ParentLife Blog

Encouragement for the Weary by Jennifer Holt

Parenting a special needs child is one of the most daunting and rewarding tasks a parent could ever be asked to do. Many evenings I have found myself lying in the dark, crying out to God and begging Him to heal my son's autism. I have also spent many nights worrying about Sam’s future, clinging to God’s promises to prosper him and not to harm him (Jer. 29:11-13).

When my husband I attended our first orientation session about this overwhelming disorder, the speaker began the presentation by saying, “Go ahead and mourn the child you have lost.” She proceeded to outline the seven steps of grief, the same steps people experience when a loved one dies. We realized in that moment that the speaker did not have the hope that we have. She obviously does not know the One, True, Living God.

As parents of a child with autism, we often feel like we are standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon, with no bridge to help us walk across that chasm. Jesus Christ is that bridge. He offers hope, encouragement, wisdom, and rest. My God is bigger than autism, bigger than special needs of any kind, and ready and willing to help. God has a perfect plan for my son, and for every person He creates.

Before Sam was formed in my womb, the Lord knew he would have autism. I look forward to seeing how God uses this thorn in Sam’s side to bring glory to Him.

Here are a few special promises that encourage me to stay strong in the Lord:

• “Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 (AMP)
• “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 (HCSB)
• “But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (HCSB)
• “That’s why we can be so sure that every detail of our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” Romans 8:28 (MSG)
• “Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.” Psalm 27:14 (AMP)

Jennifer J. Holt and her husband, Brian, are walking through each day, casting their cares on the Lord, and praying for strength and wisdom as they raise their hilarious, musical, artistic, outdoorsy, miraculous son, Sam, who is now four years old.

Photo used with permission of Flickr Creative Commons.

Don't miss Jennifer's article "A Hope and a Future" in the February 2011 issue of ParentLife.