Above us and around us—and sometimes even inside of us—thunderstorms are building.
Sometimes these storms may come from behind the closed doors of your doctor’s office, or on the other end of the phone line…or from your child with special needs.
I’ve spent almost 16-years years as a parent to a child with special needs. More years than some of you. Not nearly as many as others who are reading this.
Being a parent on the special needs journey is proving true the words of Jesus that begin:
“In this world you will have trouble …” (Jn.16:33)
Will.
Not “might.”
Will.
Reading those words, you might be inclined to want to keep your doors locked, take your phone off the hook, and pull the covers up over your head in order to avoid the “trouble” that special needs will bring to your doorstep.
I’ve wanted to do that too.
But like you…I know that I cannot.
By embracing the special needs journey we find ourselves drafted into a battle:
- A battle to help our children make positive progress.
- A battle to keep our marriages from becoming too stressed.
- A battle to find the time to do ALL the things that need to get done … and that’s just today’s things.
And battles are exhausting—especially long ones. That’s why you’re often weary.
Most soldiers who experience the fierceness of combat want to get out of it.
That’s why you feel urges to escape or surrender. That’s why there are times you’re tempted to give up.
But don’t give up.
Don’t give up when you feel that deep soul weariness from long battles with persistent weaknesses.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9).
Don’t give up when your long prayed-for prayers have not yet been answered.
“And he told them [the parable of the persistent widow] to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1).
Don’t give up when the fragmenting effect of multiple pressures seems relentless.
“But as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger…” (2 Corinthians 6:4-5).
Don’t give up when the field the Lord has assigned you to is hard and the harvest does not look promising:
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9)
Don’t give up when waiting on God seems endless.
“Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:30-31)
Don’t…give…up.
PS: God bless you and thank you for all that you do as a parent to a child with special needs.
michael
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Best Don’t Give Up – Special Needs Parenting
Good post. I learn something new and challenging on websites I stumbleupon everyday.
It’s always useful to read through content from other authors and practice a little something
from their websites.
I love your encouragment to embrace our child’s special need. When we embrace them we release them to be all that God intended them to be. Check out my last blog where I encouarage parents to do this very thing: http://caregiversrefuge.wordpress.com/
I’m going to memorize these verses. This was very helpful to me considering school just started. I’m going to be advocating for my son, which is an exhausting full time job. So I need to daily remember to not give up!
Ugh. School. Advocating for our kids is unending. Betsy, we’ll be praying for your to know that the strength you need is renewed each and every day. Thank you for being such a strong advocate for your son!
John 16:33 is one of my favorite verses, Mike. Thank you so much for sharing your heart and God’s lifeline truths to hold on tight. Today, I won’t. Give. Up! :0)
Kelli, other parents have always been my best source of information and encouragement. I’ve been listening to your podcasts and thank you for the lifeline truth that YOU share!
Perfect timing for such appropriate and empathetic encouragement as we had another restless night in the Sidney household. We are facing another episode of symptoms with my daughter that docs don’t have a viable care plan for at this time. I am frustrated and weary, BUT hopeful and prayerful. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you on your journey as well.
Thank you Denie. Praying for wisdom and discernment for the medical professionals that treat your daughter. I pray that they will correctly identify some of the medical challenges facing your daughter and then implement the proper treatment plan that will help restore her health.