Chewymom

The main thing that comforted DH and I in the early hours after we received DS16’s diagnosis of Down syndrome was our Christian faith. We were comforted, knowing that DS16 was no accident, but that he was carefully woven in my womb to be just like he is. It may sound contradictory to say, and I’m not getting into a theological discussion on the origin of evil in this post, but we also took comfort knowing that DS16’s Down syndrome was also a result of the fall, and that someday in heaven he would have a perfect body.

As we read about and learned about our new son, we became aware that he would have limitations. He would almost certainly have mental retardation. He would likely have delayed speech, low muscle tone, and difficulty learning all kinds of things from self-feeding to potty training to riding a bike to his ABCs and math facts. That was clearly not part of the picture of the garden of Eden, and it was not how this earth is intended to work. It was a result of the fall of man.

Heaven held out such hope for us in those early days. Imagine what our precious child would be like with a body that worked perfectly! How freeing for him! How exciting for us!

I have a slightly different view of heaven now. Yes, there are some physical issues on the part of DS16 that will be just GLORIOUS to see working properly. I’d love to see his core weakness taken away so he can run without a lopsided gait and ride on a two-wheeled bicycle! I can’t wait for people to understand his speech without having to glance at me to understand what he said! It will be wonderful to see DS16 look at something–really concentrate–without his glasses and without one eye turning in. All of that is GOOD!

But I think some of US are going to be surprised to find that in heaven, we are changed to be just like DS16. We will be GIVEN the characteristics so often seen in people with an extra chromosome. And frankly, the “perfect” characteristics DS16 displays are a lot more important in God’s economy than the ones you and I display. I truly believe that we will be given the ability to see people for who they are. Our eyes will be clouded over so that we aren’t noticing ugly clothes, gray hair, extra tummy flab, and zits. We will see one another’s HEARTS! We will love others based on who they are completely on the inside.

And when I think of it that way, I think, why do I even worry about the other stuff? The aspects of my external body that I want DS16 to have–my superior eyesight and bike-riding ability. My clear speech, understanding of math facts, and ability to toilet-train before the age of three. In the grand scheme of things, who cares? I would rather be noticing people’s hearts that have been made new than their bodies and clothing. When I am in heaven, worshiping Jesus face-to-face, I pray that I will be made more like my son. What an honor that would be.

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 25th, 2007 at 6:29 am and is filed under Down syndrome, This and That. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.