The Miracle

This week I will be participating in the 5-day Do You Believe in Miracles Challenge. Sign up here for a week of miracles. This morning I’d like to start with a miracle story of my own.

A few years ago, Isaiah told us he wanted to join the church basketball team. I didn’t say much about it, but secretly hoped he would change his mind. There were a couple of reasons I felt strongly about him not playing. I was concerned for his safety and worried about kids making fun of him (Yes it was a Church league, but sometimes that doesn’t make a difference). 

He had a couple of people discourage him from playing and he let me know how much that hurt him. So, against my gut feeling of not wanting him to play, I pushed for it to happen. I told my husband that I absolutely did not want him to play, but was absolutely not going to tell him he couldn’t.  He wanted to and we were going to let him.

In the spirit of transparency, I also have to let you know that I had a hard time watching him be (what I have often considered) less than he was before.

I do realize how faulty that thinking was. 

There is no part of my son that is less than who he used to be. 

He is more. Much more than I ever imagined.

I am pausing now to cry.

How dare I ever think that my beautiful boy is not perfect.  I know that I know that I know, he is God's perfection.  

He is who God needs him to be.  

That particular night his team played. For various (and mostly legitimate) reasons, I had never seen him play.  He asked me if I was going to go watch him.  

“Yeah. I will,” I answered.

“Really?! You will?! Alright!!” he responded.

I didn’t know it meant that much to him for me to watch him play.  I felt guilty.

I was a little late to the game, as I was coming from our oldest daughter’s basketball game.  When I got into the stands, friends told me that I had just missed Isaiah set a pick in which another kid slammed into him like a brick wall and went straight down to the ground.  It was apparently an awesome sight.  

Of course I missed it.  I always miss the good stuff. I came just in time to see him sitting on the bench.  

After a while, it was his turn again. He had a smile on his face most of the time. I watched as I anticipated his usual skip, gallop, hobble down the court, weaker hand flapping in the wind, basketball-playing self.

Much to my surprise, he wasn’t skip/gallop/hobbling as much as he used to, and I even saw a little bit more control in that hand.  It wasn’t so hard to watch.

He was really in there, running up and down the court, calling for the ball.  He was confident and seemingly unaware that he was any different from any of the other boys.  At one point, he had stopped not too far from half-court, when the ball landed in his arm. I didn’t see where it came from. Then he moved it to his hand.  

Do you get that this kid was playing one-handed?

There was another kid guarding him, but he didn’t seem to know what to do, because Isaiah’s feet were planted, but he was still acting like he was about to go somewhere.  My boy had a big grin on his face because as we were about to see, he knew something that most of us didn’t.  

Isaiah could play ball.

He raised the ball in his hand, then tossed it toward the basket. I’m pretty sure that everyone watching, stopped breathing for a moment. 

Poor kid.  What was he thinking? Why would he try to make a shot like that, and with one hand?

All eyes and heads followed the ball through the air. Then . . . woosh! The ball sank into the basket.  

Immediately a crowd of arms went up in victory! Supporters of both teams screamed and cheered.  We had just witnessed a miracle!  

I screamed, laughed, high-fived a friend, then sat there and cried a little.  

My amazing, perfectly imperfect son scored an NBA 3-pointer. I couldn't believe it!  

I watched as Isaiah’s teammates jumped and cheered and congratulated their friend.  It was a gorgeous sight.  

Isaiah smiled the whole rest of the night.  

It was the. best. thing.  

I continue to be thankful for the lessons that God teaches me through Isaiah.  He teaches me that joy can be found in any circumstance.  He teaches me that all things are possible through Him. He teaches me that He can do immeasurably more than I could ever ask or imagine.  He teaches me that I can have confidence even in my weakness, because through Him, I am strong.  

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. -Isaiah 40:31