Day #31 marks the last day of this series about my brother.  I have mixed emotions…relief and sweet sadness.  This series has taken a lot of time (so grateful to Hubby and the kids for being good sports about this)…and I have come to love my brother better by reflecting on his life and all the amazing things about him.  So, as we come to a close, I want to leave you with a challenge.

First of all a heartfelt thanks to the Nester for putting forth this writing challenge, so grateful for the invitation to stretch myself and share Brian with others.  Also a big thanks to my parents and sisters for contributing to this series, and of course to Brian for being himself so I could write about him!

This past February my Hubby and I attended a prescreening of the movie October Baby.  You should watch this movie, if you haven’t already.  It touches on many topics (abortion, adoption, friendship, forgiveness, love, honesty).  Upon leaving the theater I felt challenged, “What are you going to do now that you have seen this movie?”  I felt called to action, responsible, now that I had experienced the film.

In this information age we can get filled to overflowing with knowledge.  But what about action and application?  It is easier to just close the page and say, “Well, that was nice, now on with life as usual.”  It is in this vein that I ask you, “What are you going to do now that you have read this series?”  Is there something that God is asking you to do, is there someone He wants you to reach out to?  I am not asking you to muster something up out of guilt, but to go before God and make yourself available to Him.  Asking Him what He would have you do.

Here are a few things that came to mind as possible action steps…
-Be an advocate for the rights of those with special needs (support policies and programs that look out for their interests).
-Ask if you can be a helper for youth with special needs at church, school, or in your community.
-Volunteer to have a child with special needs over for a few hours so their parents can go out.
-Pray that babies with special needs will not be aborted.  In light of this, learn more about my friend Gloria’s outreach to unwed mothers in Taiwan and consider giving to this cause.
-Plan a special outing for someone you know who has special needs- plan the day according to things that they particularly enjoy.
-Volunteer with Special Olympics.
-Learn more about Larkin’s Place 
-Teach your children the importance of treating those with special needs with dignity, respect, and care; give them practical experience.
-If you are business owner think of ways that those with special needs could work with or for you, doing meaningful tasks.
-Consider sponsoring an orphan with special needs (see Reece’s Rainbow, Show Hope, or Bethany Christian Services for more information).
-Adopt a child with special needs.

But, please seek God and let Him speak uniquely to you- don’t you love how He does that?

There is a word/idea that is found in the Bible that really speaks to me, selah (it is the name of one of my favorite singing groups too and for years I have tried to convince Hubby to use this name for a baby girl).  This word means, “stop and listen” or “a reflective pause” (a.k.a deep breaths).  So, selah, take a deep breath, take a moment of reflective pause and think on these things.

Deep Breaths:  Come before God with an open mind and heart and ask Him what He wants you to do?  I would love to hear what He reveals, answer questions you have, and help hold you accountable to it.