Jeremiah 29: 11-13
11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
In March 2011 we put our home of almost 5 years, on the market, with our 1st priority to get into the Yukon School District and our second priority to find/build a home to help meet Tessa's needs. Over 400 days later, we finally sold our 1300 square foot home. In June of 2012, we moved into a slightly larger rent home with 1400 square feet. Since our move, we have acquired new equipment for Tessa. We have her bath chair, her Stander, her loaner Power Chair, her KidsFast stroller, and most recently added, her Tumble Form seat and Kidwalk Walker. The most disappointing aspects of having all of this equipment are the limitations she experiences because of lack of space. It is very difficult to be limited to our front driveway when we are trying to give Tessa opportunities in her equipment. We have been told over and over again by therapist after therapist....it's all about opportunity, opportunity, opportunity! Giving Tessa chance after chance to explore her independence and discover her freedom in her equipment is what it will take for her to begin to navigate the world around her in her own ways.
We have had lots of time to consider what kinds of modifications we would make to a home that would help us provide Tessa with the opportunities she needs. Our goals...space and functionality. We have been doing research for the last two years on Universal Design and specific ADA requirements. The idea of building a home felt daunting, but necessary. Recently we learned that our opportunity to build was being pushed back a year or two...so we decided to explore what was currently on the market. It felt impossible, without some major re-work to most existing homes, but we have realized that space alone would be the very greatest modification at this point in time, and potentially for many many years to come. We've been looking seriously since just before Christmas and Darin has reminded me over and over, that it will either 'be' the house or it won't. We took some time in each home we looked at, to determine the necessary changes right off the bat, and the potential for changes in the future. At times, it was very overwhelming...and had me reverting back to our original plan to build.
Two Saturdays ago we went our with our realtor and looked at about 10 homes. Looking at pictures online serves very little purpose for us...we can't tell anything until we see measurements of hallways, doorways, and determine maneuverable space for Tessa. One by one...there was minimal potential, things that might work...but would basically be a bandaid for now. Even though our goal is a good, functional home for Tessa...it is not at the expense of being able to provide for our family or risking the peace and joy we find in staying in tune to God's will for our lives. We strive to meet big decisions like this in our life with continual prayer and our deepest desire to truly only walk through doors we feel have been opened by Him, not ones that are opened as a result of our selfish desires or agenda for our own lives.
Well, the second to last home we saw...let's just say, it 'be' the one ;) At almost 1,000 more square feet than the home we're in now, it is more than Darin and I could have ever dreamed of. Instead of the 22-24 inch hall bathroom doors that we have been used to...it has 32"...ADA Fact: 4.13.5 Clear Width. Doorways shall have a minimum clear opening of 32 in (815 mm) with the door open 90 degrees, measured between the face of the door and the opposite stop. And all bedroom doors are 32". The hallways measure 42"... ADA Fact: 4.3.3 Width. The minimum clear width of an accessible route shall be 36 in (915 mm) except at doors (see 4.13.5 and 4.13.6). So, the hallways are actually 6 inches wider than we would have probably built in a new home! Wow! And well, with regard to maneuverable space...ADA Fact: 4.2.4.2 Relationship of Maneuvering Clearance to Wheelchair Spaces. One full unobstructed side of the clear floor or ground space for a wheelchair shall adjoin or overlap an accessible route or adjoin another wheelchair floor space. If a clear floor space is located in an alcove or otherwise confined on all or part of three sides, additional maneuvering clearances shall be provided. This existing home literally has everything we need and more.
My favorite two pictures are below. The first picture is standing at the kitchen sink, looking out to the entry way, all the way through to the living room. And you may not even notice...but that little bitty piece of equipment in the middle...well that's Tessa's rather bulky Kidwalk Walker. This picture is the epitome of functional space...freedom...for Tessa. I spent quite a bit of time down on the floor by the entry way, feeling the floor...why?...well, the flooring transitions from tile, to wood, back to tile...the blessing?...there are absolutely NO thresholds where the wood and tile meet - completely smooth. This is a huge thing for a little tike that has a very difficult time maneuvering her walker. The absence of thresholds, eliminates an obstacle and the potential for any corresponding disappointment. The result...freedom, independence, opportunity without limitations! The next picture...well that's the pantry in the kitchen. It may just look like any other pantry...but I about cried when I opened it up. The two bottom doors each open up to 3 accessible pull-out drawers...and once again....more freedom and independence for Tessa. It is a newer reality as Tessa is beginning to like big-people food...and the profound idea that she could drive her power chair, or walk her walker, over to the pantry, open up the door and pull out a drawer and CHOOSE what she wants to eat...absolutely thrills my heart.
It is so much easier to talk about blessings regarding restored health, achieved milestones, or any other of God's provisions our life. It is not so easy to discuss blessings having financial implications...but to leave this part of our story 'off-the-record' would not be consistent with my desire to share what the Lord can do in our lives.
We are anticipating that we will be receiving Tessa's new power chair here in the next few months. We have to consider the fact that we will be releasing a 3 year old in a 230 lb piece of powered equipment in a matter of months...the amount of experimental interior space necessary for this kind of discovery has always been so overwhelming. Yes, we could have always allowed Tessa opportunity outside on our driveway to 'play' in her chair...turning circles and trying to chase her brother. But, we want more for her. We want her to be able to go find her brother back in his room if she wants to see him, we want her to be able to go from the living room to the kitchen to come help me cook, we want her to be able to go back to her room and pick a toy from her closet, we want her to be able to get into her bathroom all the way up to her potty when she's ready for that big step, we want her to be able to CHOOSE when and where she wants to go. Laying stationary in her her nap nanny or sitting in her Tumble Form seat is not where she belongs...she deserves hope and a future! Tessa has the potential to achieve much and our prayer is to be able to provide much as the Lord provides for us.
So, with God's promise in Jeremiah 29:11....Let's Rock!
~Whitney
I've been sitting on this post for several days now...waiting for everything to fall into place. As of a few minutes ago, it did! It is so difficult to describe what this kind of provision means to me and Darin for our family, for Parker and Tessa. We are humbled by God's provision in our lives...big and small...and pray that we continue to move forward as faithful stewards of His blessings.
