Advocacy Part 5
The story resumes from here...
We just celebrated the best Thanksgiving our family has had in what seems like light years. To finish off the holiday weekend, we went to Zoo Lights at the Phoenix Zoo...
"I love the LORD, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live."
The close of the year is barreling fast and hard, yet with it comes the awareness of undeserved mercy and grace. Our son is still in his residential home, he is as stable as he's ever been, he is in a good routine, he meets with his pastor for counseling every week, we pick him up every Sunday for church and lunch. We are grateful.
"The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”
Our son is alive. He is not in prison. He is not homeless. He is not dead. Why are we allowed this?
"Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
The LORD preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you."
Yet all this, and we still have far to go. Every 60 days we will fight for his long term care. Every year we will fight for changed policy. We will not stop speaking up, because much has been given...
"For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;
I will walk before the LORD
in the land of the living."
I think back to that first day now, the first time we left our son in that hospital as a teenager...God whispering to my soul..."you have to walk through this, how can you help anyone else if you don't?".
Yellow room. Window high on that wall with the sun peering through. Cold. Heartless trial.
How I hated you.
"I believed, even when I spoke:
“I am greatly afflicted”;
I said in my alarm,
“All mankind are liars.”
I end this series on Advocacy for now, but I know we have far to go. Our son's story is not finished yet. The great Sovereign, loving King has written every one of his days, and ours, and what is settled has yet to reveal itself. And so I will trust Him.
"What shall I render to the LORD
for all his benefits to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD"~Psalm 116:1~13
We just celebrated the best Thanksgiving our family has had in what seems like light years. To finish off the holiday weekend, we went to Zoo Lights at the Phoenix Zoo...
"I love the LORD, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live."
The close of the year is barreling fast and hard, yet with it comes the awareness of undeserved mercy and grace. Our son is still in his residential home, he is as stable as he's ever been, he is in a good routine, he meets with his pastor for counseling every week, we pick him up every Sunday for church and lunch. We are grateful.
"The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the LORD:
“O LORD, I pray, deliver my soul!”
Our son is alive. He is not in prison. He is not homeless. He is not dead. Why are we allowed this?
"Gracious is the LORD, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
The LORD preserves the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest;
for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you."
Yet all this, and we still have far to go. Every 60 days we will fight for his long term care. Every year we will fight for changed policy. We will not stop speaking up, because much has been given...
"For you have delivered my soul from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling;
I will walk before the LORD
in the land of the living."
I think back to that first day now, the first time we left our son in that hospital as a teenager...God whispering to my soul..."you have to walk through this, how can you help anyone else if you don't?".
Yellow room. Window high on that wall with the sun peering through. Cold. Heartless trial.
How I hated you.
"I believed, even when I spoke:
“I am greatly afflicted”;
I said in my alarm,
“All mankind are liars.”
I end this series on Advocacy for now, but I know we have far to go. Our son's story is not finished yet. The great Sovereign, loving King has written every one of his days, and ours, and what is settled has yet to reveal itself. And so I will trust Him.
"What shall I render to the LORD
for all his benefits to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD"~Psalm 116:1~13
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