I get daily devotionals emailed to me from the folks at Purpose Driven Life. More often than not they are just what I needed to hear that day. Today's is not exception.

John Fisher (who is an amazing devotional writer) entitled today's entry "Time Zones and Faith"

He quotes a woman who is struggling through many trials in her life as saying: "I know discouragement comes easy, but I also know things happen when God is ready for them to happen and not a second sooner. God knows why he wants things to happen in the order they have to. We just need to be ready when they come.”

Wow! I wish I could say that. He goes on to describe that most of us operate in MDT (My Desperate Time) zone and not GOT (God's Own Time). Cute, but true.

I'm wallering in lots of "why is this school stuff happening now" and "why didn't I jump in and advocate for my daughter's learning issues sooner, harder, etc." I'm definitely stuck in MDT.

Yet, when I'm quiet and listen to that still small voice...I realize that the school issues as nasty as due process is, may be exactly what is needed at exactly the right time to get my daughter to exactly where she needs to be. When I try to look at it from GOT, it makes perfect sense.

My daughter's in 3rd grade - a crucial year. She's with the same teacher she's been with for nearly 3 years. She loves the teacher dearly - and so did I -- and the teacher reciprocated the feelings. BUT, she's not making progress in the class and her disabilities are becoming more and more apparent - and the anxiety and tension (both hers and her teacher's) are building. In November we embarked on biomed interventions for her metabolic issues and they look promising. But those require close monitoring of her diet, behavior, supplement intake.

I thought all this school crisis was interfering with our quest for biomed interventions, but now realize that it may actually help it. If we get the kind of resolution we're asking for from the school -- a homebound teacher, extensive evaluations and therapies for her processing deficits and other learning disabilities - not only will those services have a positive impact, BUT, she will be at home where it will be easier for me to control her diet and monitor her reactions, as well as make other therapy appointments. I just need to wait on GOT!

And, if I'm understanding what the still small voice is saying...a really nice additional benefit from all this is the information I will have to share when I speak on school issues and traumatized children at the Attachment Disorder Network's national conference in June!

Just like I said...these devotionals are usually EXACTLY what I need to hear!