Josiah: "The Philosopher"

I think every mother does the same thing when they find out they're expecting...out comes the journal and we begin furiously scribbling all the hopes and dreams we have for the little life growing inside us!  Well, with Josiah, I was rather stumped!  I had prayed for a son and finding out that Jo was a boy seemed like blessing enough!  So, the best I could come up with was a prayer that he be the perfect fit for our family.  I prayed that he would be the ideal son that we needed in our lives.  Well, I have to say that God answers prayer in a BIG way, because as quirky as Jojo may be, we cannot imagine life at Salt Raker without him! Josiah has autism and you can read more about our adventures on the spectrum at http://dawnprogram.blogspot.com . Jo's autism doesn't define him, but it sure makes our lives a wild ride at times!  If anything, the autism has forced us to dig deeper into him to uncover the amazing jewel that he is.  And what we uncover is always profound!

May 23, 2007 was the day God blessed us with Jojo's safe arrival! We first chose the name Josiah in admiration of the king of Judah who was crowned at the age of 8.  His story is found in II Kings 22 & 23.  He was the youngest king ever crowned for the children of Israel and was responsible for returning his people to true worship of Jehovah through finding their lost Book of the Law, abolishing pagan worship in the kingdom, rebuilding the temple, returning the Ark of the Covenant and reinstating the celebration of Passover. The Lord used his reign to bring truth and order to His people.  Ironically, our Josiah's challenges have done the same for our family as we are daily called to be honest about how autism affects ALL our lives and structure our lives to be as supportive to Jo as possible.  Josiah's name has several translations, but they all are amazingly appropriate in light of God's promises for Jo's life and our own lives.  "Jehovah heals", "Jehovah supports", "Jehovah saves", "Fire (purifier) of the Lord"....all of these meanings remind us that through our journey with Jojo, the Lord reigns and will guide.  So, when he sits quietly on his favorite swing in the yard, looking up at the clouds, I don't always interrupt him right away.  Sometimes I think that the inner workings of that mind are connecting with The Wisdom far beyond our own.  And what is revealed to him may be one more step in unifying all of us.