Vessels of Grace
November 2013
"The lives of those we encounter offer a potent example for us to live by."
Shortly after the birth of my second child, who was diagnosed with Down syndrome in the delivery room, my husband and I received a letter. It was written by a man from our parish whom we didn’t know very well. In it, he shared his experience as the parent of a grown daughter with Down syndrome.
My husband and I wept as we read his heartfelt words and the contents of the spiritual bouquet he promised to offer on our behalf. It was a moment of healing for us, a true touch of grace. From then until the day he died, he met us at the door of the church every Sunday with words of encouragement and snuggles for our daughter.
He has been gone for several years, but I think of him often, because I now speak to families who have received a diagnosis of Down syndrome. I never go into a conversation without praying to be a vessel of grace for these families the way this man was for me.