Steven

There's a guy near my house with what I'm guessing may be cerebral palsy. I wrote about him once but was quite a while ago.

For years I've occasionally seen him, going alone in his wheelchair, black wide brim hat, head down, kind of folded up in his wheelchair. Going at a snails pace down Farmington Rd. I wonder where on earth could he be going, because there are no houses for blocks and he goes sooooo slow.

A few years ago I felt God prompting me to stop and talk to him. Just that feeling I get when I know I'm supposed to do something. Hot feeling in my chest and can think of nothing but what I'm supposed to do. I stopped and talked to him with my heart beating wildly. Was hugely difficult for me to do. Every step like going against a strong current. Found out his name was Steven, could see was delighted to be spoken to, but felt bad I couldn't understand him very well.

I've stopped to talk to him probably 3 or 4 times since. Each time gets more comfortable. One day I blogged about him because God used him to lift me up when I was really down. And that day a couple stupid little frustrating mishaps happened to even get me on a different route home which caused me to end my day talking to him.

Last night on the way home from my Grandma's I saw him, haven't seen him since last fall. Gianna and I got out to talk to him. I wondered how she'd react, she's never met him. He looks different than most people she's used to. And his teeth look pretty bad, and his hands are kind of deformed and he's all doubled over and talks funny and his eyes kind of go different ways.

She was fine! And he was so happy to meet her. He laughed and told her she was cute and she laughed. He asked her how old she was and told us how old he is, 51. We prayed with Steven and I told him that some day we will be in heaven and he will be free from his struggles and we are going to dance together and I can't wait!!!! And he and Gianna laughed and giggled.

When we got in the car Gianna said someday his legs are gonna work good and his arms are gonna work good and he's gonna talk good and he's gonna get up out of that wheelchair!!!

And I said isn't it nice that God uses us to help make other people happy? How Stephen was laughing and so happy to meet Gianna and it made him happy? And she says 'he made us happy Mama! We were laughing!' Amazing. :o)

So tonight Gianna had a pretty bad nightmare. She said she saw a monster and was crying pretty hard for quite a while. We sang Jesus loves me like 5 times and then I said lets think of things that are pretty, things that make you happy. And we were saying sunsets and flowers and lakes and trees and sandcastles and up north and Aunt Cheryl's house and lots of good stuff and then Gianna says what was his name? And I said who? And she said by Grandma's house. And I say Steven? And she says 'yes! Thank you God for Steven. He makes me laugh. Make his legs work good.'

And we prayed for Steven and for God to keep his heart happy. And I was SOOOO touched, that lying in the dark, trying to shake off visions of a monster, it comforted Gianna to think of Steven! With his outward appearance I wouldn't imagine such a thing, but she saw his heart, his sweetness, his spirit.

Precious : )