I read a poem about a woman at an airport. She was waiting for her flight and decided to buy a book and bag of cookies from an airport store while she waited.

Like most people, she sat down but had a seat in between her and another traveler. As she was getting settled, she noticed that the gentleman traveler reached down and ate one of the cookies that was placed on the seat in between them.

She was a bit taken back by his boldness! In her shock, she then reached down to take a cookie. She hoped it would send the message that these were her cookies.

Then he did it again! He took another cookie! Shock subsided and now she was just mad, and she grabbed another cookie for herself.

This continued with them going back and forth taking a cookie until they got down to the last one. He took it and with a laugh broke it in half and offered it to her.

She grabbed the cookie from his hand and gave him the dirtiest, most disgusted look.

Her flight was called from the overhead speaker, and she got up to leave. She was fuming! She grabbed her things and stormed off to her gate. She didn’t want to look at him. What a jerk! She had never seen anything so rude in her life!

As she sat down in her seat, she reached inside her bag to grab the book she bought. As she pulled out the book, she also pulled out her bag of unopened cookies.

A wave of nausea washed over her as she realized the cookies on the seat in between them were not hers, but his! She thought back in horror and shame of her behavior towards him.

He wasn’t the jerk, the rude one, the thief. It was her! In fact, he was nothing but kind to her.

Her whole perception of the situation changed.

(Valerie Cox, “The Cookie Thief”)

It reminds me recently how I changed my perception.

In Genesis 3, after Adam and Eve had sinned and death entered the world, God said,

“The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever.”  So, the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.”  (Genesis 3:22-24)

Honestly, I thought it was a ‘Oh, no you don’t! Don’t you even think about it!’ response. They sinned and as punishment, they had to leave the garden and they couldn’t eat from the tree of life that could reverse their mortality.

Until…

I have been listening to the “Revive Our Hearts” podcast by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth focusing on the 7 churches in Revelation. Nancy made a profound statement that changed my perspective.

Nancy said that the tree of life in Genesis 2 & 3 is not mentioned again in the Bible until the book of Revelation. When Genesis 3:22 tells us, “He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever.”—She said it is implied of living forever in his fallen condition.

I never thought about that. Interesting…

Nancy said that the tree of life appears again in Revelation 22 for us now to eat from because of Christ and His redemptive work on the cross. By His redemption, by His great mercy and love, we are able once again to eat of the fruit of the tree of life, to partake of eternal life. Jesus restores the privilege of eating of the tree of life. (Revive Our Hearts: ‘A Promise Has Been Made to You’: The Cure for a Lukewarm Faith (Laodicea): Letters to the Churches of Revelation, Part 8, October 16, 2023.)

My whole perception of the situation changed!  

It wasn’t a ‘Oh, no you don’t! Don’t you even think about it!’ response; it was love in action!

It was the moment His plan to save, redeem, and restore us was set into motion.

I should know better! What Nancy said lines up with His character and His heart.

A dear friend of mine sent me a card in the mail several years ago to encourage me as we care for Sarah. I am so grateful for the people the Lord uses to cheer us on! I placed the card on the inside of my cupboard door. I have looked at it so often these many years. The card is worn, the edges are curled, and the black ink has now faded into a light brown color, but it is something I cherish.

Her card simply says,

“When we can’t see God’s hand, we can trust His heart.”

There are a lot of ‘why’s’ and ‘I don’t understand this, Lord’ on this autism journey. It can get overwhelming if I focus on the circumstances and situations, but when I change my focus on an unchanging God, I find peace. I remind myself of who He is and His character.

I have to say, when I do that, no matter the situation it changes my whole perception!

Update on Sarah:

We want to thank you for all the prayers for Sarah! We feel them! She moved into her group home at the end of April. (We are not disclosing the name or location for her protection. Thank you for your understanding.) She had a bit of a rough start with some elopement and her behavioral issues, but overall, she is doing well.

We have a video call with her once a week and it is wonderful to see her face. She also has a video call with Kendall. I love her relationship with her! No matter where Kendall is at in the world, she is there for her sister.

Sarah has a work program that she goes to during the day and returns home to the group home each night. She has her own room but has others around her. 

We talked to the Director, and we decided it would be best if we waited to visit to allow her to settle in. When we did go to visit her a few weeks ago and she seems happy and content. She was glad to see us, and had no issues when we left. I told her we would visit her again soon, and she waved goodbye and went back to the game she was playing on her iPad.

Please continue to pray with us as she adjusts. Our biggest behavioral issues are her refusing to wear clothes or if she does wear them, she soils them on purpose. She has a bathroom directly across from her room, so there is no reason for this behavior.

Here is a picture that the Director sent to us today. Also pictures of when we visited Sarah a few weeks ago. ❤

Thank you for your faithful prayers!