I will tell you from the “get go” that this post is going to be about a pair of green underwear, nothing too very deep and spiritual.  However, this is the story of a small miracle, if “small” even can or should be an adjective qualifying miracle.

Now, to start from the beginning…  With Ben’s autism comes a high level of perseverance. That basically means not giving up until what you want comes to fruition. Now, that can be good and bad at the same time. Perseverance can drive us forward to achieve a goal or drive us a little crazy when we don’t get the object of our desire. In those cases, we must come to peace with that outcome, perhaps seeing it as a God thing. However, with Ben, the answer “no” is unacceptable, and he becomes even more strongly locked into the object of his obsession.

That was the case with the aforementioned green underwear. Evidently, this is Ben’s favorite pair of underwear. Well, wouldn’t you know they came up missing! Had to be the favorite pair, of course. I literally cringe when he loses things because there is no peace in his world or mine until the missing object is found. Therefore, the search began.

We looked high and low in every place possible only to come up empty-handed. Though, I had finally given them up as lost in some space-time continuum, Ben was never going to resign himself to their utter loss.  Every conversation was centered around, you’ve got it, the green underwear.Praise God for his mercy and understanding that I have my limits and that my sanity can only handle so many hits like this before it is, well, GONE! After two weeks of this daily underwear discussion, Ben and I were placing groceries into the trunk of my car. Can I just tell you that right before my eyes where I had looked several times before were “the precious,” the long-lost green underwear.  The first words out of my mouth were “Praise God!” Seriously! This mysterious appearance was an answered prayer, a mischievous angel or both.  Doesn’t matter. They had come home to us!

You would think that Ben and I could enter a small sabbatical of peace now that the problem was solved. That is not the way Ben’s mind works. This solution leaves his mind an open space for a new object of perseverance. This time it is a recliner. It never ends. But, TODAY, I am proud to say that “The Case of the Missing Green Underwear” has been solved. And as Scarlett O’Hara said, “Fiddle de dee, tomorrow is another day.” And might I add, that Jesus will give me grace for whatever Ben comes up with. I didn’t say it would be easy, just that He will be there. May I repeat “Praise God!”  To God Be the Glory!