above mediocrity

When Joshua was a baby he was...quiet. I always said he was "pensive". That he had "expressive eyes". I remember one family member not liking the fact that he would not look at them or smile. In my mother's heart I knew he smiled with his eyes...even if he was looking straight through you. Our son showed signs of Autism early on, but as any parent, we...okay, I denied it. When he hit 18 months his life took a drastic turn to screaming all day, banging his hear and crying. The once smile on his face and eyes disappeared. At 2 years old he was diagnosed with Autism. We were told that he will learn to communicate with the hopes of verbal, but that he maybe non verbal. He walked with an unsteady gate and had a hard time with balance. His hand had a tremor when he would try to do anything where his fine motor skill would come into play. He did not have a sense of time and space which meant he would run into things. He had a need to be constantly moving and a need for deep pressure continually.

He began therapy for speech and occupational therapy which he began to make incredible progress. He started preschool and continued to progress. What an incredible God we have.

Why am I sharing this....because today our son is in Kindergarten, in the public school. He has yet another incredible teacher and Special Ed Teacher and therapists. He is mainstreamed and is only pulled out for speech and....for the month of October.....Joshua was named.....STUDENT OF THE MONTH!

When I think of what God has done in Joshua's life and how much Joshua strives daily I am humbled. I never thought I would hear Joshua named as Student of the Month. When we heard the word AUTISM all of our dreams blew away and we made new ones. Why am I humbled? I faced one of my "thought limitations" today. Every day I tell Joshua that he can do anything with Christ. I need to believe what I say. Do you know what Joshua told me yesterday? "Mommy, I can do anything with Jesus." He believes it...I must too.

He made me think of how we limit God. How we look at circumstances and think there is no possibility, no hope, that we can only go so far. Yet, our God has so much more planned for us....a plan for hope and future. (Jeremiah 29)

So, here is my boy. Another living example of God and His incredibleness. I learn again through my son to live above mediocrity....for he does it daily.

Joshua, I am so proud of you!