Josiah is your normal run of the mill kid. He loves to sing, dance, and get into everything. He smiles a lot, and from time to time he cries, like you would expect a normal 2-year-old to do. However, Josiah is not "typical". Is he normal? Absolutely! But he is Josiah, fearfully and wonderfully made in God's image. He isn't typical because he has Down syndrome, and the expectations of his life are far from typical. His milestones are different, his characteristics are unique, and his passions are expressed in a completely extraordinary way. Should I expect him to be typical? Some would. I choose to to accept him as God created him. My prayers for him have nothing to do with changing his chromosomal makeup. My prayers for him are not for him to run like the typical child. My prayers for him have nothing to do with the external expectations of a typical child.
My prayers for him are very directed. I pray, "God, strengthen Josiah's muscle tone, so that he can worship You more freely. Help Josiah's cognition so that he may understand Your love more deeply. Develop Josiah's speech/sign so that he may communicate with You more deliberately. And most importantly, Lord, I pray - let his normal be acceptable to those around him, so that he may fulfill Your destiny in his life."
My prayers for him are very directed. I pray, "God, strengthen Josiah's muscle tone, so that he can worship You more freely. Help Josiah's cognition so that he may understand Your love more deeply. Develop Josiah's speech/sign so that he may communicate with You more deliberately. And most importantly, Lord, I pray - let his normal be acceptable to those around him, so that he may fulfill Your destiny in his life."