Saturday, July 05, 2008

Speech, Speech

Another postscript on last month's speech therapy appointment. We got
the report in the mail earlier this week with more details on Jada's
prognosis. So she's a full year behind on both comprehension and
expression, which is discomforting since she's only 3 years and 4
months old. We'll be pursuing a more comprehensive assessment shortly
to see if this is just an isolated delay or part of broader
development delays. We have a number of resources we can follow up
on, and the report gave us a bunch of guidance on how we can help her
get better.

I have to admit that it's hard to rein in the drivenness, whether
wanting better for her (a noble motivation) or wanting to get the
extra work we'll have to put in over with (not at all noble). Coming
from a well-educated family, going to an Ivy League school, and
working with a bunch of PhDs, it's easy to equate intelligence and
eloquence as the end-all and be-all of one's self-worth and status.

But the Bible is clear that we are defined not by our achievements or
our skills but by our standing in the eyes of the One who created us.
And so even as I struggle with Jada's struggles, I know God knit her
in her biological mother's womb, shepherded her into this world and
into our family, and continues to watch over her and delight in her as
His precious child. He has entrusted me with the responsibility to be
her earthly father, and charged me to love her as He does, which is
just as much about accepting her for who she is as it is providing for
her and pushing her to be all she can be.

Am I up for the task? Alas, while the spirit is usually willing, the
flesh is usually weak. Lord, help me.

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