disability & Christ: links of interest

A Ministry for Parents at the End of Their Rope

In 1992, the senior pastor at Mclean Bible Church, Lon Solomon, and his wife Brenda were busy with the church and raising three boys. Then their daughter Jill was born with a seizure disorder that left her with irreversible brain damage. She needed constant care and supervision, and her parents began to feel physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. One of their friends organized a group of caregivers to care for Jill and give her parents a break. Brenda sometimes says, "Respite gave us hope. It changed our lives." They don't know where they'd be today if they hadn't gotten it.

 Lucette

The nurse continued to speak, but I couldn’t fully understand the noises coming from her mouth. I was like a spirit no longer present with my body, floating there in the hospital room, not sure where to go or what to do. If I could have spoken, I might have said something like:

‘What do you mean Down Syndrome? That’s not us… That’s not our lives… Parenting a person with special needs… Our lives are too complicated now as they are. This just can’t be…’

When Christian Parents Should Seek Out a Christian Mental Health Professional

I had previously shared this post reflecting my opinion that Christian parents are best served by seeking mental health services from professionals who reflect excellence, regardless of their personal beliefs. Today, I’ll share a couple of significant exceptions to that rule.

I Wasn't There: The Tragedy of Adoption

I will cuddle her now and kiss her booboos now. I will tell her that she is brave and loved. I will be there as she fights the emotional trauma from her life in the orphanage. I will stand with her and be a steady presence as we tackle PTSD (post-traumatic-stress), anxiety, depression, RAD (reactive-attachment-disorder). I will be there when she doubts herself, reminding her that she can do it.  

From Empowered to Connect's FB page