Keep The Faith

Do you ever question your faith? If so, how often? Is it daily, weekly, hourly?

What makes you question your faith?

For me, having children on the autism spectrum has made me question my faith more than once. In fact, if you asked me in any particular time or year, my answer would most likely be different.

I think accepting a child with special needs is kind of like a grieving period. You grieve for the child you may have been dreaming of and what they could do and what their life would look like. You imagine hopes and dreams.

With an autism diagnosis, comes a level of grieving. I honestly don't know how it works for everyone, but for me, there was a lot of initial denial and non-acceptance. Perhaps the diagnosis was incorrect. Perhaps he would just, "grow out of it." There is also a lot of, "what ifs?"

As I think back to our situation, I think about how different my views were from my husband. He was not focused on the diagnosis, but what he could do to provide interventions and successes. While I was focused on not wanting anyone to find out about it and just crying a lot, I couldn't see what my husband saw.

I must admit, I blamed God, at first. I fought so many things in the beginning, but God never left my side. He never let go of my hand. He was always with me, even when I didn't trust, believe or accept - He never gave up on me.

God saw the end from the beginning and he has blessed my life in so many ways that I could never have imagined. He blessed our family and He was always there opening doors for us to walk through to create a better life and better experiences for our family.

I'm so grateful to Amberlea Church for walking beside us, seeing our vision and even though we are in the baby stages of growth for our Exceptional Needs program, I know that God will continue to bless us in this special ministry. *See our new community program, F.A.C.E. (Fun Autism Community Experiences) starting this fall.

No matter what our plans may be, God's plans may be different and once we stop fighting and engage in acceptance, our faith will not only grow but flourish.

I love the verse,

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Philippians 4:13

God gives me strength, on the good days and on the bad days and my faith keeps growing because of this each day and I will always be grateful for that.

Shelly Wedge

Exceptional Family Ministry Coordinator

Amberlea Church

Into the Grove

“Into the Groove,” remember that 80’s song by Madonna?  Well, I can relate to this, being back into our routine and school as well as numerous other activities and groups.

It feels good and it feels bad – you know what I mean? Gone are the carefree summer days when all I had to think about was, “will we go swimming or paddle boarding?”  

It is good to be back into our normal everyday life.  I look at both of our children and I am so very proud of them.  Our daughter is in her second year at university and even though she faces many challenges, she seems to have settled into her new schedule without too many issues. Our son had many challenges last year with one of his teachers at school and I am so happy to see that he is not anxious about going and he is enjoying all his classes.

I thank God every day for the teachers and EA’s and all of the people that He has brought into our children’s lives. I pray every day that they will both get positive influences who can help them grow and develop into thriving young people.

I trust God and I know that this is possible. But as a parent of two teens on the autism spectrum, our normal is not the normal of everyone else. Our daily challenges are different and some of the decisions we have to make with or for our children can be difficult.

Autism never takes a day off. In the early years, I was totally consumed and challenged on a daily basis. Now I feel much more equipped to handle challenges, changes and whatever else may come our way.  I know that this is only possible through God’s grace.

Just to tell you how far we have come, when our son was in grade 4, he was supposed to be in a portable. But, because of his need to always move around and possibly escape, instead of being in a portable, they put him in a grade 4/5 split class. It was in the school and they did not want to have to worry about any safety issues.  Today, in high school, this is the first time he has been in a portable and he is doing amazing!  It’s a little thing that most people would not even think about, but for him, it is a huge gain and improvement.

I believe with my whole heart that God does have a plan. He watches us, and He wants us to lean on Him especially during our most difficult circumstances. He makes a path through for us, while being by our side. I guess that’s what faith is all about. I know that my faith grows, the more that I lean on God.

I don’t know what it is today that you may be struggling with. It may be something to do with your children – it’s hard and especially harder when you throw autism into the mix. But, I hope that you will lean on God and the church family. Let us support and help you. We are all part of God’s bigger family so if you are feeling alone and isolated, I am here to tell you that you don’t need to be. We are here for you. God is here for you and no matter what your situation is, He is always in control of everything. He sees you. He hears you and most of all He loves you.

In the Bible it says,

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you;
he will never leave you or forsake you.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” 
Deuteronomy 31:8

Take care, until next time…..

Shelly Wedge
Exceptional Family Ministry Coordinator
Amberlea Church

Here We Go Again!

“Here we go again!”

Whenever I hear this phrase, I think of the Abba song, which by the way is one of my favourites!

Where did the summer go? It seems like just yesterday, we were so happy to be free from the routine and looking forward to some summer fun.

Well, it has already come to an end! I guess that’s as the saying goes, that all good things must come to an end.

But just as we look forward to something enjoyable, we must be grateful for fun times we had during the summer months and anticipate what is to come.

So, “here we go again!” Yes, I sing the song in my head especially when I think about lunches, homework, teachers, activities – you name it. It is coming……….

Fall is such a great season. For those who are in school, it means getting back into the school mode schedule and for others, it may just be back to some regular scheduled activities or regular meet-ups with friends.

Whatever it may be for you, it is happening now.

For those with autism, routine and schedules play an important role in their lives. They decrease anxiety and create a comfort of what to expect next. School is one of those things that provide calmness in people with autism at least that is what my experience has been.  So as much as I am not looking forward to jumping back in, it is a very good thing to be going back for all of us.

We’ve had some stress in our previous school year, so I am personally a bit apprehensive about it but I know that with God’s help, we can get through anything.

That’s the great thing about being a child of God. You can always count on Him to be with you at all times and even in the hardest moments of your life.

Whatever the fears or concerns are for your special needs child, always remember that God is there, He cares and He will never let you down.

I like the verse Deuteronomy 31:6:

“Be strong and courageous.

Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you.

He will not leave or forsake you.”

As you move in the fall season, move forward with peace and calm and remember how much God loves you!

Shelly Wedge

Exceptional Family Ministry Coordinator

Amberlea Church