Things I'm Learning From Autism (Part 3)

One of the main concerns with Autistic people is that they have a tendency to wander. We have had to call the police several times when Pierce has escaped our grasp and wandered off through the neighborhood. We've added locks to our doors, installed alarms, and have even purchased a tracking system that works through a wrist tag attached to Pierce's arm. Even with all these precautions, Pierce still finds ways to escape and wander. He's a regular Harry Houdini!

What I've learned from this propensity to wander is that fear and danger are good things in that they warn us when things become unsafe. Now, we certainly aren't supposed to base our life decisions on safety and security; God often times calls us to enter into situations that are insecure and unsafe. If we based our lives on safety, we'd never travel to places like Darfur, which desperately need our help. But it is foolish to subject yourself to danger if there is no extenuating circumstance that justifies such action. In Pierce's case, wandering into danger because you have no inner voice to stop you is simply reckless.

So, I guess the main lesson here is that danger and fear are reserved for causes that transcend common sense and call for drastic action. Reckless living for the sake of curiosity is a bad thing. It hurts those you love and compromises your ability to truly live out the Gospel. Our call is not a safe one, but it is also not one that is reckless and prone to wander.

Autism Lesson 3: God gives us a sense of fear and danger so that we will weigh our actions based on the Gospel and not be reckless