My son is autistic. In those four words are a world of sadness, anger and fear which those who are parents will understand. I suppose that it would be natural if I questioned God – why my son? Why me? But this is not the issue for me. I know that we live in enemy territory and that it is dangerous. We all carry the wounds and battle scars to prove it. Travis does, I do, and so do you. No, for me there is another lesson to be learned as I struggle to find a way to reach my son.
God does not cause evil to teach us. But neither is he limited by its existence. In everything, no matter how difficult for us, God can bring about a greater good. The worse the situation the greater the potential good. And so, in Travis' struggle to understand us and communicate with us, God has something very important for me.
As I watch Travis grow and learn I sometimes feel as if my heart will break. For he is a sweet and loving child, as happy as can be most of the time. And as we work with him, looking for the way to reach him, trying to teach him the basics of verbal communication, I sometimes want to just cry. His little face is so earnest. He knows that we want something and he tries hard to please us, repeating the sounds to us that, for reasons he does not quite understand, seem important to us. And at these times I see in his face an unspoken, even unformed thought in his puzzlement about the strange noises we make and want him to make: “Daddy, why do you have to make it so hard? Why can't you just make it plain for me? Make it so that I can understand?” Of course that is exactly what I want to do. But the thing he needs in order to receive my clarification is the very thing which is broken...
It was several years ago that a dear friend came over for lunch after church to share a yummy meal. I lamented frustration with my church - the church that I loved and served in for so many years. After what seemed like hours - my friend smiled and said, "I have some lecture tapes you might enjoy..." My life was never the same after that. 
The Good News Tour Vancouver DVD is now available for purchase from our online e-store. .gif)
Have you ever wondered why Jesus died on a cross for mankind? If you grew up in a Christian home, you undoubtedly learned that Jesus died to pay the price for the sin of mankind and in order to be justified, blood from a perfect sacrifice had to be shed. Jesus Christ, we were told, was that perfect sacrifice (Romans 3:23-24, Romans 6:23, Isaiah 59:1, 2.) You probably also learned that a person needs a savior to guide them (Proverbs 14:12) for it was a divergence from truth that brought catastrophe to our planet (Gen 3:1-24).
To those who may feel that God is calling them but do not quite know how to respond I offer my own longing from a journal entry not too long ago. My wife and I were watching the latest episode of "West Wing", the one where they are introducing the new speech writer, "Will". And at the end Will, who has already won "Toby" over, hands Toby the note that "Sam" sent him. After he has walked out Toby opens the note and reads: "Toby, He's one of us. Sam"
