Giving God the Glory...

This is not my usual type blog post on my Sparkpeople page, but it does speak to mental and emotional healing and the power of God. I really don't have anywhere else to express my feelings on this, but I wanted to write it down.

Today, I started getting paperwork together to take my son for a psycho-educational evaluation. What is that? Well, it's a battery of diagnostic tests to prove that my son is what is known as dual-exceptional. This will be my son's 3rd time to take these tests. He has to retake them to get accommodations on the PSAT, SAT and ACT as he is now 15 and going into the 10th grade. The "powers that be" think that his learning disabilities could suddenly disappear in 6 years.

On the one hand, my son is gifted. I'm not just a proud mom, testing has proven it. But, my son is also learning disabled,hence, dual or twice exceptional. We found this out in the 3rd grade. He was still in public school at the time. My son has dysgraphia, which means that he has extreme difficulty with handwriting and all types of written expression. It's pretty hard to get through the 3rd grade when you can't write. He also has ADHD, OCD, Generalized anxiety disorder, and epilepsy. WHEW! Yep, I tell people, couldn't he just get an ear infection or a cold sometimes??? (Just kidding, but he's really never sick like that.)

So I haven't looked at all these papers in many years now, because in the 4th grade, my husband and I took a leap of faith and pulled my son out to homeschool him. I had forgotten how truly horrible school was for him. Seeing the notes from teachers nearly broke my heart again. You would have thought that he was the devil incarnate and headed straight for juvie. He was suspended from school 6 times in the 1st grade, twice in the 2nd, and twice in the 3rd. Not only was he bullied by students, but he felt bullied by teachers and principals. His father and I did too. You would have thought that we were the worst parents in the world and that DFACS should have been called on us straightaway. The school's ringtone on my phone was T-R-O-U-B-L-E by Travis Tritt, because a call from the school was never good news. (My way of bringing humor into a really difficult and painful situation.)

So here's where the story gets so much better. We've come a long, long way since those days. Today, my 15 year old son is almost a Life Scout, (one rank away from an Eagle Scout). He has just been accepted into Toccoa Falls College's Dual Enrollment program. Yup, that's right, college at 15 years old. He's in a homeschool Beta Club.He is a strong Christian with the faith of a mountain. He has a servant's heart and looks for ways to help others. His Eagle Scout project will be something to help people in wheelchairs after he spent 8 weeks in one after breaking his hip on a hoverboard this fall. He took something bad that had happened to him and turned it into a positive thing.


I wish those teachers that thought this kid should just be thrown away could see him now. All they saw was a square peg that didn't into fit in a round hole. A bad egg. The Spawn of Satan. A potential juvenile delinquent. They didn't see him as God sees him. God had a plan for him all along. God called me to take that leap of faith, cut out household income in half at the time, and trust Him. I just have to express my gratitude to my Lord for all that He has given me. I give glory to God for all of it. If you made it this far, thanks for listening to my story. God's not done with my son yet, and I can't wait to see what's in store next.

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11



P.S. By the way, I'm not a public school hater or anything. I have family in public and private schools. Homeschooling doesn't work for everyone, I get that. This was just a story of our experience. Our life today is not utopia by any means. My son still struggles, but he faces his challenges head on.