Using Exclamation Points for What Really Counts.

Hindsight offers wisdom, insight and sadly, judgement. I read today's email with a lump in my throat, and a knot in my stomach. 

August 13, 2000 -- "Benjamin had his casts removed Wednesday. The doctor has placed him in a brace that will hold his legs in basically the same position the casts did while allowing him to move, and walk! Hopefully, this will help even further the development of that left hip! Please keep praying! He is a trooper and still insists he thinks the brace is cool! He had done a little walking since the cast removal but seems to really hit a wall quickly. Please pray that he will regain his strength and desire to walk soon!!"

Benjamin in his little brace, reading with Mommy, Claire and Mason.

If exclamation points are what we are counting, I tally no less than six in this one paragraph written to my friend begging for prayer support for Benjamin. And let's be honest, I am begging for prayers that he will walk.

Perhaps, I sound like a broken record by now. Perhaps you are absolutely exhausted with my repetitive posts about walking. But please, dear ones, know that I WAS in fact writing about that in a lot of my emails. I was in fact praying about that a lot in my prayer time. I was in fact worrying, hoping and thinking about that most of every single waking moment.

Because remember, my lopsided paradigms thought walking equalled wholeness. If he walks then he is...dare I say it?....normal.

Thank goodness for a young man who is not limited by lopsided paradigms. Thank goodness that I am capable of learning from him. And thank goodness that I laid down that close-minded thinking before he started kindergarten -- allowing him to roll right into that school and shine!

Because his ability to shine is what really deserves no less than six exclamation points -- it is what really and truly counts!