"This Isn't the Life I Bargained For..."

[Down Syndrome Awareness Month 2017]

"This isn't the life I bargained for." 

We heard these words last week, and it got me thinking...who of us is living the life we dreamed of, you know, back when we were younger? 

Back when we dreamed of the perfect spouse, the perfect children, the perfect job, the perfect house. 

Anybody? 

I don't really remember many of the dreams of my youth. If I had them, they faded away when I heard these words: "your son has Down Syndrome." 

Joshua's diagnosis was a surprise and a shock, and it took us a minute to adjust to this new normal. But then the strangest thing happened...we found our groove. 

We trusted God to lead, and He did. He provided family and friends who encouraged us, and professionals who guided us. 

We just did...life. 

God gave us new dreams, and the fear and uncertainty? For the most part, they melted away. And we discovered, like the nursery worker told me a long time ago: "he's not half-bad." 

And not only that, Down Syndrome isn't half-bad, either. It's just...different. 

A good different. 

Thirty one years in, and I feel like we won the jackpot. 

So even tho I've never said, "this isn't the life I bargained for," I can honestly say that this life is better than anything I could ever have imagined. 

"The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3