by Melissa Hertel

Remember climbing into your mom’s lap or squeezing your dad’s hand during Sleeping Beauty, when the wicked fairy Maleficent materialized and bestowed her evil “gift” on Princess Aurora? The princess lived a wonderful life until she fell into the clutches of the evil fairy and became a captive in a tower surrounded by a forest of thorns guarded by a fire breathing dragon. But the evil was blunted by the gracious gift of sleep.

But what if she wasn’t asleep? I’ve imagined I was a princess in all kinds of predicaments…but being a princess trapped alone in a castle inside a hedge of brambles is too scary for me.

We at Bethany are blessed with many little princes and princesses. One of the princesses I know lives inside a thorny hedge. Autism separates Audrey Daniel from those of us who love her and want to know her better. So a group of us have formed a Circle of Friends around this princess and we are working to get in and bring her out.

A Circle of Friends is an intentional community of people who get together to support a person with a disability. Our goal is to have fun together and to be a safe place for Audrey to develop her social side.

When Jesus fed the five thousand, he started with five barley loaves and two fish (John 6: 8-9). Most adults, knowing this was inadequate, wouldn’t even offer the food to Jesus. It was a small boy who was unaware of human limitations who offered the food. Since Christians are supposed to receive the kingdom like children, it is helpful for adults to see children in action. No one knows what causes autism and whatever we can do will probably be inadequate. But we bring our friendship and wait to see how Jesus will multiply our gift in Audrey’s life.

More than half of the members of our Circle of Friends are children. It is essential that children be involved in ministry (especially this ministry) because children are part of God’s kingdom and can contribute their gifts to God’s work and all children, including those with autism, are made in the image of God and have something to contribute to His kingdom.