I’ve had to keep changing my password to get to make a new post and that slows me down so please forgive me for taking so long to add a new post.

Those of you who’ve read “Inspired By Autism” have already read this story, but I am including it for those who haven’t read the book because it made such a great impact on me and is an example of how my faith has seen me through during my life with PJ. I feel that God has taken care of us because I have been totally incompetent at times during this autism ordeal.

PJ loves french fries and I cook them for him often. I felt guilty about french fries being such a big part of his diet until I read an article in a magazine about foods that help people with autism. The article stated that potatoes and pasta were foods that increased the level of seratonin in the brain and made people with autism feel and act better. No wonder he ate so many fries! I felt better about cooking fries and relaxed into cooking them as often as he wanted, sometimes two or three times a day. I cooked them so often that it became automatic and I became careless.

One day, as I was heating oil for his fries, I became distracted in another room and forgot that the oil was heating. When I returned to the kitchen, the pan was on fire. A “typical” child would have been alarmed and told his mother, but PJ was just standing there looking at the fire. (An example of a person with autism not recognizing danger).

I thought that I could remove the pan a few feet from the stove to the sink. Even though I was using a pot holder, the pan was too hot to hold and I dropped it. A wall of flame erupted. I ran to get PJ so we could get out of the house. He is bigger and stronger them I am and does not move unless he wants to and I did not have time to convince him.

To my surprise, he ran out of the side door. I did not have to save him. He saved himself. He did recognize the danger!

I was thankful that we’d gotten out, but I was so scared. What about all the damage to the kitchen? I would have to go to a neighbor’s house to call the fire department. I looked through the window to see how bad it was and I did not see any fire. I did not see any smoke.

Cautiously entering the house, I still did not see any fire. Not only was there no fire, once I cleaned up the spill, there was no evidence of a fire at all. There was not even a scorch on the floor or the wall. I found out  later that the tile was flame retardant, but I still feel that God was looking out for us.  “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe”. (John 4:48).

We now cook fries in an electric deep fryer and PJ mostly cooks his own fries. He hovers and watches until they are just the way he wants them. He would never leave the kitchen when he is cooking and I have learned my lesson. I remain in the kitchen when I am cooking, too.

Until next time: May the Power of  God protect you; May the Love of God enfold you.

Claudreen Jackson