Isaac entered his first year of first grade.
This time of year most moms of first graders are just thinking about school supplies, hair cuts, new backpacks, what snacks to pack in their child's lunch, and how their kiddo with cope with the really long days.
Not me.
I have to call the school before things begin and set up and action plan to make sure my son has everything in place to make sure he doesn't die while he's at school. Yes, die. We have to monitor the contact he has with other children and their access to his school supplies, discuss what happens when he has an allergic reaction to something and how to respond based on the severity and the trigger. We have to make sure his medicines are accounted for. We need to talk about having him sit at the "peanut free table" at lunch while coming up with a strategy to find others to sit with him so he is not alone every day. We have to arrange for him to walk his lunch box up to the office after lunch every day instead of putting it in the bins with everyone else and find a time during the day for him to go back and retrieve it. We have to order an emergency bracelet for him to wear so that the person at recess will know what to do if they see him in distress on the playground.
We are entrusting these well-meaning strangers with our son's life.
My heart is heavy.
I praise God that he has his buddy, Walker, who doesn't like peanut butter and will leave his other friends to be at Isaac's table. I praise God for the ladies in the office who know how to use an Epipen. I praise God for Isaac's teacher who stayed after school with me to stratigize how he will function as part of a class. I praise God for medicine. I praise God that we live down the street. I praise God that He gave my son the perfect personality to deal with his allergies. I praise God for using this to keep me humble, more compassionate toward others, and reliant on Him.
Some days, I really just wish Isaac could be "normal." But God...God has a better than "normal" plan for Isaac. :) In ways I don't always see, I trust that He is using this for our good and to His glory.
I rest in that.
Tonight, we got home from serving at AWANAS. We suspect that one of the treats being shared was peanut butter cookies (which he didn't eat, but were being eating by others all around him)...after a long evening, we came home to Isaac not being able to breathe well. We medicated him and gave him a breathing treatment.
It turned out to be a pretty long night.
I rest in God's goodness, mercy, protection, providence, strength, hope, and love. Because I know His character, I can say with assurance, "this too is good."
I really do praise God for using this to give me a tender heart of compassion for others who have similar or more challenging struggles.
God's strength is enough.
God is enough.
2 comments:
Praying friend.
And I'm so sorry that he was exposed last night...
Every day I have to ask God help me remember that they belong to Him, that I can trust Him with them...
But for you--this also involves a literal "handing him over into the care of others..."
I will stop and pray for his safety and your heart.
Ok this post humbles me. So ... we have been on a new diet journey for a few months and it has been amazing. I am so happy that the Lord has led us to gluten free/ultra healthy living. I have really been struggling sending the boys back to school because at SNACK (sigh, snack) they are exposed to WHATEVER ... gluten, dairy, soy, dairy, preservatives, sugar ... all the stuff I work so hard to eliminate or do in moderation. About 5 times this week I have said, "I just wish Tyler had an official 'allergy' so that I could not allow him to have snack and provide his own without feeling like a weird mom." Well, I am officially humbled now for those words. I am realizing now that if Tyler did have a full blown allergy it would no longer be a luxury of wanting him to have the healthiest food possible but instead a life-threatening issue. Amber, I am not only empathizing with your situation but now realizing that "diet preferences" are only a small picture of true limitations ... and that first days of school are nothing compared to setting your kiddo free into the world of potential food danger. It's SO hard not to become a crazy person getting obsessed with food choices ... but instead I am choosing to stake my trust in Jesus and His control over my family and their food. 100% love, empathy, and prayer for you in your journey of school with food allergies! ~ Jessica (signed in as Matt, but it's me)
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