Hope

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. ~ Lamentations 3:25-26

This past year we had to get rid of our VHS player and most of our VHS videos.  Not because it did not work any more, but because this boy, loved to watch the same scenes over and over and over again.  It was not that this was so terrible annoying at times that made us decide to remove these items, but that it was causing some behavior issues in our sweet boy.  He did not want to stop watching those same movies and those same scenes over and over and over…

And when we would try to stop him it would put him into a meltdown.  A good ole’ fashion temper tantrum.  So for our sanity and his - we removed the VHS player and videos.  Now these videos sat on top of our entertainment center in these ugly plastic containers that were once part of an old plastic storage unit.   After we got rid of the videos I put those plastic containers out in the garage and each day I would find those empty containers back on the top of the entertainment center.   This went on for weeks and months - we were finally able to get it down to one empty plastic container that sat there… 

   as a reminder to him…   a reminder of hope… 

          hope that those videos would one day return.  

Each day he would run in after school and check to see if the bucket was still there…

~wishing, desiring, expecting, anticipating, waiting

                          and fully trusting.

It struck me one afternoon…   that this boy’s hope is so precious…

                      so childlike…  so pure…

As I thought about this I wondered…

   do I have that kind of hope… 

             the kind that just believes and fully trusts that one day

                    those empty places will be filled…

             the kind that does not stop believing

                  that those empty dreams of old will one day be fulfilled…

             the kind that day after day preservers and does not give up…

   do you got hope?   the kind that is an anchor for your soul…

        the kind that overrides your minds doubts…

        the kind that calms your running emotions of worries and fears…

        the kind that is stable and not double minded,

                                           ~wavering back and forth…

                       

"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul – and sings the tunes without the words – and never stops at all."

                                                                         -Emily Dickinson

he has taught me that hope sings the tunes without the words – and never stops…

Jonathan speaks~

Fullness of Joy~

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

Full life…

          spilling over with joy and peace…

                      not just some joy and peace… 

but,  all joy and peace…

       the kind of fullness that can’t be contained or kept to oneself.

I had not seen or even fully understood this kind of joy…

   until, the Lord blessed us with Jonathan.

his very being shouts joy,  his soul cries out exuberance

    his emotions are full and real… 

              When he is happy…    he screams with delight

                   when he is sad…   he cries to the depths of sorrow

     his mind is single focused…

              on simple things

                   on just living for today

     his will is clear…

             he is not lukewarm – his yes means yes, his no means no

I so often complicate this whole thing called joy…

        making it dependent on circumstances, situations or desires…

but this kind of joy –

   the all (full) kind comes through trusting the one… 

            who never waivers…

                    who is always there… 

                           who consistently provides.

knowing in the depths of your soul…

            that simple kind of hope that doesn’t even question that joy is always waiting… always available

         to the one who doesn’t question it,

              to the one who doesn’t doubt its existence

                     to the one who sees it.

Oh, the joys of those who trust the LORD, who have no confidence in the proud or in those who worship idols.   Psalm 40:4

Jonathan speaks~

About Jonathan

This is Jonathan

He is 16 years old

His nickname is Jon or Jonny or Jon Jon.  He goes by any and all

His Medical label is Autism (see Our World with Autism) and Intellectual Deficit

His Spiritual label is wonderfully and creatively made.

He is a brother to 7 siblings, 3 older brothers, Nick, Alex and Aaron, 1 older sister, Brittaney and 3 younger sisters, Audriona, Angelina & Shekinah.

He is a child of God. 

He was born on October 10, 1997, a year of Jubilee. (see The Year of Jubilee) He came into the world fighting, but the Lord proclaimed victory. (see Battle)

When he was three, a prophetic word was spoken over him that he was called to be a prophet, one who would share the heart of God, his creator.   

One might wonder how that could be when he does not speak, or have the ability to share what goes on in his mind.  But, his life is a reflection of His Heavenly Father's Glory and his sense of wonder speaks the heart of his creator.  Through the windows of his soul, I hear His voice.