🙌It's the Friday Call to Worship🙌

Yesterday was a “get through it” day. The needs of my 7-year old autistic son, Benjamin, trumped the plans and preferences of everyone else. On those kind of days, I choke back parenting principles to let safety and regulation be the priority.

Wyatt, his 4-year old brother, tried to process the long, hard day at bedtime. With tears streaming on his pillow, he said he didn’t want his brother to have hard days. Wyatt confessed he had disobeyed because his brother was disobeying, and he wanted to have the same kind of day as his brother. Wyatt loves his brother fiercely. He does everything he can to stay in close proximity “to make sure he’s ok” and puts Benjamin’s needs above his own.

I wrapped my soft-hearted boy up and told him, “You and your brother will always be different in some ways, and that is ok. Dad and I will always love you both the same.” I went on to remind him that, sometimes, Benjamin’s body alarms go off the whole day. Benjamin can’t obey on those days, but Wyatt can and must. I told him, “We can give Benjamin the space he needs and pray for him when his body alarms go off. But, Wyatt, it is ok for you to still have a good day when Benjamin has a bad one.” I watched him roll that idea around, trying to make space for it inside of his 4-year old love tank.

Can I love someone completely and be different than them? Can I be fully united to them, fully supportive of them, and still have a good day if they have a bad day?

Is love strong enough to hold our differences? Our worst days? Is it big enough to put aside plans, preferences and priorities?

God IS love. And Yes He is.

Listen to “What A God” by SEU Worship.