Is Alan an Angel?

Is Alan an angel?  No, he’s not an angel.  But he is a saint--a saint with an extra 21st chromosome.  For God’s own glory, for Alan’s good, and for mine, He gave Alan an extra one.  I don’t know exactly what a chromosome is, but God has decided to create a fairly exclusive club amongst the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve in which only a select group of folks are included (about 2% of the world’s population). Here are some of the official distinctive traits that get you in this particular club:

• Eyes that have an upward slant
• Low muscle tone, small stature and short neck
• Flat nasal bridge
• Single, deep creases across the center of the palm
• A single flexion furrow of the fifth finger

Those are just some of the physical traits.  There is also a tendency to learn information more slowly. However, we have noticed that, like most children, he’s prone to learn what he’s excited about and apt to forget that which he doesn’t really care about.  Hence potty training seems interminable, and his ability to read a book is probably several years away. Of course, I don’t say all this to bemoan his Downs.  I write this to extol the Lord for this intricately designed individual that He’s placed in my household—a young man that was never meant to have the same number of chromosomes as most of us, because he was uniquely called, and therefore designed, to be exactly who he is.


Is Alan an angel?  No, he’s not an angel.  He’s a saint, but sometimes he reminds me of an angel.   Like the angels in Isaiah 6, Alan will sing the Sanctus unendingly.  He doesn’t have any wings to cover his face and his feet, but he does have a Savior, who has opened his eyes and washed his feet that he may enter into worship.  Sitting cross-legged, swaying back and forth to the beat, he praises his Creator.  Like the angels, creatures, and elders in Revelation 5 he praises his Savior loudly.  He has a beautiful tenor, as well as a deep bass, that He uses daily, sometimes nightly as well, with which he sings his God’s praises.

Alan’s not an angel.  He’s a saint with more than enough hugs and kisses to go around, and nothing better to do with his time than to sing praises to His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.