A Prayer an Autistic Child

by Elizabeth Burton Scott

Cover this child with Your grace and Your mercy and pour into me all the love and patience that my body can hold, for he is Your child first.

Let me draw from You all the love I need to give, for it takes our love to help him live.

Only the good, dear God; let me focus on the good - the sweetness of his face, the twinkle in his eyes, the love in his smile, the gentleness of his voice, the tenderness of his touch, and the goodness in his heart. As I lie down at night to sleep, help me forget what I need not remember, and let me remember only the good.

Show me how to live a new way, focusing on the joys of each day.

Bestow upon me a deeper love; help me to love him the way You love us, with a love requiring tremendous sacrifice and the relinquishing of our hopes and dreams for what we wanted him to be. Show me how to love him in the most trying moments, O God, just as You love us in spite of our shortcomings.

In your eyes, perhaps we are like a child with autism:
Repeating negative behaviors that we ought not me doing;
Saying things that we ought not to be saying;
Being silent when we ought to be talking righteously;
Fixating on things we ought not to be seeing.

Yet in our frailties and weaknesses, You see our goodness. You forgive us and focus on our strengths. You protect us and lead us down the correct path. You are pleased with our success when we have triumphed in a task. Your light guides us through our darkest moments.

Let me teach him Your ways, O Lord, so he will rejoice in Your love. May he see the goodness of God and put his hope in You. Let him fully understand how much he is loved by You and know that Your love will sustain him.

When he fixates, let him fixate on Your goodness.
When he is silent, let his true voice be heard.
When the tantrums persist, calm him and let him find solace in Your love.
When he cries, let his tears become mine, and I will carry his burden.

Forgive me when I lose hope and just want to give up; When I covet and ask, "Why him, Lord?" When I get angry with you for giving me this trial; When I feel ashamed or embarrassed because others don't understand our plight; When I fail to trust You to bring us through this; When I want, seek, and crave an answer to a problem that knows no creator; When I doubt and fear he can't be healed.

For the healing that we seek may end up being our ability to live peacefully with this challenge... and find joy in the journey on the road less traveled.

Do not allow me to second guess what I know to be a miracle of life.

Let thankfulness dwell in my heart, O Lord, for a faith deep enough to sustain me on a daily basis; for hope and belief in the possibility of improvement; for the unconditional love that allows me to serve him; for the new person I have become as a result of this journey; and especially for this blessing of a special needs child. His pure and righteous heart is a precious treasure, worth more than silver and gold.