Kelly Langston - Autisms Hidden Blessings: Discovering Gods Promises for Autistic Children & Their Families

Discovering Gods Promises
for Autistic Children & Their Families

Kelly Langston

Autisms Hidden Blessings: Discovering Gods Promises for Autistic Children and Their Families

2009, 2011 by Kelly Langston

Published by Kregel Publications, a division of Kregel, Inc., P.O. Box 2607, Grand Rapids, MI 49501.

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This ebook cannot be converted to other electronic formats, except for personal use, and in all cases copyright or other proprietary notices may not modified or obscured. This ebook is protected by the copyright laws of the United States and by international treaties.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible. Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

The author and publisher are not engaged in rendering medical or psychological services, and this book is not intended as a guide to diagnose or treat medical or psychological problems. If medical, psychological, or other expert assistance is required by the reader, please seek the services of your own physician or certified counselor.

Cover photograph of Alec Langston by Charles N. Jenkins, July 2006. Used by permission. Other photographs taken June 2008.

To all of Gods unique, blessed, and beautiful children
who walk this earth with a special need.

Your very presence here teaches us more than any book ever
could. Know this: Gods heartwhich has no limitis for you!
You are greatly valued and loved beyond your wildest dreams.

Oh, that I might comfort some of my Masters servants. I have
written out of my own heart with the view of comforting their
hearts. I would say to them in their trialsMy brethren, God
is good. He will not forsake you: He will bear you through.

C HARLES H ADDON S PURGEON

Throughout the writing of this book Ive had you in mind. Youre the parent or loved one of a child with autism. Im so thankful for the opportunity to walk this journey with you, if only for the time it takes you to read this book. We are, after all, walking in similar shoes. I have no doubt that God led you to pick up this book. He has been leading me, in fact, to write it for a number of years as He walked with our family through times of darkness.

I remember the day when Alec was first diagnosed, when we received from the team of specialists evaluating our son the unexpected words, Your son suffers from an autism spectrum disorder. They each offered us a formal handshake, the last pressing a thin brochure into my hand as they ushered us out the door. We knew nothing about autism then and had no idea what to do next as we slumped out into the fog of that morning. We were speechless, like our son, knowing our entire lives had changed. Looking back on those days, I see now that God not only walked with us, but carried us as well.

There have been days when Ive sat on a curb in tears. Id tried to get Alec into his school building for a preschool party, a pizza in one hand and my son in the car, refusing to get out, kicking and screaming in a tantrum that could shatter glass. Other times Ive rolled over and over on the carpet with him, wrestling shoes onto his chubby feet. This was during January, but despite the cold, he couldnt stand to wear them. Ive sat on the side of Alecs bed at night and cried out to God, Oh Lord! I want Alec to know You! How can I teach him about You when he cant even speak with me?

Weve also had moments of fantastic victory, like watching Alec in the kindergarten school play, singing every word to every song; or seeing him argue with his older sister, Elise, just like any little brother would do. Ive treasured the sight of him jumping off the afternoon school bus with his arms wide, rushing into my arms, and Ive thought, Lord, what a blessing to receive such love!

Dear reader, I dont know where you are on this journey. But wherever it is, I want you to know that God has a message for you and your child with autism.

That message is this:

Your child is greatly loved by God.

Your child is greatly valued by God.

God has a wonderful purpose for your childs life,

No less than that of any other child.

And heres something else: God never intended for you, as a parent, to walk this journey alone! In fact, He has given you powerful treasures in His Scripture that will give you wings to soar above the oppressive grip of autism. No matter how overwhelmed you might feel, no matter what challenges you face, financial burdens, stress, weariness, or even intense loneliness, know this: God gave you this child for a reason. God believes in you, and He is for you!

This is why Im writing this book. I want you to know that you are not alone, and never have been. No matter whether you are a single parent, or a married couple, or a loved one trying to support a family dealing with autism, God has a message for you and the child you love. And He has provided mighty tools to overcome autism.

While this book does offer helpful resources for parents and loved ones of autistic children, it is not intended as a medical manual for dealing with autism. Rather, this book encourages you to discover the promises that God has made, to claim those promises, and to apply them to your life and the life of your child living with autism.

Never doubt for a minute that God loves your child with a love so wide and long and high and deep that we cannot comprehend its measure. God, who has woven every cell and every DNA strand together, knew your baby before you ever laid a kiss to his cheek, and He has chosen you to parent him for a specific reason. He sees your potential to nurture this special being that He has placed in your arms to help him become all that He intended him to be.

Did you know that God has a treasure box of promises stored up in His Word for us and our little ones? These promises can strengthen us and can provide hope, wisdom, and direction on how to care for our uniquely made, incredibly beautiful kidskids created by Gods own hand to serve an extraordinary purpose!

Did you know that, through Christ, God gives us everythingand I mean everythingwe need to carry us through in this battle with autism? And we will more than survive the battle; we will conquer autism with an overflowing and abundant joy in our lives such as we have never known!