Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Providence

Last night we had community group and we were sharing prayer requests. Besides the usual "pray for Daniel and that we can get into a specialist" request, Alex asked for prayer for a work situation. He had to start the process today of going to 20 houses in a neighborhood next to a site his company is trying to develop. He had the crazy task of knocking on every door and offering to buy their house. He has to get 14 people to say yes. He said that he seriously doubted that it would happen.

You probably think this is the part where I say, "and that prayer was answered!". Or, "and he got all 20 houses!". Alas, we don't know the answer to that. But what did happen was this....At one particular house, there was a gentleman in his 60s. He was very kind and personable. He and Alex began chatting. One thing led to another and Alex asked him what he did for a living. He said, "I'm an autism specialist. I've been working with kids with autism for 30 years." I kid you not. He is a psychiatrist...he can't diagnose or necessarily get us into the specialist any faster. But he wants to help us and Alex left his house with a stack of info and his card...with the promise that we could call and he would help in any way he could. More importantly, (to me anyway), Alex left this man's house with a better understanding of what I'm dealing with right now and going through. Also he now has a better understanding of what I've been telling him about Daniel and what we need to do. Coming from a stressed out, over-emotional mother, none of it made sense. But coming from a specialist who has been dealing with this disease for 30 years, (and who is probably a better communicator and much more rational than me) it made complete sense. So, Alex might not have gotten 14 houses, but a more important prayer was answered.

I love it when God answers prayers like that...when He gives you little glimpses of how He really IS working all for good, even if we can't see it. I feel like God is saying to me, "I'm still in this". People don't just randomly knock on an autism specialist's door, offering to buy the house, right at the point in their lives where they are going through the crisis of finding out their son has autism. I think if we really think about it, there are other times when God does this in our lives. I know He has done it before in mine. I marvel and praise him. And then the next hard thing comes along and I forget and I say, "God, where are you?".