JOY Stories
Erin
Finding fullness of joy
Being a parent to a special needs child can be extra challenging. My son, Jack Jr, was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at 16 months. Jack uses either a walker or wheelchair to get around as his legs and balance are mostly affected. Trying to navigate this world that is made for able-bodied people has been a struggle at times. We have taken Jack to St. Louis for spine surgery and travelled to Texas multiple times for special therapy all in order to help him walk. He also has had additional surgeries to correct other issues. This has been a journey of many ups and downs.
I was recently asked to speak to parents of special needs children at an All Abilities FCA camp. This is the very first one ever held in Georgia. I was given the topic of “Potential.” As I prayed about this topic and asked God what He wanted me to share, it became abundantly clear that He wanted me to share about our potential for “Joy” despite the circumstances. This was as much for me as anyone else in that room. It can be hard to find Joy when you have tried to help your child walk for 15 years and he is still working on it.
We all tend to look at what the world says will make us happy and give us joy, which is wealth, fame, beauty, able bodies, and good health, and then we put those same views on our children. All those things can be gone in an instant, so those things will not make us happy or fill us with joy. The good news is we can change our mindset through what God has to say about Joy.
The Bible says that Joy is a deep inner gladness regardless of circumstances and is a gift from God. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “Do not grieve, for the Joy of the Lord is your strength.” Joy despite circumstances, pressures, or unmet expectations. Unmet expectations is a big one!
There was a season in my life where I was very discouraged about Jack’s situation and God asked me one day, plain as can be, “Will you love me even if I don’t heal Jack Jr.?” My answer was, “Yes”. Ultimately, I know that God loves Jack more than I ever could and His plan for his life is better than anything I could plan. So, I put full trust and faith in Him and whatever he has for Jack Jr.
Psalm 16:11 “In your presence there is fullness of Joy.”
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