Good will.
Divine love and protection bestowed freely on people.
These are definitions of grace.
Two whole years we waited. The government agency determined that Anna, then 19, qualified as most in need of services on their long list of other qualifiers with disabilities. No one would know, looking at her. Our beautiful daughter looks like an Audrey Hepburn tiny ballerina with doe eyes and sweet smile. And her spirit . . . sweeter than honey.
One interview in two years came from all that work of applying—filling out forms, accumulating inch-thick testing reports, asking people to write letters, driving back and forth an hour to meetings. And then one day . . .
Grace.
I was on my way to vote in the hotly contested governor recall election last June. I looked to my right and saw a delightful children’s center nestled on grassy yard back-dropped with trees. I felt gently nudged by the Holy Spirit so I stopped and went in and introduced myself to the director. I felt an instant connection with a kindred spirit.
That day was the beginning of a miracle for our family. The director kindly welcomed Anna into her center as a volunteer and nurtured her throughout the summer. When it became apparent that Anna would not be able to work as a lead or support teacher, the director gave grace.
Without us asking, she created a paid job to match Anna’s abilities and interests. Just when we thought we had exhausted our options, grace intervened. Just when we thought our daughter would never find a paid position, grace positioned her. And is it not just like God to give us more than we ever dreamed possible—to fill us in ways we never expected?
At 21, Anna now has her first paid job in a place where she is loved and her gifts are valued. The director has a heart for special needs and is remarkably gifted in knowing how to help Anna be successful, to feel valuable. I cannot imagine anyone better to come alongside our daughter. This remarkable woman is nurturing, calm, intuitive, flexible, and compassionate.
God’s grace has no limits. Not only does our daughter have a wonderful place to work, I have a new friend who is exceedingly kind and full of good will. And my new friend’s step-daughter is an equestrian! Not long ago, her leased horse had been given to someone else, once again, and she needed a constant relationship with a horse. I wanted my horse, Liberty Belle, to have a new friend. Now, my heart thumps hard every time I see this beautiful girl with my horse she has claimed as her own. Life is all about goodwill relationships.
So here we are, not even a year out from a seeming dead end with a sense of purpose and value for our daughter—and a paycheck too, wonderful new friends, a horse for a young girl, and is it not just like God to top goodness off with more goodness?
And the girl’s name is . . .
Grace.
Good will.
Divine love and protection bestowed freely on people.
Lesson learned. God’s timing is perfect. God’s ways are perfect. God’s blessings are simply amazing—for He is full of amazing grace.
I will remember this as we wait now and trust grace for our son.
