Benny loves his daddy. Daddy is the place where rainbows appear. It is where the sun rises and sets in vibrant colors of pure joy. Beside Daddy is where laughter abounds, where all things are warm and fuzzy, and where Benny’s little heart is completely fulfilled. So when Daddy leaves his side and goes up to preach, guess what? “Benny no likey!”
This is Benny’s cue to try everything under the sun to get himself up there beside Daddy. So yesterday at church, not only did Daddy get up to preach, but the person sitting in front of us got up and left. This may not mean much to you, but to me, it was the inevitable straw that would break the camels back. Why? Because now there was the empty thing that Benny loves to tip more than anything else in the world. An empty chair. Forget cow-tipping. (Is there such a thing? I think I saw it in a movie once?) Benny chair-tips. To the annoyance of all unsuspecting eardrums in the room, chair-tipping is right up there on the same level as Daddy loving! To Benny, it is the ultimate thrill to tip a chair and hear it come crashing with a vengeance to the floor and onto the hearing devices attached to innocent heads everywhere!
So while Daddy was busy preaching the word of God, I was having a time. I didn’t allow Benny to tip that chair. After the fifth or sixth time of Mom not letting him chair-tip, he had it right up to his eyeballs. First, he got a big poochy lip. Then he started whimpering. My amazing son-in-law, Paul, quickly came and sat beside him to try to talk him out of what we all knew was coming. A full-blown crying session. It was too late, and we launched ourselves into it full blast.
And that is how it came to be that Benny ended up beside the pulpit with Maynard. Maynard invited Benny up to sit beside him. Doesn’t he look so cute and judgemental sitting up there on his little throne? 🙂
The minute he was up there the world was right and good. He got a big smile and laughed. Out loud. He squinted across the crowd until he saw me then he signed, “Mom” and “Love.” Sometimes I just can’t even with his antics!
I thought about this all evening. Obviously, I failed in knowing how to handle the situation. Obviously, God was teaching me something. What was it?
I came to the conclusion that it was not something new I needed to learn. It was a reminder. A reminder to stay humble and to let God. A reminder that although it was disrupting to our wonderful, ever patient congregation, who accept Benny with open arms, it was okay. A reminder that I still don’t know how to raise a special needs child. I only know how to love him. To bits and pieces. Through the unpredictable fits, frustrations, exhaustion, the good days and the bad ones, God says to just keep on loving. He is my little Bubby.
Matthew 19:14 KJV: But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.
I am so thankful for a loving Father in heaven that cares about the little details in our lives!
