The Blessing of Children with Down Syndrome

Our waitress was taking our drink orders, and she fell in love with our youngest daughter who happens to have that extra chromosome.  I think that particular chromosome holds extra doses of cuteness, because we are stopped every time we are out.  She just attracts people.  She loves people...a lot.  The waitress stopped and doted a long while, and Grace reached across the table and took this woman's hands in her own and kissed them.  She leaned down to kiss Grace's little hands and turned to me and said, "She's all from the heart...ALL. FROM. THE. HEART."

I sat looking at our Taiwanese treasure, and the words of the waitress hung in the air between us.  She's right...Grace is all from the heart.  She's the real deal.  She knows nothing of pretense and is 100% genuine.  She loves all kinds of people like Jesus loves people.  She is our teacher in the ways of love and forgiveness and peace-keeping.  

The waitress returned with our food, and Grace told her that we needed to pray.  And right there in the middle of Jim 'n Nick's Bar-B-Q, we joined hands with the waitress...a mere stranger...and Grace led the table in a prayer in words that only she could fully understand, mumbled quietly and sincerely as she spoke to her Father in Heaven.  

We always pray in restaurants, but we have never even thought to ask a waitress to join us in prayer.  Why not? Fear of rejection?  Fear of intruding on her space?  Too busy?  Inappropriate maybe?  I don't know.  But, we had never invited a waitress to join us in prayer.  But Grace did.  

Then again, isn't that what grace does?  His grace.  Our Grace.  Grace takes you in.

And the phrase from Reece's Rainbow came to mind again, as it comes to mind so very often: "EVERY FAMILY DESERVES THE BLESSING OF A CHILD WITH DOWN SYNDROME."  I used to think this was a cute and clever little saying.  But now I endorse it with my whole heart.  These kiddos with the extra 21st chromosome are AMAZING.  Simply amazing.  Some say they are angels.  Some say they are special messengers of God.  But parents of these children would have to agree on one thing: THEY ARE TRULY A BLESSING OF PURE, GENUINE LOVE.

So why is it that our society...the whole world in general...does not see their value?  Why do most moms who discover that they are pregnant with a child who has Down Syndrome choose to abort them?  Why do they rot away in mental institutions across the world, when they would be the most amazing addition to any family?  Really...I wonder to myself: "Who wouldn't want one of these children??"

Here are some of the recent additions to Reece's Rainbow.  These little ones are looking for their forever family.  There are families somewhere who are missing something special, and I'm praying that God will open their eyes.  I pray they will open their homes.  These are amazing gems that nobody has taken the time to scoop up, dust off and love as a son or daughter.  Believe me, any love given to them by a family will dim in comparison to the love these children will give to their families and really anyone who happens to bump into them...even waitresses at random restaurants who are forever affected by the love they receive from these children.  

All of these children can be found at Reece's Rainbow in their section titled "Newly Listed Children."

A Profession or A Call?

Excerpt from K. P. Yohannan's book Against the Wind:

But there is a definite difference between a profession and a call: 

A job, a profession, is one you choose; a ministry is one Christ chooses for you.
A job depends on your abilities; a ministry depends on your availability to God.
In a job you expect to receive something—a salary; in a ministry you expect to give.
A job well done brings you self-esteem; a ministry well done brings honor to Jesus Christ.
In a job you give something to get something; in a ministry you return something that has already been given to you.
A job well done has a temporal reward; a ministry well done has eternal rewards. (Author unknown) 

I want to ask you: Are you called? Have you heard the Lord Jesus call you, saying, “Come, follow Me, be with Me and I will send you out for ministry”? The person you become, the decisions you make, the manner in which you behave and your attitude toward the Lord’s work all depend on this deep conviction that you have been called by God.