Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

Sunday morning we took Josiah to church with us!

If you have a loved one with a disability who is able to attend church with you, this may not seem like such a big deal or even a reason to celebrate. For us, however, it was a long awaited answer to prayer!

Usually on Sunday mornings we leave Josiah at home.

Rick and I have rarely been able to attend church together.  We typically tag team on Sundays.  One of us stays home with Josiah while the other goes to church.  Then we switch places.

There have been seasons when Josiah has had a weekend caregiver who stays home with him while Rick and I go together.

But it’s been virtually impossible to have Josiah in church with us.  He just doesn’t fit in.

Our church had an incredible Special Needs Ministry when we first started attending over 20 years ago. Though Josiah brought extra challenges with his high-level support needs, he was always accepted and loved. The ministry leader and all the volunteers went above and beyond to ensure he was included and greatly cared for.  That meant our entire family was able to attend church together, which was a huge blessing.

After he aged out of the program, we struggled to find a place that fit his needs and worked well for all of us. Josiah would either be too loud or too bouncy, disrupting others around him, or unable/unwilling to stay in his special class without Rick or me in there with him, which meant we were essentially tag-teaming church again.

We learned about Heights Baptist Church  a while ago when a friend shared how much her son enjoyed being part of their disability ministry and how much her family loved the church.  Last week we reached out to their director by email, filled out a brief form about Josiah, and showed up Sunday morning, bringing one of his amazing caregivers with us.

We were enthusiastically greeted as we walked into the building. The director met us in the lobby and spoke directly to Josiah, telling him how nice it was to meet him and how happy she was he was there.

Not only did she make Josiah feel welcome and included, she ushered him into the sanctuary to a seat in the very front row.

Rick and I watched from our seats a couple of rows back with a bit of apprehension.  The director had no idea what Josiah might do sitting smack dab in front of the entire congregation, and quite honestly, neither did we.  But to them, it didn’t matter.

Tears welled up in my eyes to see Josiah being treated with such compassion and love.  He belonged, just like everyone else.

It truly was a moment of indescribable joy!

For years we have prayed to find a place that would accept Josiah for who he is. That morning, he was not merely accepted; he was given priority seating!

He only tried to walk closer to the stage a couple of times. Thankfully, his caregiver was there to guide him back to his seat.  I do believe if he had located the sound system, he would have made a beeline straight for the nearest speaker and plastered himself to it for the duration of the singing. He has a thing for speakers.

When the sermon started, he and the others sitting in the front row with him went to their classroom, where they had a Bible lesson.  They also had snacks. Apparently, Josiah really loved the snacks.

I can’t begin to describe how it touched my heart to have Josiah in church with us. For him to be fully accepted, loved, and included was a gift.

When the service was over, as we went to pick him up, I ran into the friend who had recommended this church to us. She and her son were just leaving the classroom. We stopped to talk for a bit.  I couldn’t thank her enough. I wanted her to know how grateful we were that she had led us to a place that was truly an answer to prayer.

And then I noticed she and her son were wearing matching shirts. Written across the bottom in small letters were the words, Heights Baptist Church.  Across the front, in larger, bolder letters, were the words, Fearfully and Wonderfully Made.

Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow!

I do believe we have found our new church home!