The Least of These

I was recently in a local store when the gentleman behind the counter began asking me about Faces of Hope. I’m still haunted by the way the expression on his face changed as I explained that we serve children and families with autism and other special needs. While he was not unkind to me personally, his lack of tolerance for these children was apparent. He was telling me about a family that used to go to his church. It was clear—very clear—that he had no patience or compassion whatsoever for their struggle. As a matter of fact, he said numerous times that he thought the only thing wrong with “the kid” was his parents. “They don’t go to our church anymore—thankfully,” he said. I am still a bit taken back by his change in demeanor and attitude.

For obvious reasons, that encounter bothered me. I remember a few years back (I think it was a few years) when “WWJD” was all the rage. I never did jump on that wagon—I was actually a bit put off by it. Not because it isn’t a noble thing to ask, but because most of the time when I saw someone sporting a bumper sticker or bracelet their actions and attitudes were anything but what I thought Jesus would do. It seemed insincere to me. As I was standing in that store listening to that “Christian” all I could think was “Hey, mister! What do you think Jesus would do or have done for that family? Think He cares about them? Think their salvation is important to Him? Think He would welcome them with open arms?” I was really pretty upset.

Last night I made a sickening discovery and with the sickening discover came the humbling reminder that I am a better person because of my boys. You see, while I am still upset by the gentleman in the store, the truth is that a few years ago I would have been the one lacking tolerance and patience and compassion. I would have been the one carelessly spouting off about being glad that a family no longer attended church where I did. I can almost hear myself… “Yeah, yeah—what would Jesus do… I get it. He’d be kind... I mean, the guy was perfect. If I had all of the power that Jesus had I’d probably react better to. ….”

Matthew 25 is a familiar passage to many. The verse most often quoted is verse 40, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” I used to like to think of myself as benevolent. This sounded easy to me--- feed and clothe those less fortunate. We’ve all donated a bag or two of clothes to the Goodwill or taken a can of soup to church for a food drive….EASY.

If you look a few verses down in Matthew 25 that passage continues… “42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

When I read that the other night it took my breath away! Whatever you DID NOT DO for one of the least of these YOU DID NOT DO FOR ME. Didn’t want them in your church? Didn’t want JESUS in your church… Didn’t have compassion for them? Didn’t have compassion for CHRIST. Didn’t offer support and encouragement or even just a smile and kind eyes to them? Didn’t offer ANY of that to JESUS. When you focus on THOSE verses our actions, attitudes, and inaction all suddenly seem so much worse! I’ll be honest—had God not blessed my life with Matthew and Joshua I’m not so sure I would have ever REALLY paid attention to the message in those verses.

To the gentleman I met the other day: I know the family you were so disgusted about and they happen to be some of the most sincere, compassionate, Christ-like people I’ve ever met. I also know that they are struggling with many more obstacles and disabilities than you are aware. I still get a sick feeling in my stomach when I revisit our conversation, but not because I’m passing any judgment on you. Not at all. I am humbled by God’s amazing grace, His patience, and forgiveness for ever thinking that way myself.

The “WWJD” craze seems to have passed at least for now. Maybe the question shouldn’t be “What would Jesus do?” Maybe it should be “What are you doing?” When was the last time you passed judgment, got irritated, jumped to a wrong conclusions, gave unwelcoming glances or displayed a less than kind attitude? Would you change any of your behavior if it had been Christ standing in front of you instead of that person? That very thought sure has given me something to think about.....What about you? What have YOU done to WHOM lately?! The answer SHOULD be "I love them." I believe with all of my heart that it really is that simple. Love them as He commanded and let Him do the rest.

Leslie

God Bless this Mess!

I had to go to the dentist the week before last. I was certain that I had some horrible something wrong with a few of my teeth-- they actually hurt every time I took a step.... Imagine my surprise when the dentist told me my teeth were beautiful and healthy in spite of the fact that it has been two years since I've had them cleaned.... The source of my pain? It seems that I am grinding my teeth... And when I say grinding my teeth I mean grinding them so that the ones on the right side of my mouth are noticeably shorter than the ones on the left..... I left the dentist's office (with an appointment for a cleaning) wondering if the origin of the pain I was having could possibly be that simple.....

Matthew and Joshua are having an incredible year at school. I've seen little Joshua do things I never imagined he would. He LOVES going to school. He's learning to communicate and doing all kinds of big boy stuff. Matthew, well, Matthew is really starting to talk. I continue to be amazed at some of his words of wisdom. His growing independence is exciting and frightening all at the same time. He can get into and out of anything and everything... There is no safe place for the knives, the matches, the phones, the remotes, and sometimes even the pets....

As exciting as all of this is, I have found another level of exhaustion. It seems my little men prefer to live in chaos. Josh likes pillows, blankets, books, and newspapers all over the place. He's not content for them to be neatly put away. He's also learned that if he shakes the bird cage hard enough water and seeds will fly everywhere.... Then there's Matthew... (See, if we talked every day that would say it all....) I have never known a child to enjoy watching dirt turn into dust when you throw it, making mud, playing in water, and just generally making messes as much as he does. As much as I love him, there are truly no words to describe some of the images in my permanent memory of some of the messes he has made.

Last week I was busy doing chores and walked back into the kitchen from doing the laundry. To my left was the living room and what was left of the bird cage, the newspaper, and a pillow. (Josh) To my right was muddy foot prints, an empty box of sticks of butter, an empty can of cooking spray, and a gerbil, dog, cat, fish tank, and floor glistening with slippery substances. I didn't yell, I just sat down at the table and became acutely aware that the pain in my teeth was not because I grind my teeth in my sleep, but because--- in anticipation of the devastation that I might find when I enter a room at our house--- I CLENCH MY TEETH!

That night while I was cleaning up, I had a little chat with God. It started out with an almost hateful "Could You just tell them to cut me some slack? I mean, can they just stop making messes?!" It progressed to a kind of bargaining "Well, if You aren't going to stop the messes can You at least give me some super power ability to clean it up lightning fast?" It ended with a begrudging "Fine, then if You can just help me see them and love them more like You do..."

Tonight I am happy to provide a progress report of sorts.

Just this afternoon I learned that if you put the bottle of dishwasher detergent in the dishwasher and turn it on-- it will melt. I learned that the dog is allergic to shaving cream, television remotes float, and the right kind of mud can actually stain a linoleum floor.

This week I noticed that Joshua seems to have a little song in his heart. He's beginning to sing and makes melodies out of the different sounds that he hears when I speak. He laughs with his whole heart and looks straight into my soul when he grabs my chin and looks at my eyes. I noticed that Matthew likes to live out loud. He likes what he likes and never lets what anyone else thinks deter him from something he enjoys doing. He does everything he does with 110% of his being. He is a happy little guy too. He is learning how to be polite and does his best to love his animals like he wants to be loved.

The people outside of this house, but in my every day are more intriguing, less frustrating, and generally more enjoyable. AND MY TEETH DON'T HURT. I'm no less tired, still spend a great deal of time cleaning up messes, and have yet to figure out exactly what happened to 4 whole sticks of butter; I AM, however, happy and not nearly as stressed by the mess as I was just a couple of weeks ago. I've even found myself laughing in amazement at how blessed our mess really is..........

May God bless you and your mess.....

(Got to go-- just heard Matthew say "uh-oh" and "I'm sorry" immediately after the sound of something breaking upstairs......)

Love, Leslie

Simple Grace

I took one of the sides off of Joshua's crib yesterday. He's got his little satin sheet, memory foam pillows, even a mesh tent over the top to keep him from climbing out at night. It's a nice little place-- I'm sure he'd be content to live in there for the rest of his life! The thing is, I can hear him in there at night banging around-- hitting his head and his long legs when he moves at night.

In a moment of bravery I decided that if he can go to school for an entire week like a big boy maybe it's time he tried a big boy bed.... At 3:30 this morning I was rethinking that bravery... He awoke screaming like someone had pinched him-- VERY upset to find himself outside of the comfort of his crib.

Needless to say, little Joshua hasn't been the happiest, most rested camper today. He FINALLY fell asleep on the couch only to wake up crying and out of sorts. I tried everything to console him--- I tried a number of his favorite DVDs, books, juice, cookies, changed his diaper, got him a clean sniffy, more pillows.... Nothing helped. There were only two tricks left: a bath or some praise music. I opted for the music. I found a song we sang in church this morning and played it on the computer, picked him up, and started singing....

Before the song was over, we were BOTH laughing, smiling, and dancing! All the weariness and stress of a long night and a longer day were gone-- for BOTH of us. We were singing.... "How great, great Your kindness is to us. How great, how great Your mercy is to us. How great, how great Your healing is to us. How great the love the Father lavishes on us!" Another crisis averted in the Face house.

A few minutes later I realized that, once again, I had learned more about the grace and mercy of God through one of my children. Suddenly I was reminded that God commands us to rejoice and be glad because this is the day He has made. I've been struggling, stressed, and a bit disheartened this week. I was wrong to be any of those things. In hindsight, I guess you could even say I was unhappy because I was so much more comfortable in MY crib... He knows it's better for me out here.

This afternoon as we were singing (me) and squealing (Josh) at the top of our
lungs our hearts and minds were flooded with sweet relief. Nothing else
mattered. Nothing else could compare to the transformation that had taken place in just a few minutes time!

I learned something else about grace today-- it's simple. HE says "This is the day, rejoice and be glad." WE need only rejoice. PERIOD. It doesn't matter if we like being outside of our comfort zone. It doesn't matter if we have all of the things we think we need to have. It just doesn't matter. It's impossible for me to sing and dance with a giggling Joshua and still be stressed or disheartened or even weary. And-- thankfully-- it's impossible to fret or doubt or be defeated when I am focusing my attention on rejoicing about "how great" His mercy, kindness, and love are! Simple really. Simple grace.

I'm happy to report that it's been a few hours and we're still singing and dancing here at the face house. Josh is really getting into it now-- flapping and hopping-- it's really something to see! So-- my challenge to you and to myself is simple: rejoice because He said so-- not because you want to, not because you feel giddy or ridiculously happy-- just do it because He said so..... His greatness will flood your soul and whatever crisis you thought you had will have been averted. "How Great" is that?!

Love and Prayers to you,

Leslie

PS- "How Great" is a really neat, happy song by Jami Smith. Google her or look it up on itunes-- go ahead-- I dare you to escape His blessing and listen to that song at the same time!

Scary Grace

Matthew was having a particularly tough night a few months ago. I'm not really sure what was bothering him, but that night EVERYTHING was a crisis. "Matthew, can you help me pick up some of these animals?" I asked. "Ohhhh nooooo- Mashew-- pick up the animals-- right now!" he shouted. "Matthew, let's go take a bath." "Take a bath-- right now, Mashew, take a bath!" he yelled back. After what I am sure sounded like some kind of torture-- our very own version of waterboarding or something-- we emerged from the bathroom-- both of us wet and at least one of us nice and clean. As he ran down the stairs-- naked, of course-- he began to scream at the top of his lungs. He wasn't saying anything that I could interpret, but he was clearly upset.

I had been trying to calmly and patiently tell him that he was ok-- that everything was fine... I didn't seem to be getting my point across so I decided I would join Matthew in screaming..... "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh," I screamed from the top of the stairs. Matthew stopped in his tracks, looked at me, and screamed again. I came down the stairs and was standing in front of him trying to get him a diaper-- and I screamed again-- just like he did.

He looked in my mouth, reached for his diaper, and very calmly-- as if he hadn't been crying and carrying on for the last hour--- he said "You're scary...."

Needless to say, I couldn't stop laughing and neither could he. The crisis was FINALLY over! Whatever it was that had been bothering him seemed to vanish as he redirected his focus on his scary mom.....

I was listening to another mom relate her evening ritual with her son who has special needs. She was in tears and desperate for some kind of peaceful solution or plan.... I didn't provide her with any advice-- not really even any personal insight. I will have to say, though, that after she left I found myself wondering when that part of my life became our normal. When did I get so used to all of that screaming and fussing? When did I learn to tune it out-- to keep it from feeling like a crisis? I mean, how does that happen?

I hate to oversimplify, but the more I think about it I believe the answer is grace. Nothing more and nothing less. Just good, old fashioned, never-goes-out-of-style grace! I'm learning as I go that God is always eager to answer a quick prayer for grace-- and not just the salvation kind, but the "Lord, give me strength, calm my frustration, help me not to scream" kind.... I'm also learning that my relationship with the Lord is alot like my relationship with Matthew in reverse. I can only imagine how many times I've been doing my own share of "screaming and fussing" over something I perceived as a crisis.... Then, when I pause for just a second and readjust my focus-- the crisis and frustration have passed.

My challenge to all of you is that this week when you find yourself wanting to growl at your coworker or scream at your spouse or your kids or even yourself--- try looking at the situation through the Creator's eyes. I'd be willing to bet that your frustration will be dwarfed by a glimpse at the big picture. Matthew still has his moments. Sometimes his frustration gets the best of him. But sometimes when he senses that we both need a good laugh he tells me I'm scary and in that moment we're basking in our very special version of what we call "scary grace!" The only thing "scary" about it would be not having it at all!

Have a GREAT week!

Leslie

Out of the Mouths of Babes-- or movies....

I don't know how it is at YOUR house, but at OUR house movies are pretty
important. As a matter of fact, there is ALWAYS something in the DVD player. If I've seen the movies we own once-- I've probably seen them at least 500 times... Much of Matthew's vocabulary is actually bits and pieces of the different movies and animal shows that he watches. Most impressive is his ability to be able to use those phrases in the right context in different
conversations....

Here are just a few of some of his most memorable "conversations:"

"Bird moms make GREAT moms!" (from Zoboomafoo) He was frustrated with me at the time... I knew that was he was really telling me was "Now see if you were a bird mom, you'd have done that right!"

"Just smile and wave, Mom, just smile and wave." (from Madagascar) We were getting ready to get out of the car and I noticed someone that I wasn't all that excited about seeing....

"I've been tryin' to get out of here for 3 days!" (from Cars) I had just told him to get out of the dirt....

Of course there are other conversational gems--- we had a new babysitter a few years ago and she had decided to sit down and watch one of Matthew's "Be the Creature" DVDs. (I guess I should have warned her about the whole elephants getting eaten by the lions scene, but then it never bothered Matthew.) Evidently, while they were watching the babysitter hopped up in horror trying to turn the images off-- all the while Matthew was saying "Aw, gone to be with
Jesus! It's ok!" On a similar note, there are the times we've been at the pediatrician or in the ER while Matthew was watching his "Living with the Tigers" DVD... "Oh, look at the ostrich, Matthew," some poor, unsuspecting doctor or nurse will say... Moments later they realize with a
gasp that the ostrich is not actually the star of the DVD-- just dinner for the tigers. "All God's
creatures have to eat," he'll say-- never missing a beat.

My new favorite comes on the heals of a series of what I like to call postcards from above-- you know, those life lessons that God keeps sending your way. For me, there is usually a recurring theme for a week or so. This week's theme has been "going and not knowing," "moving forward in faith," and just plain having faith in the things we can't see. I couldn't help but laugh moments
ago when I told him to watch where he was going...

"I don't need to see where I'm going," he said. "I just need to know where I've
been...." (Mater, Cars)

Good ole Mater.... Now listen to this-- from Sunday's sermon... It's Hebrews 11:8

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his
inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."

WOW. I'll admit that I'm not the most faithful. I tend to argue with God-- I often tell Him that I am certain that He is making a mistake... And what is this "by faith?" I mean, do you ever find yourself wondering how any intelligent, responsible human being could just step out of a perfectly sound boat in the middle of a storm to walk on the water? I do-- all of the time.

I was doing just that a few minutes ago-- wondering about the boys, about Faces of Hope-- about picnics and skills groups, new therapists and programs-- lots of " but how" and "what if"... Then, as if right on cue Matthew says "I don't need to see where I'm going-- I just need to know where I've been." Now THAT'S one heck of a postcard! And such a personal one! It is as though the Heavens are reminding me that while faith is scary and my obedience in "going without knowing" is required-- it is NOT something I have to do without assurance. I think I FINALLY read the WHOLE postcard and understand that though I don't know where I'm going-- I don't know the HOWs and the WHYs and the WHAT IFs-- I DO know the WHO! I know WHO He is and where I've been-- with and without Him. Isn't that great?!

I don't know about you, but this journey is tough. It seems that as He grows your faith, He asks you to use it more and more. There's nothing glamorous about it-- nothing easy, logical, or even seemingly rational about our journey forward... Thanks to the wisdom of a little fella that borrows his words from movies-- I think I'm going to just enjoy the view-- I'm going to try going forward into the unknown by looking behind me tand remembering all of the promises and prayers that have been asked and answered already! I'm sure it's going to be quite a ride.... Wanna come?!

PS- For the record, the boys and I and Faces of Hope ALWAYS covet your prayers-- it helps to know that people like you are paving the road ahead with your prayers! We're praying for you, too! See you when we get there.......

Brand New Day

It's been one of those days... Tonight I found myself in a puddle of tears-- more than once. Nothing tragic happened today-- as a matter of fact- it was a relatively uneventful day in comparison with most here in the Face house. I'll admit that I am tired-- Matthew's been to the hospital twice and the doctor's office twice, Joshua's been to the doctor twice, and I broke my foot-- all in the last week and a half.... Most days we are able to take it in stride-- I've even been known to joke about my super hero cape....

Since the birth of Faces of Hope, I don't often share the heartache that sneaks up on me. I try to honestly to have faith and to pray for that peace that surpasses all understanding if for no other reason to encourage the parents and families that are watching our journey. At the end of the day there is no question that the boys and I are blessed beyond belief. It is a privilege to be their mom. I would not be the person that I am today had I not been given these two precious little boys.

Even still, tonight I found myself revisiting one or two of those stages of grief. I watched Matthew as he tried to tell me what was bothering him. A great deal of the things he says are scripted from different movies or DVDs that he has seen. Sometimes I can understand it and other times it all comes out as jumbled sounds-- as though when he heard it he couldn't quite make out what was actually being said. He was crying and getting anxious. Several hours later I am still not sure why he was so upset or if I was even able to ease his anxiety. All I know is that he is asleep. I sat with Joshua and watched him giggle and flap and then suddenly begin hitting himself in the head and crying as if I had just poked him in the eye or something. I was acutely aware of the fact that he is 4 and has yet to say his first word. It is becoming increasingly difficult to reach into his little world and invite him to be a part of mine. For whatever reason he kept pulling the lid off of his sippy cup and dumping his juice on the living room carpet.

Both are now tucked in bed and sound asleep. I got out the carpet cleaner and cleaned the living room rug and washed a load of towels. I tried to go to bed, but the guilt I feel for being heartbroken is keeping my tired body awake. So why does my heart ache so badly tonight? Why can't I tuck it nicely away like I do so often? Why can't I just pray about it and then say good night? I want to-- I really do, but my flesh keeps getting in the way.

It doesn't matter how hard I work or how many therapists we hire at Faces of
Hope. Matthew and Joshua will always have autism. Their struggle will continue
as long as they are here on this earth. None of us can escape it. And it hurts.

It hurts because as a mother I wonder what their futures will be like. What will happen to them if something happens to me? Will they ever be able to live independently? Do they understand that they are different? Does that bother them? What's it like to be genuinely terrified of a lawnmower or vacuum cleaner or the toilet? What's it like to be so afraid of the bathroom that you'd rather poop in your pants? What is it like to need so badly to be squeezed, to be under pillows and blankets, to need to look at things from the corner of your eyes? Do they know that I want with all of my heart to help them? Do they know that if I could take autism away from them to ease their struggle I would do it in an instant?

Tonight I even tried to back up and remember where we used to be. At one point tonight Matthew came into the kitchen, looked right into my eyes, and said "Mama." There was a time not so long ago that I didn't think that would ever happen. (Not unlike the feelings I have about Joshua right now.) Ordinarily I would have been overjoyed with the sound of his little voice and his recognition that I am in fact his momma. Tonight it was bittersweet-- and more bitter than sweet. I was suddenly acutely aware of our struggle. Instead of rejoicing in what he DID say, I was sad about the things that he couldn't say.

Recently I have been paying more attention to the adults in my life that are-- different. I wonder what makes them that way, I wonder if they know they are different. I find myself praying that Matthew and Joshua will be as capable as some of the adults that I once would have labeled as odd or delayed or just plain different.

There really isn't anything that anyone can say that will make any of this feel any better. That is yet another reason I don't often share it-- it seems to serve no purpose. Someone challenged me the other day-- told me not to be afraid to let parents and families at Faces of Hope see me be human... I suppose he is right. I'm NOT a super hero. There's no magic here. The ugly truth is that Matthew and Joshua have autism. It's not something that they can take a pill for and be cured. Regardless of the things that science may someday soon have to offer, they will always have autism. It is who they are.

As long as I am their mother-- as long as there is breath in me-- a part of me will be sad for them. Sad that they have to struggle, sad that I spend so much of my time helping them do the simplest and yet most frustrating things. I will never get used to seeing terror in their eyes when they are frightened or upset. And faith or no faith-- I believe being sad is ok. I think God expects that-- we are, afterall, human.

Here's the thing about all of that though.... The crying is ok-- it's what you do about it that makes all of the difference in the world. Tomorrow morning when I crawl out of bed it will be the beginning of a brand new day. The Creator of the universe will be waiting for me to praise Him in the morning. He will be eager and waiting to demonstrate to me that His grace and His grace alone is sufficient for me. And me? I will get up--- again-- and embrace the boys for all that they are and all that He created them to be. Then I'm going to pick up where I left off tonight with Faces of Hope. I'm going to do my best to be like the birds of the air or the flowers in the fields and enjoy the victories in each moment.

The tears are gone and my heart is peaceful. Best of all, I don't have the urge to run and get that superhero cape out of the dryer just yet. I think tonight I'm going to cut myself some slack and be human..... Afterall, tomorrow is a brand new day.................

RIGHT Chapter, WRONG Verse

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting an incredible man. His name is Mr. Wilson and our first contact was a phone call he made to Faces of Hope about Parents' Night Out and his grandson. When we spoke, I invited him to come and see our facility. He told me he was unable to get out much because of his health so I offered to take FOH to him. Scrapbook in hand, my father and I made the quick trip to the Wilson home.

We arrived to find Mr. Wilson resting in his recliner. He had so many questions and so much insight. We had an immediate kinship with Mr. and Mrs. Wilson. Our visit quickly turned into a gathering of seemingly long time friends because we all had so much in common. Mr. Wilson is one of the most upbeat and positive individuals I've ever met-- and that amazes me even now. Mr. Wilson, you see, has brain cancer. He's been battling it for 8 years. 8 YEARS.

We began speaking about all of the things well-meaning Christians say to people in crisis-- the most common misquoted and misrepresented Scriptures... One of my personal favorites is "God never gives you more than you can handle." (That's SOOOO NOT Scriptural--- and WAY TO MUCH for this blog....) Mr. Wilson's favorite is Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God...." I know I've heard this one more times than I can count-- it's one of those bandaid verses that people say because they want to say something positive, but they don't know what else to say.

"I tell them they're quoting the right chapter, but the wrong verse," Mr. Wilson said. "The real promise in that chapter is a couple of verses up in Romans 8:26."

"The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mindof the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."

"THAT'S what we ought to be sharing with people," he said. He recounted the hours and days immediately after he was diagnosed with brain cancer. "I couldn't pray-- I just didn't know what to pray for," Mr. Wilson said. "Then one night while I was lying awake in bed God reminded me of that verse. I knew that night that God wasn't going to heal my cancer-- not then anyway. He wanted to give me something else-- something more precious than healing. He wanted to give me peace."

That night Mr. Wilson cried out to God in anguish-- not even certain what to ask Him for. Was he supposed to ask for healing? Why was this happening? How could this "work together for good?" He just began to pray-- that God would grant him wisdom, that the Spirit would intercede on his behalf. Mr. Wilson says that he awoke the next morning with the most amazing peace and he's had it every day in the 8 years since. I have to tell you-- you might not be able to put your finger on it when you first meet--but that peace is evident and contagious.

Mr. Wilson originally called me for his grandson. As we spoke, he asked how he could help Faces of Hope. He wanted to know what we needed. In just one afternoon, he helped and encouraged me more than I can explain. He reiterated for me the mission of Faces of Hope- our calling to help these families. His testimony was balm to my soul as a mother. I've been chastised by some-- and told that maybe the reason my boys have autism is because I'd never asked for them to be healed. I believe in miracles, I believe God can and does heal. But I also believe that the bigger miracle isn't the removal of the things that cause us anguish--- it is in the gift of Peace only God can give as we walk this life in the face of adversity.

I am looking forward to many more visits with the Wilson family. Their faith renews and strengthens my own. Most importantly, as I continue to pray for these families and for the board and staff and volunteers at Faces of Hope, I am praying with renewed focus-- that the Spirit help us in our weakness-- and that when people come seeking assistance and answers-- they feel His unspeakable peace most of all.

Blessings-- and PEACE-- to you all!

Mr. and Mrs. Wilson began a ministry for individuals and families battling cancer. For more about their remarkable story and ministry, please visit their website at http://www.sewn-n-love.org/ .