Give Joy and Encouragement to Families with Special Needs!

“If you satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness.”

Isaiah 58:10

Family Retreats humble me. The families Ken and I meet are powerful examples of God’s sustaining grace to the weary and wounded.

Like the Trotters. Things were going along nicely for Rob and Cheryl, then their first son, Sam, was born with microcephaly, epilepsy, and vision problems.

Overnight, their days were filled with tube feedings, constant seizures, toileting challenges, and never-ending medical appointments. To the surprise of doctors, Sam grew into a hardy young boy (adding lots more work). But the love of Rob and Cheryl for their precious son grew even stronger. They prayed constantly, wondering, why doesn’t God heal our Sam?

When the Trotter family (including by now, little Toby) attended Family Retreat, they discovered at least ‘one reason’ why God placed Sam in their lives. They saw a vibrant display of God’s power and grace in the lives of other families with children who have special needs.

Cheryl and Rob realized that Sam was God’s way of keeping them desperately dependent on Jesus!

For them? It was life-transforming. For Sam, too (I was so blessed by his beaming smile during worship time)! It was all the healing this family needed.

There are countless weary and wounded families like the Trotters – and today during the coronavirus pandemic it is even harder for them. They live with isolation every day, but the nature of the shelter in place orders mean different things to families like this. Routines are critical and disruptions cause more anxiety, caregivers are often not available and the threat of infection to their already delicate immune systems is even greater.

They, too, need to experience God’s hope through hardship. Many Family Retreats are being canceled or postponed now and when we are safe to resume the waiting lists for Family Retreats will be even longer, and the financial burdens will require more families asking for full or partial scholarships. But as our Bible verse above says, you have an opportunity to “satisfy the desire of the afflicted” – and it can happen through your prayers and your faithful support!

So, on behalf of families struggling with disability, join me in praying and giving… and don’t be surprised if “your light rises even higher in the darkness!”

–Joni Eareckson Tada