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The Gospel and Autism: 2 Years Later

Today is April Fool's Day.  However, it is also the beginning of Autism Awareness month.  A couple of years ago I wrote a blog post titled The Gospel and Autism: A Father's Fear.  You can find that post here.  I relayed in that post many of the things that we were dealing with as a family, and how I had struggled with the ability of my son to mentally access the Gospel.  I would be lying to you if I said I still do not harbor some of those fears from time to time. 

In the last six months I have begun to put together the very beginnings of a writing project that may end up being book length or it may just be essay length.  Either way it seeks to explore even deeper these concerns that I have because I know that I cannot be the only one that has them.  In the passing of almost 2 years I have learned some things about my son, about myself, and about God. 

First, my son is amazing.  This 6 year old is largely taking life by storm.  He has his quirks, intricacies, and challenges, but don't we all?  He has succeeded largely because of help from the great people God has placed in our life along the way.  His great doctors at the University of Virginia, therapists at the Virginia Institute of Autism, his wonderful preschool teacher Julia Meek, and many others at our previous home in Virginia did so much to make him the happy boy he is today.  Now, we have great support from our new friends in Mena.  Dr. Rick (or Reeeeyak as William Paul calls him) and Mrs. Lochala, Mrs. Oglesby, Mrs. Bates, and all of those who help him be part of our church activities have uniquely blessed our family and we are grateful for every person.

This boy learns at the speed of light, and I am so confident that God has an amazing plan for his life.  He has a future in Lego construction I can promise you that.  The thing about William Paul is that when he is happy it is effervescent.  It lights up his whole body, and the lives of all around him.  He is funny if you can get his humor, and I have learned recently that he may be the fastest 6  year old on the planet.  This young man is also really beginning to learn more about God and His Word.  That is a testament to God and to those who take the time to invest in William Paul in church.  His challenges remain, but William Paul has consistently shattered expectations that we had for him at this point in his life.

I have learned about myself that I still worry more than a pastor should.  I wrote recently that arrogantly, the reason I struggle with autism is because I cannot communicate.  Being incapable of communication is not a place that I am used to. In the land of autism I am not the easily understood pulpiteer that I fancy myself in other parts of my life. My life's calling is communicating Gospel truth through teaching and preaching, so it hurt my ego to think it might not be possible to communicate the most important truth I know to one of the most important people in my life. In the land of autism I struggle to communicate as much as William Paul struggles in the "normal" world we occupy.  But I am learning how to communicate with him more and more.  The more I know of him and how his beautiful, God given,  mind works the more I am amazed and thankful.

As far as God goes I have learned many things in the past 2 years.  I had previously been so overwhelmed with William Paul's ability to understand Gospel truth that I never dealt with the real question I was asking.  It's the big question.  WHY?  Why us?  Why him? or better yet where?  Where was God when my child was born with this huge challenge?  I could never claim to care about William Paul's salvation until I reconciled God's place and plan in his autism.  Here it is, and it is less than profound.  God was there.  God was there in the depths of His divinity crafting my son into His perfect creation.  God was there in the hospital room watching him be born.  God was there when we struggled with diagnoses, doubts, and doctors. God was there in the 18 months that we did not ever sleep. God was there when he was inconsolably shattered emotionally and we did not know why. God was there...God was there...God IS there.

 It is believed that a full 1% of the world's population is on the autistic spectrum.  That is over 70 million people.  God never created a flea without a plan.  70 million people?  That is a group of loved, created people that God can and will do mighty things for and through. I am looking forward to having a front row seat to see what William Paul Threet's place is in the plan of the God who loves him.


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