The Subject Of Joy

   Every child is a gift from God. And God has showered me with a kaleidoscope of gifts through the unique personalities of my children.

   My son Jordan is a cheerful young man with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and ADHD. He has boundless energy, and is fun to be around. I adopted him when he was four years old, and it took him many years to stop being an angry child. But stop he did, and then I discovered that he has a sweet nature, and a happy heart. It comes naturally for him to talk a great deal, and he continues talking even when no one is listening any more. He cheerfully transfers his talking to my husband, if my attention wanders away. This son of mine has a merry heart. He has a ready smile, and frequent humor. He was not blessed with the ability to read, write, or comprehend math; but has a good understanding of life, and much empathy for others. The rest of humanity could do with a dose of Jordan's spirit.

   Jordan almost always moves fast. He jumps for joy; he dashes across the field; he works quickly without enough regard for his own safety. He runs to get something for my husband or myself. He leaps to hold open the door for someone. He's strong, but not too heavy, yet the house shakes beneath his feet.

   When he became an adult, my husband provided him with a cabin of his own. It is next to the house, so we could hear him if he called. He can watch TV all night now; without a cable, he can only get good channels. He has many videos of his own, and I rent wholesome DVDs for him to play on his DVD player. This takes the night noise he enjoys away from our ears. It has proven to be an absolute success. He is very proud of having his own house. I bought a wooden sign that says: "Jordan's Cabin", and my husband hung it over Jordan's door. When I am outside, his frequent laughter comes bursting from that direction.

   A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: Pro 15:13

   I must say, now that I am older, I prefer to have times of silence periodically, through the days, so I can write. He seems to become bored more often during these times, coming to me to share what he has heard on the news, or about a movie he has just seen. He works a lot outdoors with my husband, and is a strong and cooperative helper who takes great pride in being needed. But on rainy or snowy days, they both spend a lot of time near my desk.

   His way of letting me know how much he enjoys my cooking is to holler loudly: "I'm taking the whole bowl!"

   For some reason, he tends to talk more when I am very tired. One hot summer morning after I got very little sleep, he ran in the door from his cabin: "Hey mom, it's going to be really hot today. It's going to get to eleven degrees!

   One afternoon he came in while my bread was baking. Jordan's face lit up. "Is it true, mom, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach?" "That's what they say." "Oh, boy, mom, I won your heart!"

   This son is so dear. God has given me many smiles along with frustrations in our years together.

   I was carrying a load of laundry through the house one early evening, when he bounded up to me, obstructing my path: "Mom, guess what, this baby had a kidney transplant because it had a brain tumor right in its heart. I heard it on the news."

   His dad was teasing him gently one day, and Jordan exclaimed: "Keep saying that and I'll scream bloody Mary!"

   A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, Pro 17:22a

   Days of the week, months of the year, and time, are concepts that have little meaning to him. Wouldn't it be freeing to the world, if no one needed to know those things? Jordan simply takes life as it comes, enjoying each part.

   Popping into the living room, tracking snow behind him, he informed us: "Well, June is almost done." "No, Jordan, this is January." My husband then asked him: "Do you know what the first month of the year is?" He thoughtfully guessed: "November, October, December?"

   He uses some pretty fancy excuses at times! He has a habit of staying in the shower until all the hot water is gone. Once he protested sweetly: "But I didn't use all the hot water! I used cold too!"

   I asked him if he would like a haircut, so his hair would be easier to care for. He had a ready answer: "I don't take care of my hair because every time I lie down to watch TV, it gets messy."

   And for any and all questions about whether he did something, his answer is always: "I'm innocent, mom! It's written all over my face!" Who can help but smile when he is so sunny!

   One day I heard him sweetly comforting his dad who forgot how to spell a word: "Don't worry dad, I can't spell either. I'm color blind."

   Another day I heard him singing "Rock Of Ages" the way it must sound to him: "Wots of angels, just for me, let me hide myself in thee!"

   I was about to fry some hamburger, and he offered: "Want me to get the square pan?" "I don't think they make square pans, honey. That's an oval." "Oh, I've probably been watching too much Sesame Street!"

   Jordan has a gift from God. That is his way of being content with whatever life brings him. Every day he is grateful for something. I have learned so much from him, and continue to do so!

   He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast. Pro 15:15b

   It is good that his humor is so lively. I can overlook a great deal of noise for the smiles he gives me. He is so earnest and sincere, that his way of seeing things is refreshing to hear.

   "I missed my program, mom. I slept in early."

   But many times I long for silence. My husband loves to banter with him, and the two of them can get very loud. It's healthy fun, and hearty laughter, but I have no where to go. Once I commented that I need some ear plugs. (Not a gracious thing to say.) My husband told me a store I can buy them from. Jordan, on the other hand, took it to heart. He became morose, and followed me outside where I had gone to hang up clothes on the line. "I'm sorry I'm too noisy, mom." He told me. "Oh, honey, it's not you! It's just louder when you and dad are both playing! I love it when you guys enjoy each other! Don't worry!" I exclaimed, my conscience tugging sharply at me. Jordan is very sensitive, and eager to please. I did not want to hurt his feelings in any way. I was deeply ashamed of myself.

   He was peeling carrots for me the other day, in his happy, cheerful way, and I heard him singing a song from my youth "Henry the Eighth."