A GPS Moment

A friend was telling me yesterday that God can ALWAYS take any difficult situation and turn it into good. She likened it to a GPS system that when you make a wrong turn, recalculates and gives you new directions to still get you to your destination. I loved that analogy.

This morning I had scheduled a dentist appointment for my son that would require us to leave the house at the same time the bus would normally come to pick him up for school, so I figured I could handle this and then drive him straight to school, which takes about thirty minutes and is two towns away. Mornings have improved so much over the past couple of years that, although I was stressed about getting him ready on time and not making a scene in the dentist's office, I figured it was all going to be fine.

Unfortunately he started the day irritable and on edge but I was able to get him fed and dressed and out to the driveway on time.

But the school bus was there at the end of the driveway, waiting for him! His driver and aide are two sweet ladies in their 60's with lovely Spanish accents who absolutely dote on my son. Even though I had told them on Friday that he wouldn't be riding this morning, and I had left a message with the dispatcher, they did not get the information. As I told them that my son would not be riding this morning, he started flipping his head and hitting himself in the face. Since I knew that I was never going to get him calm enough for his dentist appointment, and he always calms down quickly on the bus, I said, "On second thought, yeah, why don't you take him!" But I didn't have his seatbelt harness on and he was flailing so intensely that I just had to get him safely into the house so he could calm down. The ladies were very concerned--seeing my 5'8" son hit and yell like this is unsettling to anyone to witness--and they so kindly offered to help and brought my purse into the house for me.

I was able to brace my son's arms to protect his face without getting my face hit in the process (which is pretty impressive since he is now as tall as I am) while I walked him back into the house, and he calmed down quickly in his room while I sat at the kitchen table formulating Plan B. I phoned the dentist and cancelled the appointment and then scheduled his appointments for the next six months, all for much later in the day. Then I remembered that his backpack was all ready for school and in my car so I got him out of his room and he was really happy to ride in the car.

Whenever I have to drive the hour round trip to school instead of having that hour to myself, I'm pretty resentful. But as soon as I drove out of my neighborhood and into the undeveloped hilly areas leading up to the highway, I realized again that my son had gotten me where I needed to be. I turned on my "Praise Baby" Christian CD and started singing along. I saw the explosion of yellow wildflowers that had burst onto the scene since I had last driven on the highway. In their vibrant colors I heard each one of them singing praises to our Creator.

When I arrived at my son's school, which specializes in severely autistic kids from ten to twenty years old, right next to me in the parking lot was a 250-pound full-grown kid in the back of his dad's mini-van, lying across the third seat, refusing to get out. A female school aide was standing by and the dad was trying to figure out what to do without provoking the young man. Being deeply aware of how one wrong move can trigger a really difficult situation, I prayed for them.

My son happily got out of the car and ambled to his classroom. On the way home I decided to drive along the Pacific Coast, drink in the sight of the ocean, and count how many different colors of wildflowers I could see. Because of this "rough morning" I got to see wildflowers in several shades of yellow, orange, hot pink, white, and purple. I saw waves crashing on the Pacific coastline, smelled salty mist, felt warm air on my skin, thought about my church lessons from yesterday and what a blessing it is to have a body.

Because of Jesus Christ's atonement, He was able to heal my morning and make it a sacred communion between me and Him.

Happy Easter! He lives!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdZViD4rxDE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-zJHgaoVa4

Indescribable

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creations revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Chorus:
Indescribable, uncontainable, You place the stars in the sky and You know
Them by name, You are amazing God
All powerful, untamable, awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly
Proclaim, You are amazing God

Who sees lightning bolts and tells them where they should go or
Sees heavenly store houses laden in snow
Who imagined the sun and gave source to it's light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom

(Repeat Chorus)

Chorus 2:
Incomparable, unchangeable, You've seen the depths of my heart and You love
Me the same, You are amazing God
You are amazing God