Month: July 2026

Aaron’s Move: Battle of the Books

The day of Aaron’s move to a group home is drawing near.  He will be moving on Monday, August 3.  It’s still hard to believe we’re really doing this. 

Aaron continues to talk excitedly about moving to anyone who will listen, or to anyone who might pause near him in a store aisle, or to anyone whom he thinks he might know even if he doesn’t……

If you see us out and about in the next few days you might want to hide unless you have extra time to listen to Aaron talk ALL about moving.

But Aaron is also showing some concerns about this huge change in his life.  He’s been talking more this week about missing us when he leaves, and about not wanting to leave his room.  Some of his increased concerns are no doubt because we have started moving some of his things over to his group home.

Aaron loves his Handy Answer Books.  I counted 31 of those books!  He has had them stacked in a very high pile beside his bed.  He won’t hear of any better ideas for their storage, so his mountain of books has stayed there and has grown even taller with each new book.

A couple days ago I put the books in three baskets and carried them to our kitchen, where I put them on our kitchen table bench waiting to be taken to his new room. 

I picked him up from his day group that afternoon.  He hurried inside and by the time I walked in the house, the books were not on the bench.  I knew exactly where they would be.

Sure enough, quick as a flash he had put the books beside his bed where, to him, they belong.  At least they were still in the baskets.

“Hey Aaron,” I said.  “I had those books downstairs so that we can take them to your new room tomorrow.”

“Well, I’M not moving tomorrow,” he quickly responded. “I want them to stay here!”

I left it alone for awhile.  Later I broached the sensitive book subject again and he agreed to let us take them to his group home.  A small yet huge step for him.

He came downstairs before he went to bed to dig in his books until he was satisfied with what he needed to see.  I just watched, not wanting to pester him in whatever his needed mission was at that moment.

Dear Aaron.  I know we can’t begin to imagine the turmoil in his life that the removal of his favorite books caused.  They are safely in his new room across town now, waiting for him to join them again.

Aaron is putting on a brave face, but we know that this change is more monumental to him than we can ever fully realize. 

Only God knows what thoughts are rumbling around Aaron’s brain as he sees the only life he’s known being uprooted and drastically changed. 

We know God is in it and that He will take care of Aaron.  He knows Aaron even better than we do and loves him even more.

God knows our worried thoughts, too, and that my heart that feels like it might break.

God didn’t clearly answer our two very huge prayers regarding Aaron moving only to leave him or us stranded.  We know that in our heads.  Our hearts are taking a little longer to adjust.

But I do look forward to seeing how this move will show us God’s loving care in very real and sweet ways.

And I would not be at all surprised to walk in Aaron’s new room one day to find all 31 Handy Answer books out of their bookcase and stacked on the floor beside his bed in a very tall book tower. 

Don’t tell Aaron, but I don’t think I would mind that one bit. 

Moving Aaron

Yes, you read that title correctly.  Aaron is moving!

We have known for a long time that moving Aaron to a group home would need to be a part of his future.  But that part of his future was something we would always refer to as coming someday.  The prospect of him moving really wasn’t anywhere near a reality to us, though we knew that this “someday” would…someday…need to be THE day.

Gary and I have faced the truth that we are officially in our old age.  We have never wanted or planned for either of our other children to be responsible for Aaron moving when we are gone.  We know that planning for and carrying out Aaron’s next steps in life should be our responsibility, not theirs.  We also have known that facing this big challenge should be done before a crisis of some sort hits me or Gary. 

But what we have known for years in our hearts and on paper has been extremely hard to carry out in Aaron’s life…and in ours.  So many obstacles.  So many emotions.  So many reasons to wait until a better time.

A few months ago, we put out some little feelers to our good friend at Aaron’s day group.  She is like a second mother to Aaron and has known him for years.  I told Barb that we were ready…maybe?…to pursue these next difficult decisions for Aaron.

Aaron has a sweet friend at his day group.  Victoria and Aaron have a very special relationship.  We finally started letting Aaron call Victoria his girlfriend last year.  They really do seem to love each other. 

We talked and prayed about Aaron moving but had no idea how on earth to make this happen.  Aaron would NOT want to leave home.  He would be very angry and resistant to even the idea, much less an actual move.

One day I told Gary that the only way I could see this working was if there would be an open room in Victoria’s group home.  Co-ed group homes are common. But that was a real stretch, I knew.  Her house was full, with no vacancies expected.  But I prayed anyway that if this was God’s will then a room in that house would open.

On May 4th, I got a text from Barb.  She told me there had been a change and that suddenly there was a room opening in Victoria’s house.  Oh my!  Talk about mixed emotions!  We had excitement mixed with concern.  But deep down I knew that God had opened a very definite door for us.  We could not walk away and ignore this precise answer to prayer.  Gary agreed and so we knew we must move forward.

Our other prayer now was that Aaron would want to move.  This was another huge obstacle that we saw no way around but for God to work a miracle in Aaron’s heart. 

On the day Barb told us about the open room, I started a journal of God’s doings during this process.  I would open my Bible and read on those pages.  On May 5th, the day after Barb told us about the room, here is what I read.

“When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, You knew my path.”   Psalm 142:3

And:  “You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago with perfect faithfulness.”   Isaiah 25:1

God strengthened my spirit so much that morning with those precious promises about this path He had put us on for Aaron.  I certainly did feel overwhelmed, but I knew that God knew my path.  Our path.  His plans for Aaron and for us would be covered by His perfect faithfulness to all of us.

With Barb’s help, we planned for Aaron to go to the group home one day for supper.  We had Victoria ask him and he was beyond excited.  That day he rode to the house in the van with Victoria and the rest of the residents.

 He hung out there for a few hours and ate supper.  While there, the staff showed him the empty bedroom, and they talked to him about moving there. 

When I went to pick him up, I cringed when Aaron told me that they had shown him the room and asked him if he would like to live there.  I didn’t know they would do that yet. But Aaron was all about it!  He thought that was a great idea! 

Since then, Aaron has still been very upbeat about moving.  It’s amazing!  Another very big answer to prayer!

But he’s also going around telling everyone that he’s going to move in with his girlfriend. 

“Um, it’s not exactly like that,” I feel compelled to add.

So here we are.  We are having our intake meeting next week.  I’m not sure of an exact move-in date yet.

My emotions are all over the place.  You can imagine.  I know we’ll have bumps in the road as Aaron adjusts to leaving home.  He is expressing some fears about that. 

And I’m expressing my fears to some, but mainly to God.  Who can take care of Aaron like I do?  Who understands him and can read him like a book?  Who will be on alert for his seizures and take care of him when they happen?  Who will take him for a slushie or a milkshake?  And on and on and on.

But the God Who so definitely opened this door will take care of all those details and will take care of Aaron and of me during this huge transition.

My verse for May 30th:  “Do not fear, for I am with you.  Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you; surely I will help you; surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”   Isaiah 41:10

How good to know we can trust God with each chapter of our lives, and of Aaron’s!