Down Syndrome and Autism Miracles in Disguise: A Little Boy with Special Needs Gets a Glimpse of Heaven and Talks with Jesus

By Shelly Miller

Caught in a struggling marriage to an out-of-control atheist, a Christian woman prays for a miracle. God hears her cry and bestows the beautiful gift of a son, but she receives more than she prayed for.

Jacob is diagnosed with Down syndrome and is suspected to be on the autism spectrum. Unprepared for this new challenge, the couple venture shakily forward, fearful of the unknown. When Jacob begins telling them about loved ones in heaven and visits with Jesus, their lives transform in ways they could never have imagined.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9781973687160

Shelly Miller

Shelly Miller is a veteran ministry leader and sought-after mentor on making rest a rhythm of life. She leads the Sabbath Society, an online community of people who want to make rest a priority and curates Sabbath Society Circles, small groups that meet in neighborhoods and cities around the globe. After living across the U.S., she moved to London in 2015 to start a new adventure in the land of her ancestors.

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Copyright © 2020 Shelly Miller.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Book Cover designer: Druscilla Morgan

Author photographer: Leo Miller

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-8715-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-8717-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-8716-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020903614

WestBow Press rev. date: 04/20/2020

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Preface

Chapter 1 Jacob Saw Grandma in Heaven

Chapter 2 Being Raised a Believer

Chapter 3 Non-Believer

Chapter 4 Hidden Grace

Chapter 5 What’s Wrong with Jacob?

Chapter 6 Jacob Stops Breathing

Chapter 7 Heart Surgery

Chapter 8 Who Is Jacob?

Chapter 9 Sick Again

Chapter 10 I’m Dry!

Chapter 11 Ups and Downs

Chapter 12 Battling Depression and Anxiety

Chapter 13 My Last Hope

Chapter 14 Wolf Obsession

Chapter 15 No Black Hair!

Chapter 16 Something in My Room

Chapter 17 Unexplainable Fears

Chapter 18 Proof of a Dark Realm

Chapter 19 Jacob and the Three Divine Persons

Chapter 20 Unwelcome Guest

Chapter 21 Calm Down

Chapter 22 Strange Prayers

Chapter 23 Shoa Revealed

Chapter 24 Ways God Speaks to Us

Chapter 25 Broken Cell Phone

Chapter 26 Tears in the Toy Aisle

Chapter 27 Gorilla

Chapter 28 A Cleansing?

Chapter 29 Going Away

Chapter 30 Out with the Old

Chapter 31 Our New Life

Chapter 32 Don’t Believe Everything You Think

Chapter 33 I’m Shrek!

Chapter 34 Jesus Comforts Jacob

Chapter 35 The Compassion of Christ

Chapter 36 Buckethead

Chapter 37 Get on the School Bus

Chapter 38 God Will Make a Way

Chapter 39 What Sits at the Left Hand of God?

Chapter 40 Sibling of a Child with Special Needs

Chapter 41 Via Dolorosa

Chapter 42 Special Needs

Chapter 43 These Day

About the Author

Dedication

To glorify our God and Savior, Jesus Christ,

and encourage loved ones of those with special needs.

Acknowledgments

I could not have achieved my goal of finishing this book without the encouragement of my family. Thank you, Dustin Fronterhouse, for helping me with my many grammatical struggles along with encouraging me to finish writing through the most difficult times of my life. Thank you, Sam Chessmore, for helping me expand into more detail where I was lacking. Most importantly, Thank You, God, for blessing me with my son, Jacob, and my daughters, Skyler, Alysa and Sydney. Without them, this testimony would not be possible.

Preface

Did grandma ever play the cello? Yes, she played it all the way through college.

Mom, Jacob said he saw Grandma Phillips in heaven … and she was playing the cello!

When my son, Jacob, was born, he was diagnosed with Down syndrome. He struggled with speaking, even simple words. We were enthralled the day he clearly said my grandmother’s name, who had passed away years before he was born. He then described Jesus and shared impossible knowledge about heaven. Little did we know, this was just the beginning of our miraculous journey, drastically changing our lives in ways we couldn’t have imagined.

I was raised in a Christian family. My husband was an out-of-control atheist. I thought I could change him, but I was wrong. When I realized that I couldn’t, I desperately reached for an alternative. I believed if I gave my husband a son, he may settle down and become a family man, maybe even a Christian. When I learned Jacob had Down syndrome, I worried that his diagnosis would be added stress on our marriage.

Bringing much-needed joy into our lives, Jacob temporarily relieved my feelings of depression. It wasn’t until we began noticing he was having some sensory processing issues that we questioned whether or not he may have autism. Shortly after, he expressed to us that he was being frightened by something he referred to as Spooky. When It occurred to us that Jacob’s fears were getting worse, I prayed for God to comfort him. God gave me more than I prayed for, exceeding my expectations.

At first, I struggled with the idea of writing this book, mostly because of anxiety. I could barely concentrate enough to read a book, let alone write one. It then dawned on me. I had already written the book, as many of my journals were filled with our experiences. I felt moved by God to do something with them other than let them sit in a cedar chest. I conquered my fears and decided to share this testimony. I pray the miracles we have experienced will touch the lives of others and strengthen the faith of believers. This book is based on my life and actual events. Some names have been changed for privacy and protection.

(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Matthew 6:32-33 King James Bible (KJV)

But your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them, and he will give them to you if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to.

Matthew 6:32-33 The Living Bible (TLB)

Chapter One

Jacob Saw Grandma in Heaven

Over the years, God worked many miracles in our lives, too many to name. One of my most cherished memories was the day my son, at the age of six, told me about seeing his great-grandma in heaven. That was one evening I will never forget. Normally, I struggled to understand Jacob when he spoke because of his special needs. This particular day, I had no trouble at all. I was in my bedroom, folding laundry, while he was in his room playing and chattering away. I couldn’t help but laugh at the comical things he would say while he was in his room. I found his free-spirited nature entertaining and uplifting.

Noticing Jacob was being unusually quiet, I thought, Either it’s naptime for his guys, or mischief is about to occur. I worried he might have snuck out of the house again, one of his favorite things to do. I listened for a moment; then I heard him whispering. I crossed the hall to look in on him. He was sitting on his bed with a small blanket draped over his head, quietly giggling. I snuck up, lifted the blanket and peeked under it directly in front of his face. I smiled, What’s so funny? Smiling back, he said, Gamma Pillips. I was surprised. Did you say, Grandma Phillips? With the same smile, he nodded yes. I was dumbfounded. Jacob could barely say his own name, but he just said Grandma Phillips almost perfectly.

I hadn’t talked about my grandma since she passed away. The loss was unexpected and a very touchy subject, so this came as quite a shock. There was no way Jacob had any idea who his great-grandmother was. Certainly, he couldn’t have known her name. She was my maternal grandmother, who passed away in July of 2005, while Jacob wasn’t born for another three years.

I asked him, Where’s Grandma Phillips? Heben. Clearly, he was trying to say heaven. Before I had a chance to respond, he began imitating a violinist. Are you playing the violin? No longer with the playful smile, he seemed determined to complete a mission, Gello. Do you mean cello? As he nodded yes, I asked, Is Grandma Phillips playing the cello in heaven? Did you see her? Now smiling, he nodded his head yes again.

My heart was pounding, and I felt like it sank deep into my chest. How did Jacob see his great-grandma in heaven; was it a vision? I was baffled. I knew she played the piano and organ in church but never heard about the cello. I jumped up and grabbed my cell phone to call my mom.

Like always, she was calm and quiet as she answered the phone, Hello? I wasn’t quite as calm, I blurted, Mom! She laughed a little and, in a relaxed, soft voice, said, Yes? I responded, Did grandma ever play the cello? We hadn’t talked about my grandma since her funeral nine-years prior. I hadn’t spoken to anyone about my grandma at all since the funeral. My mom was shy, and my grandma’s unexpected passing was something she avoided talking about altogether. When I started questioning her so suddenly, she seemed a little bewildered. Hesitating a second, Yes, she played it all the way through college.

Hearing my mom confirm that my grandma used to play the cello put a lump in my throat. I struggled to hold back tears of joy. Mom, Jacob said he saw Grandma Phillips in heaven … and she was playing the cello! Once again, she hesitated, Wow. I was shocked she wasn’t as excited as I was, but it hadn’t occurred to me that this was the first time we had talked about my grandma since her passing.

Mom, Jacob said Grandma Phillips almost perfectly. Aren’t you excited? Yes, I’m excited, she said in the same calm voice. When it finally hit me that my mom must have been shocked by our conversation, I tried not to push the subject. I thought I had better give her some time to let the new information sink in. I ended our talk and pondered what else Jacob knew about my grandma.

Later that night, I wondered why God would pass on such a random message. After only a couple of minutes, the reason became clear. The previous night, when I went to bed, Amazing Grace played on the radio. This song reminded me of my grandma because she used to play it on the organ for Sunday morning church services. Once the song was done playing, I prayed about my grandma for the first time. I asked God why I still hadn’t cried since losing her. I wondered if I was trying to convince myself that she wasn’t really gone. Overcome with bottled up emotions, they finally boiled over. Before I finished praying, I began to cry and couldn’t stop.

Unbeknownst to me, Lee was still awake. What are you crying about? While tears streamed down my cheeks, I don’t know. I was praying about my Grandma Phillips, now I have an overwhelming, sinking feeling in my heart and I can’t control my emotions. He said, It’s probably just God speaking to you. That possibility hadn’t even crossed my mind. I didn’t doubt what he was saying, just surprised. Lee wasn’t the type of person to rationalize a situation on a spiritual level. When it came to God, his responses were usually sarcastic or lack of interest altogether.

Before I fell asleep, I prayed and asked God if He would somehow tell me it was Him communicating with me. I wasn’t sure if He would answer, but He did. When Jacob told me that he saw my grandma in heaven, I believed it was God confirming He heard my prayer, and it was Him speaking to my heart that night. This was only one of the many miracles God worked through Jacob. Communicating through our son became so common, we almost expected it.

"And this is the confidence