Sun Burst

It has been raining cats and dogs the last couple of days, bucket loads.  Our area was under severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado warnings Saturday from 5:30 pm until Sunday at 4 am.  Thunder, lightning, and sheets of rain fell all night long and into the early morning today.  Due to the weather, I even had to take my daughter to the bus stop in our minivan this morning...a whole 50 yards from our house!  We waited in the vehicle until the bus got there.  When I left the house to pick up my mom from the airport, it was still raining.  But by time I pulled up to the exterior of the baggage claim area, there was nothing but blue skies.

The last couple of years have been full of stormy weather in our household, what with the children being diagnosed with their various Autism Spectrum Individualism.  Some people may say I'm in denial for not calling it Autism Spectrum Disorder, at least those who do not have children within the spectrum.  But my children are not malfunctioned.  They simply see life from an entirely different viewpoint than most people who are considered normal.  It is my responsibility and my calling as a parent to help the world see them in a different light, as well as to help my children to better understand the world in which they live.  I have been, and continue to relearn how to see life differently.  I am constantly trying to figure out how to see my children better so they can cope with this world that functions so vastly differently from the way they do.  Far from the way I envisioned raising my children, I have had to ignore the mold and let my children be who they are.  It's been a steep path to follow sometimes. 

Last Monday, and again today, the sun broke through the clouds, and the radiance of its warmth and hope shone down upon my family.  Fresh air blew in, that scent that can only be appreciated after the tempestuous rain has washed away the muck that sticks to everything it touches.  Alas!  My heart sang as my spirit soared with the joy only known to one who has endured the long nights in cold, as a ship that has at long last felt the calm because the anchor has held it steadfast.

Nyssa and Nathaniel both came home from school with smiles on their faces and smiley faces on their daily behavior sheets.  Succinctly put, it means they both had good days: obedient, attentive, and cooperative, doing their work without temper tantrum or any other wandering incident.  Now, to those parents who don't have to deal with daily doses of phone calls and written notes, it may seem like nothing.  After all, what child shouldn't come home from school without incident?  But to those of us who have children with ASI (please remember my comment in the second paragraph), the implications of having days without incident can be compared to watching our children walking in sunlight without chains for the first time.  Yes, both of their faces were lit up like Christmas trees, and the joy in their spirits could not be contained.  Even their very bearing had changed to a confidence that caused them to stand taller than they had in years.


My very first recording as a child was a gift for Christmas.  My parents gave me an eight track ~ yes, I realize I am dating myself ~ of Amy Grant's album, My Father's Eyes.  As I sit here elated with the news we received today, I feel like Giselle in Enchanted where she wants to break out in a "beautiful ballad."  Note, please: if you have seen the movie, please read that line again hearing her voice sing out with "a beautiful ballad."  I am feeling rather dramatic in a joyous way, so if you will oblige me here, I'd be most appreciative.

But... I digress.  Twice within the last week, I have felt the stirring in the air, the change that is coming, in regards to my children, as I have felt it so often recently in other matters as well.  And as I sit here typing away, the words to another song by Amy Grant fills my mind to the bubbling point at which I must share with you, because it is full of hope, which goes hand in hand with faith, which can be tricky sometimes. 

If your life is filled with joys and bubbling over with hope as I am this very instant, please, share that with others.  If you feel lost and alone, like nobody understands where you are, caught in despair, then maybe this song is for you... Today may be stormy, but hang on, because the sun will shine again.  It's been a long, rocky road, with falls and scratches along the way, but you're not traveling alone.  Somebody's here holding your hand.

 IT TAKES A LITTLE TIME

It takes a little time sometimes
To get your feet back on the ground
It takes a little time sometimes
To get the Titanic turned back around
It takes a little time sometimes
But baby you're not going down
It takes more than you've got right now
Give it time

What's this walking thru' my door
I know I've seen the look before
Sometimes in faces on the street
Sometimes in the mirror looking back at me
You can't fix this pain with money
You can't rush a weary soul
You can't sweep it under the rug, now honey
It don't take a lot to know

CHORUS

Now it may not be over by morning
But Rome wasn't built in a day
You can name that thing a thousand times
But it won't make it go away
Let me put my arms around you
And hold you while you weep
We've been talking and you know what
I'm sick of this talk
And it's nothing that won't keep



It takes a little time sometimes
To get your feet back on the ground
It takes a little time sometimes
To get the Titanic turned back around
It takes a little time sometimes
But baby you're not going down
It takes more than you've got right now
Give it time



To everything there is a time and a season for everything under the heavens...