We'll Leave The Light On

It's still hard to believe that in just a couple of months Jon Alex will turn 14. With Jon Alex being non-verbal, haven never spoken, I joke that I have the only teen age son who has never talked back to his dad!

It is difficult though to watch him grow up physically while we know mentally and cognitively he remains such a young child. I have this young man in my house in so many ways, but yet I have an infant son too- all in the same child.

We are blessed to have Becky's sister Susan, who loves Jon Alex like her own child, live near us to keep him overnight when necessary. We also have this one care giver Tina who has worked with Jon Alex for so many years now. She is our trusted babysitter on the rare occasions when we get a break for a couple of hours.

Those of you raising a child with special needs know how rare and treasured those moments are! Those of you who follow this blog, one of the biggest blessings you can give to a special needs family is the gift of a couple of hours respite.

When we do get a chance to go out to dinner together, or have a date night, we have noticed that Jon Alex typically will not go to sleep until we return. He might cat nap, play in his bed, or such- but he will fight to keep his eyes open until we get home.

Often his babysitter will say upon our return "'he keeps sitting up, I can't get him to close his eyes and fall asleep."

And yet when we do return and go into his room everything changes. Once we say good night and hug him, he will usually turn over right away and go to sleep.

It's like he was just waiting to make sure we get home before he could rest himself and call it complete.

It strikes me ironically how this is the reverse of the typical arrangement between parents and teenagers. Usually it's the parents who stay up restlessly waiting to make sure the teenager returns home safe.

I remember as a teenager always seeing a lamp on in my parents bedroom until I returned home at night. Now in my house it is the other way around.

The whole thing reminds me that my God is the same way. He isn't going to rest or call it complete until all His children find their way home as well. That's why He is always watching, always hoping, always doing whatever He can to get all of us home safely too.

Scripture speaks of a  God who does not sleep nor slumber.

We have a God waiting to hug us when we return home as well.  Go ahead. He will leave the lamp on in heaven for you.