Thankful

I remember vividly the experience I had close to three years ago. The scene was eerie and a little bizarre. On a missions trip in Mexico City we had just finished doing some painting for a women's home where most of the women were mentally challenged. The home was a mixture of prison with tiers, or a high rise apartment building. It wasn't horrible yet it wasn't a place I would want to live. The women who lived there were all dressed in red jumpsuits and there were so excited to see us that day.

That was an experience all to itself, the other part was a little more disturbing for me. Hidden in the back part of this home/complex was a nursery with 8-10 children in it. The children were all special needs in various forms. They were all in some form of cribs, beds, or cages. The smell was attricious and we were told doctors come once a month to check on the children. The special need women looked after these kids, and from the brief encounter our group had they were not well looked after. The kids did not get out of their beds often.

That image of the kids has stuck with me. How people treat special needs children worldwide is very sad. Even in America it was not uncommon a half a century ago to send people to institutions.

As difficult it is for us, I am so glad Kyle was born to us in this era and not at another time, or place, or country.

As it continues to grow more difficult with his physical needs ( he has 0 strength in his legs now) I wouldn't ever think of a possibility of sending him somewhere else.

As we spent time thanking God during our thanskgiving time, we are extremely thankful for Kyle- what he means to our family, how he has inspired us, how he has slowed us down, how he has simplified our lives.

It may seem like an inconvience when he wakes us up every two hours to roll over, go to the bathroom or get a drink but this is the life God has given us. It is tiring and I grumble, but I couldn't imagine life any other way.

It is very easy to think family, love, character and faith can come through easy times. But we have found that as we continue to ache physically and emotionally with what Kyle is going through we have grown closer to our family, and God.