Yesterday was an extremely tough day. It started off well then ended with my sweet girl falling into my arms sobbing because the adults I trusted her with yelled at her when she was trying to share that someone touched her inappropriately. This isn’t the first time she’s fallen into my arms sobbing. From kids calling her names like SPED, stupid, fat, and weirdo to adults talking to her as if she is slow my child endures a level of verbal abuse on a daily basis that would break any adult. I want to literally fight but I am having to power up and resume a different posture in order to support her. I’m tired but I’m trying my best to keep it together.
To Prostrate In His Presence
Prostrate (adjective)
pros· trate | \ ˈprä-ˌstrāt \
1: stretched out with face on the ground in adoration or submission
also : lying flat
It is said that this has to be the most submitted posture of worship that we, God's creation, can make.
Right now, as I am going through what I believed is one of the toughest times of my life, I am learning to assume a different posture. I stumbled upon this position of prayer and am found out during this dark and hard time, this position of rest. I am beginning to find so much peace and rest in surrendering my body to not only a position that I feel completely at ease in, but a position where I discovered, I could totally pour myself out to the Lord God in ways that seemed more difficult standing, or even kneeling.
Moses fasted for 40 days and nights in this position as he poured himself out to God in humble submission for himself and his people. God met him right where he was. Surrendered. Prostrate.
At ninety-nine years old, Abraham was visited by God and "fell on his face", as God talked with him about the covenant He would make with him and his seed for many generations to come.
I truly believe that there is a heart - body connection when we position our hearts to surrender to the rest that is found in Christ Jesus and the secret place. As we go in to His presence with thanksgiving on our lips, soon that thanksgiving begins to soften the heart. I've found that if we just take this softening in surrender to the next step, where the heart is already prostrate, the body soon follows.
Once we enter into the posture of submission, we find that there is such sweet peace and healing in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
God draws us to Him over and over again, and if we will step out into the deep of all that is HIM, we will find what we really wanted all along was to be, as Merriam Webster’s Dictionary defines it, "completely overcome and lacking" in our own "will, or power to rise", we want and need more than anything for HIM to rise in us.
As the God rises in me he is calling for me to speak up and out more about the importance of love for ALL of his children! In John 15, the whole entire chapter is Jesus sharing his greatest commandment ”This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.“
John 15:12 KJV
This is what I live by! As a neurodivergent person, I operate in the literal meaning of the words spoken by Jesus in John 15.
As a mom of a neurodivergent, autistic, child it is this verse and the prostrating position that is current maintaining my sanity. I literally have to fight every single say to demonstrate love over hate and peace over war when it comes to my children and myself. The thing is I’m not Christ but in my journey it is the image of Christ that continues to center and ground me.
Here is my plea to every human, believer or not, please operate in love for your fellow human beings. The amount of bullying that I my children endure on a regular basis when all they have been instructed to do is to love is insane. When you hear parents of autistic children or autistic adults pleading for awareness and acceptance it’s because we only want to be able to see our children live out their days in their natural joyous state.
Jesus said, ”These things I command you, that ye love one another.“
John 15:17 KJV
It’s really not that hard! Jesus said love each other as you love yourself, and as he loved us, and ended it with a commandment demanding that we love one another. Loving yourself first positions you to love others. Self awareness and self acceptance positions you to be aware and accepting of others. Do the work! Show your children what a posture of love looks like because this mama has done her part! My children have a resting prostrating posture of love!
On this last day of April and Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, my challenge to you is that you begin today accepting others whether you know they are autistic or not. Begin showing them the same love and kindness that you desire to receive. Once we all begin to operate in love awareness and acceptance will be the default response.
Now for those that encounter me and mine today as we navigate both adult and child bullies, I am going to muster all of the love that I can until I can’t! 🥴 Pray with me but don’t play with me about my babies! 🥹
Love,
MichelleRena
For your reference, John 15:1-27
”I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me hateth my Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.“
John 15:1-27 KJV