long ago.

The blessings of Acts helped to renew my fervor in keeping the faith, continuing the race, and keeping my eyes on the finish line of life.

I was struck anew by Paul's view of his purpose in life and His fervor to do what God had called him to do no matter what difficulties he faced until the Lord was finished with him:  

"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace."

~Acts 20:24 NIV~

This verse has become a new life verse for me as I remember that no matter what struggles and difficulties I face in life, all I need to do is complete the task that God has given me: 

Testify to the good news of God's grace!

If I can do that until God calls me home, then I have been successful and nothing else truly matters.  

Taken from Facebook.com/Zondervan