Joni Parsley Daydream Believer
Wednesday, August 14, 2013

If you follow us on any social media, you’ve already seen photos along with a joyful proclamation describing the miracle of a certain cheeseburger. I’m sure many people don’t get why a cheeseburger would be such a big deal.

When our son was diagnosed with Asperger’s, (a high-functioning form of autism) foods became a huge issue. In autism, the sensory system is often compromised. If you think about it, eating involves every one of our senses. Sensory Integration Disorder often comes along with an autism diagnosis which is where the senses operate at a heightened level causing discomfort and over-sensitivity.

Eating becomes very difficult for various reasons which I’ll not attempt to detail. Our son has basically eaten the same 10-15 foods for twenty years. We’ve tried everything that every doctor, specialist, book, therapist, nutritionist and expert has suggested. We’ve prayed, fasted, sown seed, spoken and stood on scripture. We’ve had small breakthroughs and big ones and given God the glory. However, one thing Austin always wanted to eat was a cheeseburger. We would sit with him so many times and give it a try. He would cry, we would try not to cry and not get discouraged…honestly, I would anyway. It was just plain hard-I don’t know any other way to describe such a scene.

Can you imagine eating the same foods every day? I can’t count the days he’d cry or get upset saying, “I just can’t stand the thought of the same food again today.” As a parent, this would break my heart…I couldn’t fix this or make it better and that was my job! In total honesty, every time I’d pack his lunch, I would make a faith confession-“Thank you Lord that the day will come when Austin will eat this because he wants to not because he has to-he has many and varied choices of foods, IN JESUS NAME!” I know God works His word but we have to as well. He is called “Faithful and True” for a reason!

Well, as the story goes…we were driving to Target the other day. On the way, I suggested we try stopping for lunch and having a cheeseburger. We had a discussion about it and he agreed to go after we finished at the store. I can’t tell you the quiet praying that I did in the aisles of Target!

We went to the restaurant, ordered and then it happened…he ate that cheeseburger and loved it! It was a breakthrough of breakthroughs! He’s described the smells, textures, sights, sounds, and tastes of foods in detail. Sometimes, he said foods felt like glass or sand…think about that! We eat and decide what we like and nothing in our being dictates our choice but us and nothing else.

So a cheeseburger is not such a big deal to most but to us it’s right up there with the Jesus feeding the five thousand! He did miracles then and He still does…we just can’t give up even if it takes years. I may not understand but faith doesn’t need a reason…it just speaks the answer!

Faith is knowing God, knowing He's ALWAYS faithful and I have the cheeseburger to prove it!

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About Joni

Thanking God for blessings too many to list. He is my all and my always-the glory and the lifter of my head... He never fails.

Why the Name

"For a child, it’s as easy as blowing out candles on a cake, or wishing upon a star. But as for one of those 'grown-ups,' 'No dream comes true until you wake up and go to work.' " ...