Last Updated on March 20, 2018
This past Sunday I almost stayed home from church. That particular day of the week is always stressful, and taking my autistic daughter to church often ties my stomach into knots. As our daughter Rachel recently started potty training and refusing to wear pull-ups, except under great protest, I didn’t know what I was going to do. Don’t get me wrong. Potty training at age five was more that I’d hoped for, as Rachel is severely autistic. Yet I wondered what we were going to do outside of home and school.
All Saturday night I kept waking up. What if Rachel wouldn’t potty at home and she had an accident at church? She’d had an accident at school and it turned into a negative experience for everyone involved.
Sunday morning I tried numerous times to take her to the potty, but she refused. While I fought the bathroom battle, my husband and other daughter waited in the car. After 10 minutes, I told my husband I’d stay home with Rachel. He disagreed, so off we went.
I wanted to cry. Instead I cried out to God. Why does everything have to be so hard? I don’t want to fear going to church. Why does Rachel have to be autistic? When will we be able to reason with her, and when will we discover the beautiful child hidden within her trapped mind? I reached for my Bible and flipped through the pages. I pulled it open at Psalm 20. This is what I read in verses 1-2:
May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!
May the name of the God of Jacob set you securely on high!
May He send you help from the sanctuary
And support you from Zion!
What a powerful answer to my prayer! The entire chapter is filled with promises from God. Instead of my tears of dread, I now had tears of thankfulness in my eyes.
So, I went to church with a renewed mind. Rachel never did go potty, and it took two of us to get a pull-up on her, but after that she did great. Thank you, God!
Jennifer Dyer has an M.S. in Communications Disorders, which served her well in her professional career as a speech-language pathologist. Never did she imagine that her education and career were God’s way of preparing her to be a mom to her own daughter with autism. Today, she enjoys reaching out to other families who face similar diagnoses. As a cancer survivor, carpet-cleaning veteran, and originator of the “Messy House Ministry,” Jennifer feels blessed to share joy, peace, and humor with others facing life’s challenges. She is mom to two beautiful daughters and is thankful to be raising them, serving other families with unique needs, and using her gift of writing and speaking to minister to others. Jennifer is also the author of a youth fiction book series and is trusting God with His timing on publication. Jennifer has been a mom for 11 years. She and Brandon have been married for 13 years.
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Susan
http://toddlergirls.net
Thanks, Susan! I'm so glad you've joined us. Let us know how we can encourage you!