You Can Worship How You Want
Our family enjoyed a wonderful summer of camping in our new Airstream trailer this summer. I have written about our experiences learning how to use and set up the trailer in other blogs, but I have not really touched on our times while at the various campgrounds. Written by John Felageller
“Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! (Psalm 150:3, ESV).
Our family enjoyed a wonderful summer of camping in our new Airstream trailer this summer. I have written about our experiences learning how to use and set up the trailer in other blogs, but I have not really touched on our times while at the various campgrounds. For the most part, all of the locations were quite nice and the various travelers were quite lovely people.
But having an autistic child is always a challenge when visiting new, unfamiliar locations, and being around folks who may not have an awareness of those with special needs. We really did not have any issues with kids or adults asking any questions, but that changed on our very last trip of the year.
We traveled to a small private campground a couple of hours from our home, and we arrived late on a Saturday so just had enough time to get set up and go straight to bed while under the cover of darkness. The next day we awoke and my son was his usual excited self, and my wife, wanting to give me time to shower and dress, decided to take my son on an early morning walk. As she walked through the campsites and came up to the common buildings at the front, she began to hear the beautiful sound of worship music, and decided to follow it to the source. She came upon the activity center where a Sunday church service was being held, complete with a pastor and a worship leader on piano, and rows of folding chairs. My wife decided this would be a welcome stop for them so she decided to sit for a little and enjoy some time in the Spirit.
As usual, my son loved the worship part, being engaged with the group and though being non-verbal, still made a joyful noise with his squeals and utterances. However, once the worship part ended, he began to get disregulated and as is normally the case, he began to get extremely sensory seeking, and proceeded to bang on and knock over the folding chairs. Startled and shaken, my wife reacted the way that we always do, she took my son and immediately left the space, apologizing her way through the crowd and out the door, and headed for home.
When she got home she shared her experience there and how bad she felt with our son having a small meltdown, but she also expressed how polite and respectful people were, asking her if she was ok or needed any help. She told them she was fine and thanked them, not being used to such concern from folks in public places, even at our own church services. I was grateful people were understanding, but still used to many of those interactions or comments from people, even when seemingly genuine, to just be things people say to get through the moment, and not truly intentional. But we were shocked when about less than an hour later, a small delegation of three people from the service, who also were long time campers there, came to visit our trailer. My wife must have mentioned that we were the family in the Airstream, since ours is still a fairly unique sight among other trailer styles.
The two men and a woman came in and immediately my son came to happily greet them, and they were just as glad to see him, and shared how they were just checking on us to see how we were doing. They kept speaking out their faith to us by letting us know that whatever happened was no big deal, that we were welcome there and that we would always be welcomed no matter. We thanked them for their kindness in checking in on us, and how much it meant to us that people would go out of their to make sure we were included, and suddenly our small living space was bursting with the Holy Spirit.
That morning, we just didn’t escape a challenging situation in a public place, we were actually touched by the Body of Christ in a special and unique way, and the campground just earned visitors for life.
Written by John Felageller
John lives in Northbrook, IL with his wife Elizabeth and his son Christopher (ASD), and is currently a Social Programs Manager at Total Link 2 Community in Chicago, IL. He is a regular contributor to Key Ministry’s Special Needs Family blog, and is both a live presenter and on Key Ministry’s Facebook page. He coordinates a Special Needs Dads meet-up in his community and works with several other local Special Needs organizations that serve both parents and children.
Connect with John on Facebook here.
The Polar Vortex and Gratitude: An Unlikely Combination
The polar vortex and gratitude. I never thought of pairing the two until the great polar vortex of January 2019. Even though I have lived through plenty of what we used to call "cold snaps"…written by Jolene Philo
The polar vortex and gratitude. I never thought of pairing the two until the great polar vortex of January 2019. Even though I have lived through plenty of what we used to call "cold snaps".
• I was 9 in 1965, the year that held the record low temperature for January 30 until 2019.
• I was 25 and 5 months pregnant in 1982 when the mercury dipped to -45° when we were living in northwest South Dakota.
• I was 33 in 1989 when school was called off for 2 days before Christmas break, which meant my third grade students had their anti-climactic Christmas party when school resumed in January.
The difference between my response to previous cold snaps and the 2019 polar vortex go far beyond a name change. My response to the 1965 cold snap was delight when Mom said she would drive me to school. In 1982, my husband and I piled into our friends' car and traveled 90 miles to go out to eat, though the thermometer was -20° at its warmest.
In 1989 our son born with medical special needs was 7, and his baby sister was a few months old. By then I was haunted by what our son's early years had revealed. His multiple surgeries, frequent invasive procedures, and nearly constant infections and illnesses showed that bad things happen even when you follow the rules and choose wisely. Therefore, my wisest course of action was to control the situation tightly, to protect my children, and keep everyone inside until the cold snap ended, or we ran out of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.
By 2019 our son was on his own and doing well. We had begun an intergenerational living arrangement with our daughter, her husband, and their children, ages 3 and 1. We had gone through hard times and good ones. We had seen God faithfully provide doctors and therapists for our son. We had seen Him provide for every hospital and medical bill. We had seen Him provide when we changed careers. We had seen Him provide the houses we needed and could afford. We had seen how much better His plans were than ours.
So when the temperature plunged in January 2019, when condensation streamed down the windows, dripped from the ceilings, and pooled on the floors, when the dryer quit working and the service people weren't making house calls, when the editor of my latest book for special needs families sent revisions with a short deadline, I didn't respond with my pre-motherhood abandon or with my post-motherhood iron grip of control.
Instead, I responded to the polar vortex with gratitude born of more than six decades of experiencing God's faithfulness. This time, I sat back to watch the latest installment of God at work in our lives. He didn't disappoint.
• My husband and I saw God expose the condensation issues during preparations for an upcoming house remodel. Now we could talk to the contractor about what to do.
• When the repairman said the dryer was toast, we were able to purchase one, used for 3 days and returned because the previous owner didn't like the color, for 1/3 the original price, and with the original warranty.
• I asked friends to pray for me, specifically for wisdom and peace, while working on the requested revisions. The cold weather kept me home and focused, and the revisions went faster and more smoothly than expected.
For me, the polar vortex and gratitude are closely linked, as is my gratitude for the privilege of raising a child with special needs. You may find that statement ludicrous if you are new to the role of parenting a child with special needs.
Thirty-six years into the job, I have come to trust God's plan for my life and the lives of our children. I have learned that the best gifts are not always easy, but they are always good. This is a promise I can trust and so can you.
This is a hope upon which we can stand together. It's a truth to remember when the next cold snap rolls in and God shows you how the unlikely combination of polar vortex and gratitude, as well as special needs parenting and gratitude, really do belong in the same sentence.
Written by Jolene Philo
