The Butterfly Effect - Day 13

     Yesterday we learned about "How To Be A Friend To The Visually Impaired," by Joni Eareckson Tada.  In her book, she suggests the following:

• "When greeting a person with vision impairment, always identify yourself and others who may be with you.  They like to know who they are with!
• Speak to them directly and use a normal tone of voice.  Many times people have the tendency to raise voices or talk through someone else.
• Remember they are going to follow your voice so it is polite to let them know when you move from one place to another.
• When you offer to assist someone with vision impairment, allow them to take your arm instead of reaching for theirs.  This will help you guide them.
• Even though you may be tempted to pet a Seeing Eye dog, you should not do so without asking permission first.  The dog's job is very important and they should not be distracted."

I think the suggestion they found the most interesting was not to move around the room.  That had not occurred to me either.  

     After we talked about these suggestions, we took turns going on a "Trust Walk."  The kids did a great job making sure that no one bumped into anything and even told their partner if someone was coming down the hall.  One of the children that was blindfolded said hello to the Director of our school, Steffani Wilkins.  She said, "How did you know it was me?"  The child's guide said, "I let him know that you were coming."

I was amazed at how polite they were!

     After we returned to the room, the blindfolded children wrote their name on a paper.  They were surprised at how well they did.

     The kids brought in another $350 today.  Several teachers asked today if we were caught up on the number of butterflies on the walls of the school.  I laughed and told them that I have stopped worrying about that.  I can't keep up with the kids so we just keep making butterflies and they keep raising money.  Mrs, Williamson, our aide, probably dreams about butterflies now.  So many people have had a hand in making butterfies.  Teachers have helped with bending antennae, volunteers have helped glue and tape, mommies have cut and glued endless butterflies and I have one teacher who is the butterfly angel that picks up the ones that have fallen during the night and puts them back on the wall.

Ryan

     Every year I look forward to the parade of little people that will enter my classroom.  As we meet each other I only know a few facts about them and they only know that I look like a grandma and I teach in "The Castle Room."
     A few years ago a student walked into my classroom and captured my heart within moments.  He was small in stature but had a huge heart in that tiny little body!  He blessed me and taught me so much that year.
     Ryan made me face one of my challenges.  I had a very hard time hearing him so I wore hearing aides the whole year (it helps when your husband is an Audiologist!).  I am so glad I did because I wouldn't want to have missed a thing he said!
     As I shared earlier, I teach a unit on "How to Be a Friend to Someone With a Disability" by Joni Eareckson Tada.  During the month the children in my classroom earn money to send to Joni to refurbish a wheelchair for a child in another country that needs one.  That particular year, the money was coming in rather slowly.  I wondered if the kids were not understanding and if the unit was meaningful to them.  We moved on to our next unit and the kids and I prayed for the rest of the money.
     Over the next couple of weeks Ryan shared with me that he was going to have a garage sale.  Each day he would mention someone knew that had donated something.  I really didn't think that much about it.  Looking back on it,  Ryan was so excited and I wish that I had slowed down to pay more attention.
     The morning of his garage sale, God woke me up.  I jumped out of bed and told my husband Bill to wake up because we needed to go to a garage sale.  I had an address and a subdivision but no map (for some reason I thought I could just find it).  We drove around for awhile and ended up stopping at their neighborhood center to look at a map.
     When we finally arrived at Ryan's house it was 10:30 a.m..  The garage door was closed and there wasn't a sale in sight.
     As soon as I rang the doorbell I heard someone yell, "Mrs. Boggess is here!   Mrs. Boggess is here!"                        When Ryan came to the door I asked him if he was still having a garage sale.  He told me that he did have one but they had finished.
     I said, "Well, do you have anything left?  I would like to buy something."
     Ryan immediately ran out the door and opened the garage door.  There were all kinds of things on the floor.  It looked like a garage sale that a 5 year-old had set up.  He had told me earlier in the week that he made some paintings for the garage sale so I asked him if there were any left.  Ryan showed me a couple and I fell in love with one and asked him if I could buy it.  He said, "Yes" and I asked him how much it was.  He told me it would cost 10 cents.
    I said, "Oh no, I think at least $5."
     I turned to Bill and asked him if he had a five and as he pulled out a ten he said that was all he had.  I handed Ryan the ten dollar bill and he started to put it in his money bag and said,
     "There is no change."
     I started laughing and said that was fine.  I looked at his bag full of money and asked him what he was going to do with it.
     Ryan, looked up at me with such sincerity and said, "It is for the wheelchair, Mrs. Boggess, it is for the wheelchair!"
     I started to cry and thanked him over and over again.  What an incredible moment I will never forget! It had not occurred to me that it was for the wheelchair and here he was continually thinking about it.  He raised more than enough money to send to Joni and her ministry.   His beautiful painting still hangs in my classroom to this day.

Ask and You Shall Receive

     Every March I teach a month long unit on "How to Be a Friend to Someone With a Disability" to my 5 year-old "Bridge" class.  I base the unit on Joni Eareckson Tada's curriculum.  It is always the climax of the year and such a blessing to watch.  The purpose of the unit is to dispel children's fears, answer their questions and help them realize that we all have abilities and disabilities and God can use them in powerful ways.
     For 5 years I borrowed a wheelchair for a month so that the "line leader" in my class could ride in it.  Inevitably the first one or two line leaders choose not to take a ride.  They didn't feel comfortable and to some degree, were afraid of it.  Usually by the third or fourth child I have a willing participant and before long they are all anxious to ride and "pop wheelies" down the hallway to lunch.  
     As the years went by It was getting harder to borrow a wheelchair so last summer I secretly started praying that God would provide me with a child's wheelchair.  It would be more comfortable for my friends and I would be able to use it whenever I needed to.  I knew I had a lot of contacts and would probably be able to get a wheelchair, however, I knew I would worry I was using a wheelchair that a child might need.  I told God that if He brought me one I would know it was His gift to me and was free to use.  
     I prayed all summer long that God would bring me one if I should have it.  Then early in the year I was sitting at "Circle Time" reading to my students and I heard a knock at the door.  I looked up and it was the gentleman that repairs the copier for our school.  I motioned for him to come in.  He smiled at me and said, "I have a child's wheelchair and I heard you might want one."  My jaw dropped and I said, "Are you kidding me?  Yes, yes I would love to have one!"
     It was a great start to the year and exciting to tell the children about God's provision.  Every time I look at it, it makes me smile because I remember how God provided.