This is a story of a very special gift. It was not a gift I would have chosen; it was a gift God chose for me. And as you know, or perhaps will be given the heart to know, gifts that God hand selects are the best gifts you will ever receive, even though it often takes time to gain a heart of wisdom. My Gift was given to me on 21 January 1987. His name is Chad Timothy. He is my beloved son and he came wrapped in autism. Written over a period of twenty six years, I have occasionally shared bits and pieces with other hungry hearts. One such heart summed it up best by calling it a “diary of glorious darkness”. You may have been given a similar glorious gift, though unwanted and with a “no return policy”. Don’t throw away the gift just because God’s wrapping paper looks different. Discover the gift in the darkness. Discover a life much bigger than you dreamed it could be. Discover a life of grace without yourself at the center. Are you and your autistic child cosmic jokes or is there a plan you cannot see? A plan so vast your mind’s too small to comprehend the grandeur of it all? Come into my living room and join me as I unwrap my Gift from God. Perhaps it may give you the courage to open yours. And maybe, just maybe, an answer to that “why” question that haunts you. (A box of tissues may come in handy.)

 

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