Earning The True Gift
Most women become mothers by accident, some by choice, a few
by social pressures and a couple by habit. This year, nearly
100,000 women will become mothers of handicapped children. Did
you ever wonder how mothers of handicapped children are chosen?
Somehow I visualize God hovering over Earth selecting his
instruments for propagation with great care and deliberation. As
he observes, he instructs his angels to make notes in a giant
ledger.
"Armstrong, Beth, son, patron saint, Matthew.
"Forrest, Marjorie, daughter, patron saint, Cecilia.
"Rudledge, Carrie, twins, patron saint....give her Gerard.
He's used to profanity."
Finally, he passes a name to an angel and smiles, "Give
her a handicapped child." The angel is curious. "Why
this one, God? She is so happy." "Exactly," says
God. "Could I give a handicapped child a mother who does not
know laughter? That would be cruel." "But has she
patience?" asks the angel. "I don't want her to have
too much patience or she will drown in a sea of silf-pity and
despair. Once the shock and resentment wear off, she'll handle
it. I watched her today. She has that feeling of self and
independence that is so rare and so necessary in a mother. You
see, the child I'm going to give her has his own world. She has
to make it live in her world, and that's not going to be
easy." "But, Lord, I don't think she even believes in
you." God smiles. "No matter. I can fix that. This one
is perfect. She has just enought selfishness." The angel
gasps, "Selfishness? Is that a virtue?" God nods.
"If she can't seperate herself from the child occasionally,
she'll never survive. Yes, here is a woman whom I will bless with
a child less then perfect. She doesn't realize it yet, but she is
to be envied. She will never take for granted a 'spoken word'.
She will never consider a 'step' ordinary. When her child says
'Momma' for the first time, she will be present at a miracle and
know it! When she describes a tree or a sunset to her blind
child, she will see it as few people ever see my creations. I
will permit her to see clearly the things I see...ignorance,
cruelty, prejudice...and allow her to rise above all of them. She
will never be alone. I will be at her side every minute of every
day of her life, because she is doing my work as surely as she is
here by my side." "And what about her patron
saint?" asks the angel, pen poised in midair. God smiles
"a mirror will suffice."
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