Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined this would happen. It certainly wasn’t the path she had planned out for her life.
When she initially got the news she was stunned. After all, this pregnancy wasn’t even expected in the first place. But to then get the news that this child wouldn’t be typical…well, no one originally plans or even dreams of giving birth to a special child.
She had learned that this baby wouldn’t be typical while he was still in her womb prior to giving birth. But as she tried to comprehend what that meant, she struggled to grasp the whole picture. She must have wondered, “What is my life going to look like now?”
Her whole world was going to be turned upside down. This child’s uniqueness would impact every single aspect of her life. She really didn’t realize how hard the early years would be for her and her baby as they tried to come to terms with their “new normal.”
She felt all alone and isolated. It was such a rare condition that she felt like no one else around her could possible understand or relate to her experience.
She worried she would lose friends. She worried that her family would turn their backs as well. And she feared her husband would drown in denial, anger, and bitterness like so many dads of special children.
What if he became just another vacant dad? What if he couldn’t figure out how to be engaged or involved so he just checked out?
The sleepless nights. The curious looks. And all those questions from family members who just didn’t really understand.
Someone had told her that she was chosen. Someone had tried to convince her that God had a hand in this somehow. But that was hard for her to believe sometimes. Here she was, feeling all alone and isolated, with no one she could talk to who would understand or could relate to her experiences.
How could God have really chosen her to be the mom of a special child?
Sounds familiar doesn’t it? We know and hear of special families who go through something like this all the time, don’t we? Maybe you relate to some of this in your own personal experiences.
If so, you certainly can relate then to Mary, the mother of Jesus. She is the mother of the special child I’m referring to in the story I just wrote.
Mary would have related to so many of you, and your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. After all, Mary was the mother of a “special” child herself.
That “someone” who told her God had chosen and called her? That someone was a personal messenger from God, an angel named Gabriel. He had greeted Mary by saying “Greetings most favored one, the Lord is with you.”
Mary was chosen and called to be the mother of a very special child, the Son of God. God picked her and God found favor on her.
Chosen and called. Picked by God Himself to be the gift-keeper for the world’s greatest gift.
And what about you dear mothers of children with special needs? God has chosen you as well. God has called you, and you have found favor in Him as well. You too are the gift-keeper for one of His most prized gifts,
No matter how overwhelmed you get, no matter how often you despair, no matter how hard you struggle, no matter how intense your pain can be at times, you are favored.
Through the exhaustion, through the feelings of inadequateness, through the struggle to understand why—the fact remains that God chose you and called you.
From Mary to you, God has a heart for the mothers of special children. May He fill your heart with that love this Christmas season, and let it sustain you.
Christmas greetings to you chosen ones, the Lord’s favor is upon you!
Jeff Davidson
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- I’ve Fallen and I Can’t Get Up! - September 16, 2016
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