In all things, God is the Alpha and Omega, and his plans for us are perfect. These two verses of God's Word need to sink deep into our hearts. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5, ESV). “Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalms 139:16).
Whatever our eyes see today, the divine eyes of our Lord see people’s gifts and talents, potential and the unique calling on their lives. Gabriel's family illustrates this truth beautifully.
Every Sunday, we have special classes at Nouvelle Vie church for children and young adults living with learning difficulties such as Autism Syndrome (ASD) or Down syndrome. Gabriel, a handsome young man with autism, grew up in this class. Throughout his childhood, he and his parents, Charles and Monique, met many specialists to help them face the challenges posed by autism. Often, his parents’ hearts sank when they heard doctors say things like “Unfortunately for Gabriel, it will be impossible to... Your boy will never be able to...”
However, Charles and Monique continued to place their faith in God. They were convinced that the Lord knew Gabriel before he had formed in the womb and that the Father had a plan for his life.
Years later, Charles and Monique sent me this message: “Dear Pastor Claude. This week, the pan-Canadian TV channel Radio-Canada came to do a report on the story of our beautiful Gabriel, and the inspiring story of an autistic boy who became an athlete, studying to be a professional acrobat. We hope that this report will be a source of hope for all families with an autistic child. Looking back, we can say that our God never makes mistakes.”
God sees beyond what our minds and hearts can comprehend. Where our eyes may see only frailty and limitation, God sees tremendous potential in the making. He is above challenges, detours and disappointments. “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Be of good cheer. God sees further than we can!”
Claude Houde is the lead pastor of Eglise Nouvelle Vie (New Life Church) in Montreal, Canada. Under his leadership New Life Church has grown from a handful of people to more than 3500 in a part of Canada with few successful Protestant churches.