Jonah prayed with us for bedtime prayers tonight.
This is huge. For those of you who just started following us, when Jojo was diagnosed 2 years ago, he was completely nonverbal.
This is something we just started doing each night, and usually just Jonny, Mama and myself will pray…but tonight, Jonah also wanted to pray.
I had never thought to ask him.
He has been listening as we pray as a family, smiling and repeating things as we say them as is his way sometimes…
It was actually big brother that asked him if he wanted to pray as well.
Jojo started giggling which is the most enthusiastic “YES” he knows.
So Mama led him in a bedtime prayer. He repeated it with sincerity and enthusiasm.
And when it was time to close, he took over all by himself with this phrase.
So often, I find myself wondering how to engage with Jonah, presuming to know how he will respond, that I never actually give him a chance.
Sometimes he wants to be left alone and wants “space” to do things by himself, and sometimes he just wants to be included.
It’s important for me to remember that he now has the tools to communicate those desires to us.
All we need to do is ask.
And we NEED to ask.