It's National Down Syndrome Awareness Month!

      For the majority of families who have been blessed with Down syndrome, the blessing was not expected. There was struggle, and fear and maybe anger, but the joy came in time. They learned to love the amazing-ness that is Down syndrome.  My joy comes from having chosen to walk down this path blazed by so many wonderful people who adore their children and their designer genes. They fought for the life of their child and kept them out of institutions; they advocated for access to equal health & education & employment; they re-invented sports and helped re-define beauty. These people are heroes in my mind. They taught me to love my son & his "chromosome cousins" before I even knew they existed. They helped form my senses, so when God said 'it's time' to walk down the Down syndrome path, I was able to hear.

      I am asked often WHY did I choose to adopt a child with Down syndrome. It's a fair question, I suppose. The answer is simple...God created my son PERFECTLY. Why wouldn't I want him?? Every fiber of his being, every cell, every chromosome, every gene is exactly where it is supposed to be, expertly designed to fulfill God's plan for his life. Because of my son's 'genetic aberation', he will forever be able to hear God and love on people in a way that I never will be able to. It will be up to me to teach my sweet boy the initial skills to respond to his Creator and then sit back and take notes for the rest of my days. My little boy, who was declared imperfect and not worthy to live will forever teach me what it is to reflect God's perfect love. There will be hard days; the world may move too fast for him some days, he may be prone to illness, he may not understand some social skills,  but doesn't the Lord say 'you are not to be of this world, rest in Me, I am your healer, lean not on your own understanding'? My boy was created PERFECTLY to glorify the Lord and to teach those around us...ME...to do the same.

     To the thousands of children with Down syndrome who have survived into this life and are still in orphanages or foster homes...to the fourteen children in the Bamboo Project...you are loved and wanted and perfect. God says so!! And you make my world AWESOME!