Life's Irritations

My twenty-eight year old profoundly retarded daughter Caressa was a little pill tonight. She did everything mischievous that she knew how to do. After I got her all tucked in to bed, I went to get her night medicine, and she pulled the plug out of her tube, and her feeding emptied itself out all over the bed. She was splashing happily in it when I came back in. So I took her clothes off, stripped the bed, put warm water in her tub, and tried to put her in it ... she stiffened her legs out straight so I couldn't. (Usually she curls up in a fetal position, and it's easy.) I put her bottom in, and then put her legs in. While I was putting clean bedding on, she splashed all over the place, laughing. (She usually settles down to play with bubbles calmly.) I got her back in bed, and she fought hard against getting a clean nightie on. Laughing like a hyena, she thrust her arms every way against me. When I reached in the sleeve for her hand, she pulled back. (She usually sits passively while I dress her.) I finally got it on, and she fought the diaper. Each way I rolled her, she rolled the other way quickly, her eyes glinting with teasing. I know she finally noticed I was not smiling. She thrust both her index fingers into her nostrils, and looked away, which is her signal of surrender. I was out of breath when I tucked her in the second time. I turned her music on, gave her the medicine, and turned the lights off. I'll have to give her another feeding later, while she sleeps.

I went out thinking about how normal babies do the same exact thing. But they don't weigh a hundred pounds, and they're not as strong as I am. I stood outside the back door getting some fresh air, and listening to the creek run. It was sunny today, and a lot of snow melted. The creek is lively. These things are really such very tiny problems, and she doesn't do it very often. I got my breath back, and came to write.

* And the peace that passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

I'm thinking now about all the times in my life I have done exactly the same as Caressa. I did what I wanted to do, and ignored what God wanted me to do. And He loved me anyway. What great and pure love He loves me with! And I see that these little problems are good for me, if only to remind me of how immense God's love is. And to humble me a bit.