More From Margie J. Harding

Life has a way of surprising us.  More accurately, God has a way of surprising us.  God will “grow us” by taking us places we never imagined, and even sometimes in places we’d rather not be! 

Currently our world is fighting a battle against an enemy we can’t even see.  Yet this tiny germ has our world turned upside down with social distancing, school and business closings, and being sequestered from those we love.  Even with all the isolation, we struggle to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  We are ready (more than ready) for the pandemic to be over! 

But God is good—all the time!  We can’t always see it, because we have narrow, human vision.  But God can see it all. 

Aside from this worldwide ordeal, I’ve also had some personal struggles.  We’ve learned that my husband has late stage heart disease, I’ve lost a tiny granddaughter, and other things I won’t go into.  But God remains faithful. 

I’m grateful God has given me the ability to write words that not only help (at least interests) others, but also help me.  As I write, I find God speaks to me and is often just what I need to get through another day. 

The surprise for me in all this was the discovery that God has a plan for me in special needs!  While my own children were growing up, I always said, “It takes someone special to be a special-needs teacher, and it isn’t me!”  I was never involved with special needs because I felt I had no reason to be.  I think that is the attitude of the general population.  If you don’t have a special needs child, then it can seem like someone else’s concern.  Please understand, there’s no judging there.  I was as guilty as anyone else.  Our lives are full, and we don’t want to add one more thing. 

But God had other plans!  I have been writing a children’s series which uses animals of the Black Hills of South Dakota to tell a story about a specific special need in each book.  We are currently up to 12 books with the 13^th coming out soon. 

My goal is to get them in the hands of teachers, to be used in a classroom setting as springboards for conversation as the integration of classrooms continues.  Understanding is often the key to compassion, which leads to a more inclusive environment.  So the books apply to both the child with the “need” as well as, the child who asks, “Why is my friend different?” 

I am grateful God put me in this work.  It’s made me look beyond myself, and placed me out of my comfort zone.  I’m learning a great deal about the person I want to be as God “grows” me. 

Thank you to all who support my work!  My heart is full.  

You can learn more about my books at www.paxtonseries.com.