Dianne’s post yesterday on Pastor John’s reading of a poem highlighted several things that are helpful for parents of children with disabilities:
- We still long for and love beautiful things. The intensity and the chaos and feelings of being overwhelmed by everything that is associated with disability do not (entirely) crowd out our appreciation for soul-enriching nourishment that comes from art and music and books and good conversation.
- The Holy Spirit is powerful in his ability to use things like God-centered poetry to make much of God and help us see who God really is. I believe the key words here are ‘God-centered.’
- Dianne was touched by it because she was able to hear the sermon! This meant that somebody else was caring for Paul at that moment. The love and care provided to us as parents when people care for our children, as highlighted here, allows for many other important things to happen.
We should not be surprised that God would provide such good gifts. The writer of Ecclesiastes embeds this powerful and wonderful statement about God, beauty, creation, and sovereignty as he teaches:
(God) has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man. I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. Ecclesiastes 3:11-14
The Works of God 