By Tanya Bass
Give a Special Needs Kid a Cookie…
In a world full of rules, there is a special group of people who don’t always live by them. These kids operate by a different set of regulations—ones that are far more personal than practical.
They don’t always understand that if you choose this, you can’t have that. Sometimes that lesson matters. Sometimes it doesn’t.
And sometimes there’s absolutely no reason you can’t just buy a special needs kid a cookie.
If you give a special needs kid a cookie, his teacher will probably appreciate avoiding the meltdown.
The cookie will cost you very little, but the gratitude will be enormous.
She will probably smile at you.
And when you’re having a rough day, that smile might feel like a warm reminder that you matter.
When you feel like you matter, you’ll probably stop and talk to the teacher. You might discover a shared sense of humor, a mutual respect, or an unexpected kinship.
That connection may grow into admiration.
That admiration may grow into friendship.
And when life gets hard, you’ll begin praying for each other.
When you pray for each other, you’ll build a bond that reaches far beyond the classroom.
That friendship might lead to job opportunities when you’re depending on word-of-mouth work.
Those opportunities will bring you even closer.
Eventually, she’ll probably start inviting you to her church.
You’ll politely dodge the invitation for a while.
Then one day a child will put a lizard in his pocket, and she’ll ask you to remove it while she holds him still.
You’ll laugh about it later.
And somehow, through a thousand ordinary moments like that one, you’ll find yourself wanting to spend more time with her.
So you’ll finally visit that church.
But instead of simply spending time with a friend, you’ll encounter God in a way that is real and undeniable.
That encounter will change something in you.
You’ll want to build alongside her and alongside that church for the Kingdom.
You’ll join the children’s ministry.
You’ll study more.
Dig deeper.
Build relationships with people who strengthen your faith.
And somewhere along the way, while teaching children about Jesus, you’ll discover that God has been teaching you too.
Your walk with the Lord will grow stronger.
Your life will look different.
All because you bought a special needs kid a cookie.
So if you get the chance, buy the cookie.
You never know what God might do with something so small.
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