I have a confession: I’ve been struggling during my worship service lately. If that sounds strange, please let me explain … From a very early age, I have known that I was created to worship the Lord through song. I knew as a child in elementary school, singing with the children’s choir during church services. In 7th grade, I sang my first church solo. I can clearly remember standing … [Read more...]
The Length of Love
Love has no dimensions. It cannot be measured, boundless as it is. But I have felt lately that perhaps length is the best of all love’s rough estimates. What are the lengths to which someone goes for love? How long does love last, how far through difficulty will it carry us? How far behind us will it trail after we’ve left this world behind? What is the length of love? I give up nearly every … [Read more...]
Retreating in God’s Hands: respite for the special needs parent
Hands have always been a special symbol and image of love for me. It wasn’t until I recognized my grandfather’s once-familiar, farm-hardened, weathered hands, gently laid one over the other in a pose of rest at his funeral, that I finally knew this man really was the same one I had adored all my life. It was only then I was able to say goodbye. My grandmother’s gift to me that same day was his … [Read more...]
Bona Fide and Accepted In Christ
I often feel like I am constantly trying to win the approval and acceptance of others with the things of this world. I long for the same acceptance for my son but find us more on the outside than ever with our family's obvious differences. With or without special needs, there is only one place where we are truly 'Bona fide.' We are accepted in Christ. Bona fide! ... My husband recently became … [Read more...]
#SorryNotSorry
I’m a bit of a literary nerd trapped in the body of a 40-something, half-fit, occasionally-showered mother of three. Translation: I read as much of things like DeLillo and Faulkner as I can in between shoving peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in lunch bags and scheduling IEP meetings. When I fantasize, it’s about being a literature professor at a small IVY school. This is far superior to my … [Read more...]
The One Thing I Do Each Day to Stay Strong (And What Watching “The Middle” Has to Do with It)
You and I are in a battle and the stakes are high. A parent of a child with a special need faces overwhelming demands each day. There are therapy needs, educational needs, social needs… and these are just the needs of our child! We must also take care of our own adult needs including maintaining our home, our marriage, and our health... and more. We also have an enemy who would like nothing … [Read more...]