Sweet, tender moment with Amanda

Most of the time Amanda does not want to be touched. It's just the way she has always been. Last night the church had movie night. They made popcorn and had several different kinds of pop. They showed "Facing The Giants" on the big screen in the front of the sanctuary. We truly enjoyed the film, but I got the real treat! Amanda had not wanted to go anywhere last night. She wanted to stay home and play video games. So she started off the evening mad. John and I had sat down in a pew and parked Amanda's wheelchair beside us. Jenny decided she wanted to sit in the row behind us. So when Amanda saw that she had to go sit beside her sister. Well, because Amanda was in a bad mood to start she kept talking when the movie started. She kept asking when it would be over (out loud) and when it was time to go home. She wasn't even trying to watch the movie. I kept turning around and telling her to be quiet, but it wasn't getting me anywhere. She just kept getting louder. So, I got up and moved back a row and sat down next to her. I took her hand in mine and with the other hand very gently started to stroke the back of her hand and her forearm. She became very quiet. When I moved my hand away she reached out and put it back where it was. So I continued to stroke her hand and forearm. Then she did what she hasn't done since she was just a tiny little thing. She laid her head on my shoulder. I leaned my head over so that it rested on the top of hers. We sat that way through the whole movie. Every once in a while she would kiss my arm. When the movie was over and the pastor closed with a prayer my heart prayed a little differently than his prayer. I thanked God for honoring me by making me the mother of one of his most precious. Last night made me realize how great the rewards are for taking on the hard job. That one evening made the days when I feel worn out, exhausted and frustrated seem so insignificant. God gave me a hard job, but an important one. Sometimes it seems like the parents of handicapped children have more than thier share, but God promises to never give us too much. As hard as some days are and as near as I sometimes feel to my breaking point, I haven't broken. I may break down and cry and hide in my room for a little while, but it isn't long until it is time to move on and start cooking something. Then of course after God gave me the hard one He balanced it out with an easy one. No matter how hard things got, Jenny had the ability to make me laugh. Her sense of humor has always closely matched my own. My children just amaze me sometimes. I am more lucky than people with perfectly healthy, perfectly average children. I get the big rewards. The best rewards in life can never be bought. They are simply the things that reach out and wrap around your heart. Thank you, God for giving me a little extra in what wraps around my heart.