The Holy Spirit Brings The Zoo Train

We waited at the Train Depot for the little train to arrive last week. The conductor, an elderly gentleman who had a precious smile, punched a whole in my special needs son’s ticket. My son was jumping up and down excitedly patting me, “urry! Mom! Icket!”

I reached into my pack and pulled out my ticket for the man, and he punched a whole in it. Then the man patted my son, all the while beaming at him.

Whoo! Whoo!

My eight-year-old little special needs boy, who does not act like a typical child, is completely undone over a train ride. He half drags me, and half runs ahead to get on the train. He quickly shows his ticket to the conductor at the gate, and then makes sure I show mine. He picks the closest seat, talking the whole time about the conductor

When we got onboard the train, he watched the birds, the river, screamed in the tunnel, and rode over 2 bridges around our city zoo. We even had several stops, where we were given the option to stay on the train, or get off, and visit a museum or the Japanese Gardens. Yet, we stayed on the train, waiting at each stop with anticipation. It was pure 8-year-old excitement!

The Holy Spirit train

Say what you will, but we cannot, no matter how smart we think we are, follow God’s will in our flesh. We can follow the doctor’s orders. We can follow an association’s idea of how our child’s special needs should be treated. We can follow the mental health professionals. But He is the Great Physician and Healer, and knows all.

Sometimes He hurries up the Holy Spirit train of healing. But, I can tell you from experience that it won’t happen unless we align ourselves with His will, submitting our hearts before Him. Sometimes, we are the soil that God must remove the stumps and rocks from, composts us, and prepares us for growth. Yet, when we trust in that stage, and stop fighting it, we will be better prepared to enrich the seeds that are planted to grow.

We followed the doctor's directions

Who were we? We didn’t know what to do!

We filled him with medications, 9 to be exact. Took him to the hospital when he got sick with pneumonia…3 times he was hospitalized. He had 2 surgeries for his severe sleep apnea. He was on growth hormone injections for his low muscle tone. He also had a synergis injections during the cold and flu seasons for the first 3 years, then the fourth year he was accidentally exposed to the RSV virus, and was in intermediate care for 4 days.

When, we discovered his allergies, thanks to a leading of the Holy Spirit through one young doctor, a miracle occurred. First the prescriptions dropped to 5, and then to 1. Finally, we dropped the injections, and for the next 3 years, our son did nothing but improve. 

Currently, he rarely gets sick, and I have found more and more that good nutrition in conjunction with the Holy Spirit is the answer!

Yes, there are things that come up, but always there is something practical that can be done outside of medications!

I changed things that year

Well, it was something like, the Lord pressed down on my heart when my son became mysteriously and persistently ill, and I had to figure it out because the doctors couldn’t. 

There was something about hours and hours of getting up with my son in the middle of the night, and not getting enough sleep. It pushed me to pray, and pray, and pray some more. 

I prayed a lot because I simply did not know what to do at first. My thought was if the doctors don't know what to do, then how in the world am I going to know? 

Then, in the middle of the night one night, it came to me. I realized my son's current issues came from a food allergy. I mean, how simple is that? 

Step by step the Holy Spirit showed me, and I don’t want to go back. 

I give full credit to God.

My son's health only got better and better, while I changed and tweaked his diet. He came down with fewer colds and complained less and less of stomach ailments. 

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Isaiah 11:2

Originally published 2/26/2012