Congratulations, Bantam19!

Look at that young man.  See that half-smile, the hands fingering his diploma?  He's pleased.  He's proud of himself.  He's filled with wonderment and barely-believing.

From the minute he entered the auditorium, one of nearly 500 in his class, I felt a lump in my throat.  I'm sure it's normal to feel emotional as a parent at a graduation--it's the end of an era, after all, and a launching into the unknown future--but what I felt was something different than I imagine most parents around me were experiencing.  I kept thinking back to his diagnosis of autism at age 4, when he was barely able to put words together into a sentence, when he couldn't answer a question or count or understand a childish joke.  

How far he has come!

If you had told me then that he would graduate from one of the largest high schools in Wisconsin along with all of the "normal" kids...well, I might not have believed you.  I might not like to be told how the book ended either:  The journey itself has been such an experience of faith, trust, and watching God work in our lives--more than we could ask or imagine!

We had over 50 guests at his open house, including all four grandparents.  (These are my parents, who were able to stay for the ceremony as well.)

And the story continues with the next exciting chapter:  Trinity College in the fall!  We got the news of his acceptance just three days before his graduation--perfect timing to share the news with family and friends at his open house.  Thank you to those who prayed! (Why did we choose Trinity?)

My heart feels at rest.  I am filled with joy and thankfulness!

B19, this is my prayer for you, from Ephesians 3:16-21:

I pray that out of God's glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your heart through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.