For the past several years we have taken a family vacation – without Paul. That has resulted in a personal wrestling with deeply conflicted feelings.
Not this year! Finances dictated a change in plans. We will be an entire family as we head out tomorrow, Lord willing. This, of course, produces a different kind of complication.
I am blessed to know many families with one or more members who live with a disability or disabilities. Every one of them has a story with complications (and the families with several disabled members have REALLY interesting stories). Some of those stories are very hard and sad. Quite a few are just simply funny.
And every one of those families is glad to have every single one of their members – disabled and non-disabled. The suffering is real, and the joy is real. God is good.
When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
we were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
The Lord has done great things for us;
we are glad.
Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
like streams in the Negeb!
Those who sow in tears
shall reap with shouts of joy!
He who goes out weeping,
bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
bringing his sheaves with him.
Psalm 126
I’ll be posting short reflections on Jesus the next several days. But where I’m going doesn’t have internet access, so I might skip a few days if I don’t get them done before we go. Thanks for understanding!
The Works of God 
Have you consdered some time at a Joni and Friends Family Retreat? I think the one in Minnesota is in August.
http://www.joniandfriends.org/family-retreats/castaway-club-mn-aug-2011/
Our family has enjoyed the one in TX for the last 4 summers. We have a large special needs program at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco TX and our church offers scholarships to families to help us go to the retreat.
Our 3 youngest have special needs…2 with Down Syndrome and 1 with trisomy 4p. We have only begun taking vacations since they became teenagers. My husband has another week of vacation time in August and we are asking the same question…what to do? Living in TX, we’d really like to get away from the heat but then we’d need to fly somewhere and that’s just too costly sooo…where can we drive to to cool off from the 100 degree TX heat?
I’m sure our Lord has good plans for us just as He does for your family. I love reading your blog. I appreciate your honesty and willingness to share what the Lord is teaching you. Thank you.
Enjoy your time together! Thanks again for joining our family on our little retreat! We truly enjoyed your presence. It was great being with friends who didn’t overwhelm us with the “Why” questions. “Why does he…?, Why isn’t he…?, Why can’t he…? It was so refreshing being with a family who gets it.