My soon-to-be 26 year old son is fully disabled. He has been through a lot in his life – multiple surgeries, daily seizures, and fully reliant on us for everything. He has always brought so much joy to our lives, but I now find that joy in the little things I experience with him.
The other day I was shaving him and got to get up close and personal with him. I got to gaze into his eyes and see the warmth, love and appreciation he has for me and what I do for him. He is unable to speak; in fact, he has never spoken a word to anyone. And yet, he speaks volumes if we take the time to listen!
Our son is so incredibly sweet, laid back, and easy going. He is not demanding and just trusts us to provide his needs. It is so fun to see the different ways he interacts with different family members – for me, he is often full of smiles; for my husband, he teases him by playfully kicking or pushing him; for our daughter, he reaches out for her hand; for one of our sons, he is on the defensive in case he might get tickled; and for our other son he’ll pretend he isn’t hungry and will refuse to take his medicine. When he is around someone he doesn’t know very well, he will intently look into their eyes. I truly think he sees their souls!
I think he knows us all better than we realize! He has figured out the best way to interact with each of us. We all get personalized attention from him if we are seeking it. He is not able much of the time to initiate contact, but he responds when we take the time (unless he has had a really bad day of seizures).
We may never hear an audible word from God, and yet, he speaks volumes if we are willing to take the time to listen. He wants to interact with us, but relies on us to come to him for personalized attention. He is always waiting and desiring for us to initiate contact. He sees us and knows us so deeply.