Some things take time, are you patient enough?

I came home last Friday feeling the worst I had ever felt in a long time. It gave Covid without being Covid. I took a shower, some medicine, and got right into bed. I only got up on Saturday to give Jordan his breakfast. After that, I was in and out of sleep the whole day. When I woke up Sunday, I felt slightly better, but I had church at bedside Baptist while Jordan attended Sunday school virtually. I also felt it would be a good time to introduce the last supplement he is to start per our last follow-up - the MagMind.

This supplement supports brain health by improving cognitive function, focus, mental clarity, sleep, and memory because it crosses the blood-brain barrier. It contains magnesium L-threonate, which can raise brain magnesium levels more effectively than other forms of magnesium. So, when I heard Jordan in his room physically stimming after virtual class was over, I automatically assumed it was the MagMind and was ready to pull it.

Many factors could have caused the regression. Sitting in front of a computer and having interaction in a way that is different from the way he typically has it, the fact that we didn't go into the church building at all, or the emotional arousal from seeing a certain little girl read a scripture, all could have been what made the stimming return. But I used what I saw in the past to cloud what could be the root issue this time around. 

My plan was to remove it or give it another day, to make sure it wasn't an issue, because I thought it could be a beneficial supplement for him. I had placed it at the very top of the pill dispenser so it could be easily removed should it be something found unfit for him. But I forgot. Even when I got his supplements ready for him to take on Monday morning. And yesterday morning as well. It didn't occur to me that he was still on the supplement until some time Tuesday afternoon. And then I had to ask myself, did I hear the stimming on Monday while I was home? I paid close attention on Tuesday after I got in from work. No stimming.

I think it's a little too early to say if it's making a difference. But here are two things I noticed. The first happened on Monday when I told him to change his sheets and take his dirty clothes down to be washed; he did so, but included his comforter. I usually have to tell him to take it down every few weeks. He never voluntarily does it. The second was on Tuesday when I heard a noise in his room. I was on high alert because I gave him a little more beef than normal. Splitting the batch wouldn't have been enough, and I didn't think saving a small amount was necessary. I went to see what it was, but I couldn't get a straight answer from him; I never can. He said it was about his lotion bottle and his chair. I believe lotion had something to do with it because he had lotion on his shirt in two spots. I examined his hands and saw that he put lotion on them. I'm not sure if this is something he does normally now, but for a long time, he didn't put lotion on his hands after washing them. Somewhere, a connection was made. Unsure if it was a recent change, but if it was, I can already see where the MagMind can create significant milestones. 

Oftentimes, we make decisions based on what we have seen happen in the past. Jordan started to stim + new supplement added = the supplement is the reason why. It didn't matter what other factors played a part in that day; I was sure it was the supplement. However, there is a reason why it wasn't at the forefront of my mind; God knew it wasn't the cause.

God doesn't want us to group all of our issues together. Each trial we face requires a different approach. Even trials within a trial can teach us something different. If we think that everything is connected, we don't lean into Him each time because we think it belongs in the same category as something else.  That's why it's important to seek Him in all things. Ask Him what He is trying to show you in everything. Because He just may have something different He wants you to see. 

This whole time, I could have been removing things from Jordan that could have been good for him because of a mishap that came from something entirely different. All because I wasn't patient. Which is another thing God requires of us. Imagine if I had removed the MagMind. He would have calmed down, and I would have thought it was the issue and not him having a slight fluctuation because of the introduction of the supplement or whatever happened that day. When we rush to solve a problem instead of sitting with it, we can remove something that is supposed to help us grow. Romans 12:12, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (NIV)

I've had so many lessons from God on this journey with Jordan. I'm thankful that each day, God winks at me, showing me He's still with me. Have you had a God wink today? If not, keep your eyes open. He's looking for a way to show Himself to you in something you may face today.