Today it has been a year since Sarah moved into her group home and with this milestone, I believe this will be my last Sarah blog.

How can I ever thank you enough for joining us on this journey? Thank you for the faithful prayers as I poured out my heart to you. You have laughed with me over Sarah’s antics, you have cried with me over the heaviness her constant care required. You have loved Sarah and saw her for how God has made her; fearfully and wonderfully made.

This past year has not come without challenges. The director of her group home told us it would take about 6-9 months for Sarah to transition to her new surroundings and she took about 7 months of hard days! As you know, it was awful at times! She ran away, she opened the car door while they were driving, she screamed as loud as she could, she stole other residents’ property, she defecated on the floor countless times, and she broke 6 doors by slamming them so hard she broke either the door jam or the door themselves.

Each time we received a phone call from the group home my heart would sink. I worried that she might be kicked out. Yet the group home has been/is nothing but wonderful. They go above and beyond in their love and care for her.

This past Christmas we took Sarah home for the week. The day program where she attends during the week was closed for Christmas break and they thought it would be good for Sarah to go home. The group home also agrees that a ‘bored Sarah’ is a ‘destructive Sarah’!

We were concerned about the long drive both ways and keeping Sarah busy. While she had some outbursts, especially when we left the house, overall, she did pretty well. She was eager to get back to her group home, though. She wanted to help me pack her bags. When I woke her up at 5am to make the long drive back, she immediately jumped up and wanted to leave. When we arrived back at her place, the home took the opportunity to deep clean her room, and all of her things were stacked in piles. She quickly went to work setting up her room like how she wanted it.

She also wanted me to leave. While Sarah doesn’t say much, her body language can be quite clear. I tried to help her put away her clothes and she took them from my hands and blocked me from going to her dresser or closet. After several attempts of trying to help her and her pushing me out of the way, I gave up. I left her room to give her space. Before we left to head back home, I just wanted to see and hug her one more time. The waves of sorrow of leaving my girl hit me and I just wanted to give her one more kiss and hug goodbye.

When I knocked and opened the door, Sarah looked up at me and gave me the most exasperated look. I told her I wanted to hug and kiss her one more time before David and I left, and she let out this loud sigh and leaned in so I could hug and kiss her.

Her reaction to me made me laugh but it also was exactly what my heart needed!

She is happy. She is content. She has found her home.

Since then, we have visited her twice more and it has gone well. Her newest thing is to steal all the blankets from the residents’ beds. The workers say she is fast. She walks into their rooms, grabs what she can, and runs back to her room. Oh Sarah! She will always keep us on our toes with her OCD behaviors!

With this most likely being my last Sarah blog, unless something changes, I have been thinking about what I wanted to share. Looking back over the almost 12 years of stories (103 blog posts!), a resounding theme keeps beating in my heart, “He is faithful..He is faithful….He. Is. Faithful!”

JESUS IS FAITHFUL!!

This blog has been a testament to the power of prayer. Countless times we have asked for prayer and her behavior improved, appointments that were booked for months now had an opening, and a group home with a 10-year waitlist and several people ahead of us, let us know a spot just opened. Or we were given the extra dose of strength and an eternal perspective of joy to sustain us on this journey when things did not improve, and the days were long and heavy.

He has answered prayers not always how we had thought things should go, but they were answered for His glory and purpose. His provisions have been in unexpected ways. The fact our minivan held on for so many years reminds me of the Israelites in the wilderness when God did not let their clothes or shoes wear out. (Deuteronomy 29:5). I have seen His Hand sustaining us and my faith has grown and deepened to trust, be content, and find rest in His sovereignty.

Thank you, again, my faithful friends who have loved and supported us for so many years. Your notes of encouragement, your prayers on our behalf, I can never thank you enough.

It has been my heart’s desire to point everything we have experienced on this journey to the hope we have because of Christ. If you do not know Jesus as your personal Savior, I would love to talk to you more. How could I not share the most precious gift I have received? Nothing in this world compares to Christ!

May this blog end with praising Him on my lips…the good days, the bad days, He is faithful and worthy of praise!

“I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises.” ~ Psalm 34:1

Love you all!

With a grateful heart I say, ‘goodbye’,

Jill

PS- We would be so grateful if you would continue to pray for Sarah. We know there will still be hard days ahead. I have people who every time they smell their favorite fragrance (lilacs, roses, pumpkin spice, lavender, cinnamon, pine trees, etc.) they pray for Sarah.

If you have a favorite smell, would you be willing to pray for Sarah when you smell it? Potentially, she could still be prayed for year-round!