Isaiah 55:8-9 - For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Dear God, puzzle pieces. The theme of puzzle pieces seems to be more clear every day. A puzzle piece represents autism. Life can be a puzzle. People are like puzzle pieces. Each and every person belongs in a giant puzzle. And that puzzle cannot ever be complete until each and every person belongs. If even one piece is missing, the puzzle is no good, as it is incomplete. Churches are like puzzles with a lot of puzzle pieces. If a church excludes even just one person, they have an incomplete puzzle. Many families challenged or blessed with special needs are left out of churches as churches either exclude them or bully them. It isn't right. Some people dislike the puzzle piece representation of autism because they feel it represents mystery and they do not feel there is a mystery anymore. But I like the puzzle piece representation because I recognize that the puzzle piece represents how each and every person is a part of a bigger puzzle and every piece is just as important as the next to finish or complete the puzzle. If your puzzle has 1,000 pieces and even just ONE piece is missing, then the puzzle is incomplete and you are going to do everything you can to find that missing piece. Just yesterday, this analogy took new meaning as someone came on an autism support page and immediately began spewing hatred and bitterness in an effort to divide the community. She asserted she has a 12-year-old with autism so severe that he requires 24/7 care and then tried to assert that anyone with more mild forms of autism are less deserving if services or less disabled or that their condition doesn't exist at all. Autism is called a spectrum disorder for a reason. I see it more like how no two people with cancer are the same with their symptoms. They have similar markers, but the similarities disappear after that. Or autism is like a rainbow. A rainbow consists of seven main colors, but as one color band goes to the next color band, you see a blending of the different shades of that one color. No two are the exact same. That woman then attacked me, which of course warranted a block on her. But I also ended up making new friends through what happened. No one can say I don't have something that after years of observation, someone finally got me to the right expert and determined I have. Even brain imaging can prove I have it. And that is what matters the most. It saddens me though because as long as the attitude that woman had exists, I will never belong and never fit in. There will never be enough support services for people like me when it comes to finding safe churches or safe jobs or safe schools. And that is sad. So God, today, a lesson about life being like a puzzle and You having all the pieces that you are fitting together is a great lesson. I only hope that certain people from a certain church reads this and starts to feel You move and maybe they will reach out to me. Thank You for my reminder about puzzle pieces. In Jesus' Name, Amen!
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