How I Found the Special

I have been subbing in our local school system and what an eye opener that is. One never knows what the early morning phone call will bring to your life each day. Some days you are needed to sit and answer a constantly ringing phone, or maybe you are asked to help an overworked records clerk move nine filing cabinets full of files. Then on some days you are sent to help with P.E. (those of you who know me are rolling in the floor over this one.) But, perhaps my favorite deployment of all was last Friday when I subbed in the self contained special education classroom.
I have to confess I dreaded this one but I felt like I couldn't turn anything down so I put on my big girl panties and went for it.
The first thing I was asked upon entering the classroom was "do you mind being touched?" Well, having as many grandchildren as I do has certainly prepared me for being touched so I responded with assurance that I was okay with touching. What I didn't realize is that the touching might not be so much physical as spiritual.
There were 10 children in this classroom, mostly non-verbal. While most did not have the ability to communicate in traditional ways I found they were uniquely able to express their feelings, fears and needs. Each little person had their own little world to function in and try to mesh with the diverse atmosphere surrounding them. Throw into the mix the need to try to introduce some level of instructional work and encourage them to squelch their natural inclination to give in to the specific components of whatever problem they are dealing with. These are called "tics" - and these teachers have taken these children from not being able to sit for 10 minutes without "ticking" to being able to focus on a movie in a relatively calm frame of mind for almost an hour.
Some of these children were autistic and very high functioning, a few had Downs Syndrome (something I was actually familiar with since I had a cousin as a child who had Downs),some were wheelchair bound and all were facing challenges I could never imagine until now.
What struck me is how genuinely these children want to be included, touched, encouraged and loved. It also struck me how lucky I am to have such vividly healthy children and grandchildren. And, how ashamed I should be for not realizing each and everyday how very abundantly I am blessed. Perhaps not in worldly and tangible ways but in the ever present assurance of how much God loves me.
One very large lesson I learned is to not fear the unknown or the unexpected, sometimes the biggest blessings are in those unexpected opportunities - we just have to say yes and jump in with both feet. And while we are sinking in a foreign land, grab hold of whatever lifeline is tossed and begin to search for the special-ness all around you.