Devoted Dads in Arizona

By |Published On: April 20, 2021|Categories: Family Retreats|

The strain of caring for a child with special needs places additional pressure on a marriage few will ever understand. That’s why so many families affected by disability end up broken.

The divorce rate of special needs families remains higher than the national average.

And that’s why Joni and Friends is dedicated to doing everything we can to keep marriages and families strong. Our Family Retreats include marriage support groups as well as mom’s and dad’s groups, and as we saw at our Arizona Family Retreat, the need for this type of support is monumental.

As the families arrived on the first day of Family Retreat in Arizona, no smiles could be found on the faces of the special needs dads in attendance. It was during the first group session for these fathers that their somber expressions were put into words.

“When I married into this, I had no idea how hard this would be, explained one father with tears in his eyes and a tremble in his voice. Another joined in saying, “Most days I feel like I have slid down to the end of the rope and it takes everything I have not to let go…not to just walk out like my own dad did.”

Being side by side with other men who completely understood their struggles gave these fathers the courage to share their deepest feelings.

One by one, the dads described both the triumphs and challenges of having children with special needs. As the tears flowed and they each shared, something beautiful happened. They supported one another and offered words of encouragement, Scripture, and hugs.

“Bro, you’ve got to die to self,” encouraged one father. Another chimed in, “You’ve got to love your wife like Christ loved the church and be willing to die for her. And you know what?… You can do this!

The dads sat in silence for a while, tears flowingBut the session ended with prayer and as the men left, they were hugging, fistbumping and smiling! God had returned the smiles to their faces and courage to their weary bones.

During their last session, each dad was challenged and asked what they planned to do to ensure they were still married and present in their family’s life during the next Family Retreat.

One dad spoke up and shared, “I have to be all in. I’m committed. I’m going to die to self – for my wife and my family.”

Then more smiles came as dad after dad shared their plan to be all in.

Another man explained that his wife kept asking him to lead their family. He confessed to the group that he was afraid to, but that during Family Retreat God had changed his heart.

He declared that he was ready to, “step up and lead their family!”

Before the closing prayer, one of the more seasoned fathers in the group gave all the men some powerful wisdom when he said, “You know, men, we all struggle. We all suffer, but we don’t have to do it alone. Let’s be there for each other and come back with our families intact next year.”

As the families packed up to head home after another fabulous Family Retreat, the change on each father’s face was evident. Jesus had restored their smiles, but it wasn’t just their faces that changed – it was their hearts.

“He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.”

Malachi 4:6

But praise God, this story didn’t end on the last day of Family Retreat! These devoted dads reconnect during our monthly Joni and Friends Arizona Halftime Respite Program events. We’ve even created a group text so these special needs fathers can encourage and pray for one another weekly. And we found out quickly that this ongoing connection has been vital, as life’s storms have continued beyond disability.

For one father, it was the death of his wife due to cancer, leaving him a widower solely responsible for the care of his special needs child. Another man’s wife needed brain surgery and is in rehabilitation now. His devotion is being put to the test as he supports his wife and cares for his children alone. A third dad reached out for prayer as his daughter, who has multiple disabilities, was hospitalized due to COVID-19.

For each of these families for all of the families we serve and support – the hardships are real, but so is the hope found within the Joni and Friends community.

Through Family Retreat, our Halftime Respite Program, and all the many other events offered by our Arizona team, Jesus is bringing families impacted by disability closer to each other and closer to himself.

Support Joni and Friends Arizona

You can be a part of all that God is doing through Joni and Friends Arizona. Today, show your generous support so that more and more special needs families can experience the miraculous power and love of Jesus!

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