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To confirm or not...


The confirmants in our church is away on a youth camp this weekend. Jacques is confirmant age, and for obvious reasons could not join them.
My mommy heart is a bit sore, knowing his soul is sooo ready to be confirmed, but he cannot take part in the events leading up to this big moment in any young childs life.
The youth will be "confirmed" next year February.

We have spoken with our Shepherd (our congregation leader) and we have decided to not subject Jacques to the saying of the confirmants vow. Jacques will not be able to take his vows, and we will stay responsible for his soul until his death, meaning we need to take him to God's house for the rest of his life, he cannot do it himself. This may sound like a big responsibility on our shoulders but not really. We will never have to force Jacques to attend church, if anything he will force us, even if we may not feel like it. Jacques' soul is so much wiser and faithful than mine can ever be. He is an inspiration to me as him mom.

But the sad part for me, is knowing he would love to be part of this weekends youth camp. Unfortunately, because of the autism, it is not feasible. There would undoubtedly be meltdowns, he would feel overwhelmed, and it is unfair to subject him (and the other kids) to this. At times like this a small part of me wishes for only a millisecond my son could be "normal" or "neurotypical" - only to be able to experience the wonderful adventures of becoming a youth member in our church.

We have decided that he will be part of the confirmation service next year. He will receive his special letter (from our Chief Apostle) after the service and we will have photos taken (if he permits). We will also invite our family and friends for his big day, although our celebrations will take place after the service.
As with everything else in our lives, we will adapt and make the best of this special occasion in Jacques' life.
Anyone who wants to join us for this special day is more than welcome, I will post more details a bit closer to the big day.

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