A story for Harry

Have you ever picked up a Bible and found the words on the page echoing the words in your mind?

I have the Youversion Bible app on my phone and on facebook. They have a verse of the day. Millions of people use this app. Yet on more than one occasion that verse of the day has spoken directly into my heart, as if it had been chosen just for me. How do they do that? How does God do that?

I could tell you about those, but today is a story for Harry.

When Harry's nursery first mentioned 'autistic spectrum disorder' we weren't surprised. But we were surprised to hear just how withdrawn he had been at nursery and alarm bells began to ring. Panicked, I rushed to the school he was due to start at the next academic year. They were brilliant. Two wonderful members of staff gave me an hour of their time to listen and talk and plan how to support him. It turned out that the teacher he was going to had taught a little boy that year who was very like our Harry. So she had the training, the resources, the expertise, and they assured me they were ready to go. And they were- Harry has blossomed from the day he walked into that school.

As I walked away with a weight lifted off my shoulders, I thought 'wow, God really went ahead of us and prepared that school place for Harry. I didn't see this coming but God did.'

Fast forward a few months to D-day- diagnosis day. As I sat waiting for the final assessment and Harry's diagnosis, I thought about that day and how God had gone ahead of us. I picked up a little book of Bible promises given to me by a friend, opened randomly and this is what I read.

           The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake
           you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
          (Deuteronomy 31:8).

One of my favourite blogs is at rachelwojo.com. She has a post on the names of God and one is JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH- God is already there.

So Harry- this is your promise from God. He goes before you and is with you. God's clever like that.