Joy in the Rain
Where has the rain been? This September in Northeast Ohio has been a record breaker. Warm temps including 6 days over 90 – and not much rain. We have certainly enjoyed an extended summer.
While rain has been scarce in the weather in Cleveland, my son Alex and our family have witnessed and experienced the flooding waters of God’s grace and mercy – refreshing and renewing! This particular experience started almost a year ago when a sinus infection took its toll on Alex. While a mild illness for most, sinus infections are Alex’s nemesis. They can wreak havoc on his neuro-muscular system.
This sinus infection was his worst. Any kind of illness or infection can be devastating to a person with Alex’s disease (PDCD), but with trying to finish his last semester of college at Cleveland State burning the candle at both ends – he was set up for a big crash. And crash he did!
Alex lost almost all of his ability to walk. His balance was almost nonexistent. Even using his walker required assistance to get just a few steps. Alex used to climb our basement steps with relative ease – in December of 2016, he could barely scoot himself up the stairs on his behind. He used to walk the length of our street and back– about .7 miles- to get things at the store at the end of the street. He couldn’t walk the distance between our driveway and the neighbor’s driveway without falling more than once.
Frustration was the lead player in many of Alex’s thoughts. He had worked so hard to graduate from college and live on his own in the dorm. Now he needed assistance for so many things he was able to manage before. While his independence was somewhat limited before, the further loss of independence was a challenge for him mentally. It was not the culmination of his degree he had envisioned.
We knew that he had spent way too long without structured exercise because of his setback, so for the last few weeks before graduation, we’d bring him home on weekends to exercise with us. We’d seen lots of therapy sessions over the years, so we worked with him as best we could to strengthen muscles and stretch while we waited for our orthopedic appointment to get the coveted script for legitimate physical therapy.
In a weak effort to inject some normalcy into our workout routine for Alex, I decided to take him to a local gym that had a stretching machine I thought might be beneficial – yep, I was willing to buy one if I thought it would help. I’d already researched it online, but Ed convinced me to have Alex try it first to see if he could manage it before we made a significant purchase.
And the rain begins. God’s rain. In the first 5 minutes of the gym experience, we saw that Alex could not manage the stretching machine as I’d hoped he could. We decided since we were there, we’d try out the leg machine, an exercise he loved when working out at the gym at CSU. While we waited for the machine, an CSU friend came up to Alex and chatted with him – a “chance meeting” at this suburban gym. Turns out he was a Physical Therapy student that often worked out with Alex in the CSU gym. He asked Alex if he wanted him to help him work out a bit – why, yes please was my thought – although I must admit I was a bit skeptical. That would be enough to be a wonderful story about how God provides. But God was planning a storm. A storm of love and grace that has filled us with such awe for our awesome God. Rain was not to be the challenge Alex faced, it is the love of God pouring on us.
During the workout, this young man talked about the importance of cardio exercise for someone with neuro-muscular concerns. He talked about how he learned this from a PT he worked with (or something like that – I really don’t remember their exact connection). Alex’s friend suggested we meet with the PT who taught him about cardio and neuro-muscular therapy. We learned that his specialty was neuro-physical therapy. Who knew?? Well, God did.
After we saw our doctor the next day and had a PT script in hand, I called on a Friday to make an appointment with the neuro PT (whose LInkedIN profile ticked off so many of the boxes of what Alex needed in a therapist J), fully expecting a minimum of a couple week wait. The scheduler told me we could come down immediately! Oh my! Must be a cancellation. We couldn’t go then, so I expected the wait. Next appointment availability – Monday morning. Hmmm? I’m feeling more than a drizzle. Little did I know then, God was gracing me with a small glimpse into the upcoming storm of all that He would rain down on Alex to show Him his power, glory and purpose for Alex.
Through that first appointment, Alex met his amazing physical therapist, Randy, who has brought Alex closer to where he was before. Randy brought a whole new way to look at Alex’s disease and physical challenges. It was a huge turning point for Alex. Alex was motivated in new ways and got to play with really cool technology that worked muscles and his brain. Randy is gentle and has developed the most caring relationship with Alex. His heart for Christ shines through all he does. We learned that Randy knew our cousin through Campus Crusade for Christ – not a wonderful coincidence, but a nod to us from God that He is in the middle of all of this with us.
A few months later, Randy introduced us to Aaron, our new Occupational Therapist. No matter how much I write, I don’t know that I’d have words to describe Aaron fully. He is the most gifted OT and has such a heart and passion for supporting people who happen to have disabilities. His energy and joy for life is in all he does. He is honest and funny and challenges Alex with OT things, but thinking things, too. He pushes Alex in life, and Alex has grown so much and in so many ways from knowing Aaron.
Again, we see all the elements for a feel good story about being in the right place at the right time. The beautiful thing about God stories is that God as the creator, masterfully authors so far outside of any box or imagination we have for what could be. We use words to describe finding Randy and Aaron as “powerful” and “amazing”. But God has so much more to the story. If we watch and wait instead of jumping to what WE think is the end of the story, we will see the intricacies of God’s love for us in everything. God’s story continues.
Long before Alex had this setback, he and our oldest son, Michael, had talked about living together when Michael’s lease was up in June. That in and of itself was motivation for Alex to work hard, although it brought with it a level of concern that the dream might not happen. His setback was that bad.
Michael decided it was time to look for houses. His first time out, he looked at three. Two of them were absolutely not for him. The third house fit the bill, but there were already offers on the house. Surprisingly, the owner accepted his offer even though it was the lowest. In the end, there was an issue with the appraisal, but the owner was willing to lower his price so Michael could get the house without having to pay more money out of pocket. Everything fell into place. More rain.
Several weeks later, Ed and I were dropping some items off at the new house. Michael wasn’t home and Alex hadn’t moved in yet. The next door neighbors were sitting on the porch as we made our way to the car. We said our hellos and they asked how things were coming along and when Alex planned to move it. We let them know the latest updates in the house and that once grab bars were installed, Alex would move in. And I added – “and then work on finding a job”.
And then the skies opened up. Mary, one of the neighbors said, “Since you brought up Alex and a job, Brett (her husband) and I have been waiting for the right time to reach out to you and Alex about this. Brett and I work for OOD, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities. It is our job to help people like Alex find jobs.”
My eyes were saucers as they went on to tell us about the agency and what they do for people with disabilities. I couldn’t speak, but knew I had to. “I know you don’t know us well, but you need to know that today my faith story continues through you” were the words that my heart spoke in that moment.
I wept the whole way home and truly felt driven to my knees in a way I haven’t before. I walked in the door and told Alex the story. I recounted all the ways God has been raining down on him everything he has needed since his setback. I opened his eyes to the idea that his setback was beauty from ashes as Isaiah 61:1-3 says. He gives beauty for ashes, strength for fear, gladness for mourning and peace for despair, precious lyrics from Crystal Lewis’s song based on that scripture. God was the vine keeper, changing him and pruning that Alex would grow stronger. in more ways than just physical.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” I chose a verse to share with each of my children at their high school graduations. I chose this verse from Jeremiah for my Alex. Alex has faced health challenges his whole life and will face physical challenges throughout the rest of his life. I thought this verse would remind him how very much he is loved and that God has purpose for him. I’ve tried to share this with Alex at every turn. God chose to share it in healing rain. Rain that poured on him in buckets almost from the moment he lost so much in the fall. It was only a short time before the chain of events that God led began to happen. So all the while Alex worked to get strong, through all his struggle physically and mentally and the growth he made in learning more about caring for himself, God was clearly orchestrating all that Alex needed to continue to flourish and become more of who God created him to be.
For Michael, I chose from Proverbs “In all your ways acknowledge him…and he will make your paths straight”. What does it mean to acknowledge Him? To me, it means acknowledging the rain. God’s rain. Testifying to God's hand in our lives and giving Him the praise and honor and glory for it whether it is flooding rain we feel or just trusting that God is there even if we are searching desperately to see Him in each moment.
Alex is not healed or back to better than before by any means. He is in a better place, not physically, but mentally and spiritually. He’s taking steps toward job hunting through OOD and filling his days with many things through new independence. He feels God’s presence in his life. We all do. God isn’t making this path easier. He is making clear His presence. We see His footsteps next to Alex. We feel His hand in ours. We see the plans that provide Alex hope for a future. And in all our ways we acknowledge Him. Honor and praise for each drop of rain.
As we go through our days, it is easy to feel lost or wonder where God is. Certainly, that could have been Alex’s cry when he lost so much last fall. It probably was from time to time. Be He IS there. Beauty from ashes. He knows what we need. And even when our circumstances don’t line up with our dreams, God provides and God loves and God is there.
The words from Romans 5:3-5 come to mind. "There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!" (The Message). I love the words I’ve underlined. We continue to shout our praise even in the troubled times because even when we don’t think so or are so overwhelmed, we are never alone. In alert expectancy….alert and expecting God’s hand at work in our lives and His love for us out poured. What a wonderful visual for our lives as we face each day! We don’t yet know the next chapter of Alex’s story, but we know there is one. One filled with hope and plans to prosper him and not harm him. God’s plan gives Alex and those who know him the chance to tell of God’s love, sing His praises and in the end, no matter what happens on earth, know that His plan ends with Alex wrapped in God’s loving arms with his Lord and savior in heaven. The rain isn't the struggle, the rain is the love God has for each of us that pours on us. We wait, we listen, trust and pray we follow in the way God wants us to.
