Currently listening to "You're Right"- Paper Rival
So I watch Extreme Home Makeover just because I know it's going to make me cry. (Not ashamed) They take the most in need families and bless them with a dream home that caters to their needs. It gets me EVERY time I watch it, I mean EVERY SINGLE time. I can't help but cry. This particular episode, they helped a family of 2 deaf parents who had a 14 year old son and a blind son with sever autism. The 14 year old son catered to whatever his brother needed. He spoke sign language to his parents and the parents spoke sign language in the hand of their blind son. Their connection with each other was like nothing I've ever seen. Their house was a normal house like any middle classed family, but the thing was that the blind son would leave without the parents knowing and wander the streets. This created worry. Amidst all that though, there was this swing in the back yard. The blind son loved that swing. That was his escape from everything. He would swing for hours and hours. I think when he was on that swing; he wasn't blind anymore; he wasn't autistic anymore. He was just a joyful kid without a worry or care.
The reason why this particular story struck is because of this blind son. When presented the new house, and let me tell you they always do it right. They had new everything. From the front door to the grass in the yard. They had specific things to help with the fact the parents couldn't hear and things that helped the blind son. In the back yard the Extreme Home team created a new swing for the blind son, his name was Lance. On the swing read Lance's swing. Lance thought his room was cool, but once he got to that swing he lit up like nothing I've ever seen. While the rest of the family looked through the rest of the house, he stayed on that swing. He could care less about the new dishwasher, the new couch, the flat screen in the new living room.
He just wanted the swing because on that swing he found that nothing else mattered.
I want to be just like Lance. So many days I'm concerned about what I'm wearing, how I look, my entertainment, how I'm viewed by everyone else. Let me tell you, not alot of joy in that; alot of energy for sure, but no joy. God has a created a swing for me in him and asks me to escape to that swing everyday, but I'm usually saying "God, I don't have time for trivial things like a swing. I need to be more productive with my time." I have missed it. This swing represents the arms of Jesus. Sounds really "churchy" I know, but it hit me like a ton of bricks as I watched Lance on this swing. I want to find joy in knowing I'm loved for exactly the broken person that I am. That's what the swing represents for me. This represents my chance to be loved by the Father that just wants me to find joy in Him, my swing. Thanks Lance for rocking my soul and for swinging like there's no tomorrow.
