VL-Issue 44- July 22

SURRENDER THE WAY YOU
THOUGHT LIFE SHOULD
LOOK. GIVE IT TO THE LORD.
BOBBIE: It was a relief to finally
have an answer, but it brought with
it a host of new questions. What
would Samuel’s future look like?
Would he ever be able to communicate
with us? Would he be able to
had lifted. My perspective pivoted, and I attend school one day?
could finally see our situation differently. We quickly learned that every case of
I understood that, just because life had autism is unique. We often tell people now,
taken an unexpected and challenging “If you’ve met someone with autism, you’ve
turn, that didn’t mean God had left us. He met one person with autism.” Autism
hadn’t messed up either, and He certainly comes in so many forms, and we had no
wasn’t trying to punish us or teach us a way of knowing where Samuel would fall
lesson. God was inviting us to join Him on on the spectrum.
a life-changing journey.
Kyle and I grew tired of fighting for answers
no one could give us, so we focused
As these things dawned on us, Bobbie
and I realized we needed to rise out of our on the one question we could answer: How
self-imposed prison of pity, fear, and anger
and start fighting for our son and our potential? Our response to our situation
could we help Samuel reach his God-given
family in the spiritual realm.
was the only thing we could control.
Bobbie and I had read Mark Batterson’s We knew the sooner we got help, the better
outcome we’d have. We didn’t want to
book, The Circle Maker, with a small group
from church. We had learned the importance
of “circling” something or someone done more, so we began researching avail-
look back one day and think we could have
in prayer.
able resources for children with autism.
We decided to start circling Samuel in The closest center was in Winstonprayer.
We literally took turns walking Salem, almost a three-hour drive from our
around our house, praying that God’s will home in Greenville, NC, and Samuel needed
daily therapy. My parents lived in that
would be done for our son. At night, in
the middle of the chaos, we’d turn on the area and invited Samuel and me to move
floodlights and take turns walking around in with them. Kyle remained home due to
our home, praying out loud. I am sure the work commitments. On weekends, either
neighbors thought we were crazy!
he drove to Winston-Salem to be with us,
When Samuel was 18 months old, we or Samuel and I returned home to him.
finally received a diagnosis of autism. It Our whole world centered on Samuel’s
was what Bobbie had suspected all along. therapy. Many sacrifices had to be made,
and not just by us. Incredibly, my father
put off his retirement to help us cover the
mounting expenses from Samuel’s therapy.
It was difficult to accept help from family,
friends, and even strangers. We had
always been so independent. But Kyle and
I quickly learned that we wouldn’t make it
unless we humbled ourselves and received
help when offered. We also had to learn to
ask for help; the road was too difficult for
us to travel alone.
The facility in Winston-Salem was a godsend.
Within months, Samuel was making
noticeable progress. He began making eye
contact and using his hands. He picked up
a pencil and tapped it on the table. Kyle and
I celebrated every milestone as a gift from
God; we took nothing for granted.
When Samuel turned 3, we heard his
voice. It was the most beautiful sound ever.
A year later, he said the words I’d longed
to hear, “Love you, Mama.”
KYLE: I’ll never forget the day I walked into
the house, and Samuel called out my name,
“Dadda.” Samuel was four, and I hadn’t
known if he would ever understand who
I was. I broke down and cried.
We clung to every victory, big and small,
as we faced the ever-present challenges
of raising a child with autism. We still do.
Remembering how far Samuel has come
enables us to press on through each unpredictable
day. Thankfully, God continues to
give us His strength. The weaker we are,
the stronger He shows Himself to be (2
Corinthians 12:9).
At the treatment center, we met many
families who were walking the same uncertain
road we were. Bobbie and I were
thankful to be a part of such a wonderful
community of people and to have access
to these life-changing services. But we
couldn’t help but think of the many families
who weren’t as fortunate as us.
In one of our prayerwalks years before,
Bobbie and I had both had the idea of starting
a therapy center in Greenville. After
witnessing the effects of therapy on Samuel
and how it had helped our family, we began
to seriously consider the idea. Families
from eastern North Carolina needed access
to therapy. Was God leading us to step out
on their behalf and shine His light onto
their path?
It was an exciting but frightening concept.
We had no idea how to move forward
or what to do. (And if we’d known all God
had in store for us, we might have run in
fear.) Nonetheless, we said, “Yes, God,” and
stepped out in faith.
God quickly revealed our first step. We
were to secure one therapist to help Samuel
and be available for other families.
Friends and business leaders held a tennis
tournament called “Aces for Autism” to
raise funds for that therapist’s salary. That
was in 2015, and Aces was born.
24 Issue 03 / 2022 VICTORIOUSLIVINGMAGAZINE.COM