OK THIS IS TITLED GODS GARDEN AND IT MAKES REFERENCE TO A BLUE ROSE -- WELL THERES REALLY NO ACTUAL BLUE ROSE SO I WOULD LIKE TO SUBSTITUTE THE REFERENCE TO A PURPLE ROSE-- THEY ARE RARE BUT DO EXSIST -- MANY OF THE LAVENDAR AND PURPLE ROSES ARE STRONGER IN FRAGRANCE AS WELL AS COLOR--- AND MORE UNIQUE THAN OTHER ROSES!!!!
It was time for me to do my "Dollar Store" run, which included light bulbs, paper towels, trash bags and Clorox. So off I go.
I scurried around the store, gathered up my goodies, and headed for the checkout counter only to be blocked in the narrow aisle by a young man that appeared to be about sixteen-years-old.
I wasn't in a hurry, so I patiently waited for the boy to realize that I was there. This was when he waved his hands excitedly in the air and declared in a loud voice,
"Mommy, I'm over here."
It was obvious now, he was mentally challenged, and also startled as he turned and saw me standing so close to him, waiting to squeeze by. His eyes widened and surprise exploded on his face as I said,
"Hey Buddy, what's your name?"
"My name is Denny and I'm shopping with my mother," he responded proudly.
"Wow," I said, "that's a cool name; I wish my name were Denny, but my name is Hal."
"Hal like Halloween?" he asked.
"Yes," I answered. "How old are you Denny?
"How old am I now Mommy?" he asked his mother as she slowly came over from the next aisle.
"You're fifteen-years-old Denny. Now be a good boy and let the man pass by."
I acknowledged her and continued to talk to Denny for several more minutes about summer, bicycles and school. I watched his brown eyes dance with excitement because He was the center of someone's attention. He then abruptly turned and headed toward the toy section.
Denny's mom had a puzzled look on her face and thanked me for taking the time to talk with her son. She told me that most people wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him.
I told her that it was my pleasure and then I said something. I have no idea where it came from, other than by the prompting of the Holy Spirit. I told her that there are plenty of red, yellow and pink roses in God's garden, however, "Blue {PURPLE} Roses" are very rare and should be appreciated for their beauty and distinctiveness.
You see, Denny is a "Blue {PURPLE} Rose" and if someone doesn't stop and smell that rose with their heart and touch that rose with their kindness, then they've missed a blessing from God.
She was silent for a second, then with a tear in her eye she asked,
"Who are you?" Without thinking I said,
"Oh, I'm probably just a "daffodil or maybe even a dandelion," but I sure love living in God's garden.
2 comments:
I just want to drop a short note and say thank you for sharing with us. I love the way you look at this journey that some of us are going down with Autism. Your views are very similar to mine and I find your journal very encouraging for us since we are just starting on the journey ... keep writing : )
Dawn
What a beautiful thought to share-Here's something that actually happened to me...
While at work in a local Retail store, a little boy and his Mother came to the counter. The small boy walked with a cane and my heart sank when I realized he was blind. After speaking with the boy who came in looking for internet software, he informed me his name was Bill. He even spelled it for me. He told me he was 6 years old & had been playing the piano since he was 3. He spoke like a true little man. After a lengthy conversation, I told him I thought he was amazing and explained that most teenage children didn't speak as well as he and that he was probably the most polite little boy I had ever met. He simply smiled and said, "Everyone has their own gift"
I know this sounds like an internet story but it truly happened to me. When he left, I felt immediately ashamed of myself for feeling instant "pity" the moment I saw him. The only one I felt pity on when he left was myself. This "gifted" child made me realize that pity is not needed. He was truly a special gift from God and any Mother should be proud to have a child like B-I-L-L.
I learned an incredible lesson that day. I have seen Bill only twice since that day, but I always look forward to our next encounter. The smiles and the hugs that I get from him are priceless.
How awful that we instantly Pity or shy away from people who are different. If I hadn't taken the time to meet him, I would have missed out on an amazing child.
And, what an amazing Mom to have instilled these values in her child. Cindy, I think you are a Mother of a "Bill" and I admire you so much!
Love ya always
Gina :)
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