Jesus, Kids with Special Needs and Their Families, Part 5

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs and Their Families, Part 5

by | Aug 18, 2020 | Different Dream, Encouragement

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs and Their Families, Part 5

Jesus, kids with special needs, and their parents were acknowledged and valued by Jesus. He showed compassion to parents who brought their children into his presence. In the final installment of this series about Jesus, kids with special needs, Mark Arnold unpacks the story of how Jesus healed a boy with an unclean spirit.

What Happened in the Story

This story is recorded in Matthew 17, Mark 9, and Luke 9. At the beginning, a crowd is following Jesus when a man approaches him. The man kneels before Jesus and asks for mercy toward his son. The description of the boys; symptoms suggest epilepsy. The father had asked the disciples could help his son, but they weren’t able to. Jesus seems exasperated. Perhaps with the disciples for their lack of faith. Perhaps because of the way the father asked–“If you can do anything…” Jesus commands the spirit to come out of the boy. The child appears dead, but Jesus lifts him up and is healed.

How the Parent Acted and Reacted

Seeking: The father looked for a way to help his son. He was desperate to stop the seizures that threatened his son’s life.

Uncertain and Hesitant: The father was not sure where to turn. He approached the disciples first, which suggests he didn’t have the confidence to go directly to Jesus. Only when the disciples failed did he aim higher. Even then he wasn’t sure Jesus would be able to help.

Desperate: The father kept going though, even when rebuked by Jesus. Even when he wasn’t sure what he was saying or what he believed.

What We Can Learn from Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and their Parents

Like the boy’s father we may be better at seeking worldly help our child than heavenly assistance. We hesitant to ask God to help us and our children We fear rebuke, rejection, and disappointment. We become confused and nervous mess when seeking God’s help for our children. There is no need to feel like that because God wants to hear from us. This story shows that out of our tiny, mustard seed faith, great trees can grow!

To read more of this series, check out the links below:

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 1

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 2

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 3

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 4

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 5

Do you like what you see at DifferentDream.com? You can receive more great content by subscribing to the monthly Different Dream newsletter and signing up for the daily RSS feed delivered to your email inbox. You can sign up for the first in the pop up box and the second at the bottom of this page.

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Mark Arnold is the Additional Needs Ministry Director at Urban Saints, a leading national Christian children’s and youth organization. He is co-founder of the Additional Needs Alliance, a national and international advocate for children and young people with additional needs or disabilities. Mark is a Churches for All and Living Fully Network partner, a member of the Council for Disabled Children and the European Disability Network. He writes an additional needs column for Premier Youth and Children’s Work (YCW) magazine and blogs at The Additional Needs Blogfather. He is father to James, who has autism spectrum condition, associated learning disability, and epilepsy. To find out more about how Mark’s work can help you, contact him at: marnold@urbansaints.org or @Mark_J_Arnold.

Author Jolene Philo

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Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and their Parents, Part 3

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and their Parents, Part 3

by | Aug 4, 2020 | Different Dream, Encouragement

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and their Parents, Part 3

Jesus, kids with special needs, and their parents were treated compassionately by Jesus. What Jesus said to their has value for our families today. In part 3 of Mark Arnold’s series about Jesus, kids with special needs, he examines lessons we can learn from the story of Jesus bringing Jairus’ daughter back to life.

What Happened in the Story

The story of Jarius and his daughter is recorded in Matthew 9, Mark 5, and Luke 8. Jarius is a synagogue leader who begs Jesus to help his daughter who is dying. Jesus agrees to come but is interrupted on the way by the woman who had a condition that made her bleed. Members of Jairus’ household then arrive and say the girl is dead. Jesus continues on his way to Jarius’ house and finds a commotion of grieving people. Jesus says the girl is not dead, but sleeping. Everyone other than the girl’s parents and his disciples laugh at him. Jesus takes the parents and three disciples into the girl’s room. He commands her to get up, and to the astonishment of everyone and the delight of her parents, she does!

How the Parents Reacted

Begging and pleading: The father is a synagogue leader, a man of authority. Yet he humbles himself by kneeling before Jesus and begging him to help his daughter.

Faithful, believing: Jarius believes that Jesus can save his daughter, healing her by putting his hands on her.

Devastated: The death of his daughter must have been a hammer blow to her father. He surely was filled with grief. He must have questioned whether the outcome would have been different if Jesus had gone straight to his home.

Amazed: Jesus isn’t put off by this news or the people who laughed at him. Instead, he raised the girl from the dead. Her parents must have been filled with wonder and amazement!

What We Can Learn from Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and their Parents

This account should lead us to ask questions of ourselves. Can our pride get in the way of bringing our children into God’s presence? Do we humble ourselves as the synagogue leader did? Do we have faith, truly believing that God will hear and respond to our prayers? How do we behave when God doesn’t respond to our prayers as expected? Are we astonished?

God might not always give the answer we want. Jairus certainly didn’t initially, but he kept believing and trusting, even when others were mocking Jesus.

To read more of this series, check out the links below:

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 1

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 2

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 3

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 4

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 5

Do you like what you see at DifferentDream.com? You can receive more great content by subscribing to the monthly Different Dream newsletter and signing up for the daily RSS feed delivered to your email inbox. You can sign up for the first in the pop up box and the second at the bottom of this page.

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Mark Arnold is the Additional Needs Ministry Director at Urban Saints, a leading national Christian children’s and youth organization. He is co-founder of the Additional Needs Alliance, a national and international advocate for children and young people with additional needs or disabilities. Mark is a Churches for All and Living Fully Network partner, a member of the Council for Disabled Children and the European Disability Network. He writes an additional needs column for Premier Youth and Children’s Work (YCW) magazine and blogs at The Additional Needs Blogfather. He is father to James, who has autism spectrum condition, associated learning disability, and epilepsy. To find out more about how Mark’s work can help you, contact him at: marnold@urbansaints.org or @Mark_J_Arnold.

Author Jolene Philo

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Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and their Parents, Part 2

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and their Parents, Part 2

by | Jul 14, 2020 | Different Dream, Encouragement, Spiritual Support

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and their Parents, Part 2

Jesus, kids with special needs, and their parents form a popular trio in the gospels. As parents raising children with disabilities, we can learn a great deal by studying their interactions. Today guest blogger Mark Arnold returns for part 2 of his series about Jesus, kids with special needs, and their parents to help us study the story of Jesus raising the widow’s son from the dead in Nain.

What Happened in the Story

The story of Jesus raising the widow’s son is recorded in Luke 7:11-17. Jesus travelled to Nain and encountered a funeral procession for the only son of a widow has died. The sight breaks Jesus’ heart and he tells her “Don’t cry.” He approaches the dead son and commands him to get up. Life returns to the boy. He sits up and talks before Jesus reunites him with his mother. The observers are filled with awe and praise God.

How the Mom and the Crowd Acted and Reacted

Grief: The mother is filled with grief because her only son is dead. She is already a widow, she knows grief, and she is now alone.

Respect: The passage says a large crowd is with her. She must have earned the respect of her community for them to turn out in such numbers.

Confusion: The widow was a bout to bury her only son when Jesus approached her. When he told her “Don’t cry,” she must have been troubled and confused. She must have wondered what was going to happen?

Transformation: In the first miracle of his ministry, Jesus raised the widow’s son from the dead. He went on to bring life back to others, but this was the first. Not only was her beloved son restored to life, but the mother’s future was transformed into a more secure and stable one.
What We Can Learn from Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and their Parents

There are two key messages for us here. The first is that the mother, in her grief, was surrounded by her community. This should lead us to ask who is in our community. Who can we reach out to when we are facing tough times? Who will journey with us? The second message is that sometimes Jesus commands us to do something unexpected in tough times when we feel overwhelmed. Will we obey, listen, and wait to see what he does? Or will we ignore him, dismiss his words, continue in our grief and sorrow? If we do the second, we risk missing out on the good he intended to do.

To read more of this series, check out the links below:

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 1

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 2

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 3

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 4

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 5

Do you like what you see at DifferentDream.com? You can receive more great content by subscribing to the monthly Different Dream newsletter and signing up for the daily RSS feed delivered to your email inbox. You can sign up for the first in the pop up box and the second at the bottom of this page.

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Mark Arnold is the Additional Needs Ministry Director at Urban Saints, a leading national Christian children’s and youth organization. He is co-founder of the Additional Needs Alliance, a national and international advocate for children and young people with additional needs or disabilities. Mark is a Churches for All and Living Fully Network partner, a member of the Council for Disabled Children and the European Disability Network. He writes an additional needs column for Premier Youth and Children’s Work (YCW) magazine and blogs at The Additional Needs Blogfather. He is father to James, who has autism spectrum condition, associated learning disability, and epilepsy. To find out more about how Mark’s work can help you, contact him at: marnold@urbansaints.org or @Mark_J_Arnold.

Author Jolene Philo

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Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 1

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 1

by | Jul 7, 2020 | Different Dream, Encouragement, Spiritual Support

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 1

Jesus, kids with special needs, and their parents come together not once or twice, but five times in the gospel. If caregiving families were that important to the Son of God, he has something to teach us through these encounters. Guest blogger Mark Arnold examines each of these stories in his occasional five part series here at Different Dream. Today, Mark breaks down the account of Jesus healing an official’s son at Capernaum.

During his three years of ministry, as recorded in the Gospels, Jesus met the parents of five children whom he healed or raised from the dead. We can learn from the stories of Jesus, kids with special needs, and their parents by studying the parents’ actions and how Jesus responded to them. We may also see which parent we are most like!

What Happened in the Story

In John 4:43–45, Jesus heals a royal official’s son at Capernaum. The official hears that Jesus is in the area and begs him to come and heal his gravely sick son. At first Jesus dismisses him. When the father persists, Jesus tells him “Go, your son will live.” The father takes Jesus at his word. On his way home, his servants bring him the good news that his son is alive and getting better. They realize that the recovery started when Jesus spoke to the boy’s father. The whole household then believes.

How the Dad Acted and Reacted

  • Desperate and despairing: His son was dying. He was desperate to persuade Jesus to come and help.
  • Persistent: He wasn’t put off by Jesus’ initial dismissal. When Jesus said, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe,” the father asked Jesus again.
  • Hopeful and perhaps disappointed or worried: The passage says he took Jesus at his word that his son would be okay. Were there tiny flames of hope in his heart? Was he disappointed that Jesus didn’t come with him? Was he worried about what he would find when he got home? Probably he reacted in all three ways.
  • Believing: Once he got the good news about his son, the father compared the time the boy had recovered to the time he had spoken with Jesus. When he saw they matched, he believed as did the whole household.

What We Can Learn from Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and their Parents

We may also be desperate and despairing, looking for any way to help our child. We may look in the wrong places at times. We may give up. However, this father knew Jesus had performed miracles before. He believed he could again, and so he persisted. 

God doesn’t always heal, but that doesn’t mean we should stop bringing our child’s needs to him. We will still have times of hope, disappointment, and worry. Like this father we can hold on to the hope and to God’s promises. 

This father believed only after he realized that his son had recovered when Jesus said he would. Our faith and belief doesn’t have to wait for a miracle. Our trust comes because we and our child are in God’s safe hands.

To read more of this series, check out the links below:

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 1

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 2

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 3

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 4

Jesus, Kids with Special Needs, and Their Parents, Part 5

Do you like what you see at DifferentDream.com? You can receive more great content by subscribing to the monthly Different Dream newsletter and signing up for the daily RSS feed delivered to your email inbox. You can sign up for the first in the pop up box and the second at the bottom of this page.

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Mark Arnold is the Additional Needs Ministry Director at Urban Saints, a leading national Christian children’s and youth organization. He is co-founder of the Additional Needs Alliance, a national and international advocate for children and young people with additional needs or disabilities. Mark is a Churches for All and Living Fully Network partner, a member of the Council for Disabled Children and the European Disability Network. He writes an additional needs column for Premier Youth and Children’s Work (YCW) magazine and blogs at The Additional Needs Blogfather. He is father to James, who has autism spectrum condition, associated learning disability, and epilepsy. To find out more about how Mark’s work can help you, contact him at: marnold@urbansaints.org or @Mark_J_Arnold.

Author Jolene Philo

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God Will Always Be There to Bring You Home

God Will Always Be There to Bring You Home

by | May 27, 2020 | Different Dream, Encouragement

God Will Always Be There to Bring You Home

God will always be there to bring you home. Guest blogger Amy Felix wrote these words in a letter to her daughter who lives with autism. If you’re a caregiver, be assured that God will always be there to bring you home, and your child with special needs, even when life seems impossible.

Dear Daughter,

Today, I watched you play your first baseball game. I cried. A lot of moms cry over things like that but, for me, the reason was very different. The world has been whispering in my ear since the day you were diagnosed with Autism, “She’ll never be able to…”. I promised myself I wouldn’t believe those words about you. I’d always see past your disability, no matter how difficult things might become. I vowed to focus solely on your amazing abilities and nothing less. I’d be a champion for you and you’d know anything was possible.

Then difficult became reality. I let fear and exhaustion take hold. I let the whispers become screams. Not only did I hear the world telling me that you’d never be able to do so many things, but I started to believe it. In the fight to understand you, I failed you. It breaks me to admit it, but I’m not always the champion for you that I vowed I would be. My words told you that you could do anything. My actions told you not to risk it.

Today, I watched you bounce excitedly across home plate. Giggling and clapping, your eyes shined with pride and, in this moment of great accomplishment, it hit me…it’s not my job to tell you that you can do anything. My job…my privilege…is to show you that you can do anything through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13). To be on your team. To believe in you, always. To ignore the whispers of the world and hear the clear, strong voice within that reminds me just how incredible you are.

Many things in this life will feel impossibly beyond your reach. Many people will tell you that you don’t have what it takes. The truth is, sometimes we don’t. I don’t have what it takes to be the mother you deserve. Not on my own. There were so many moments in this life that would have defeated me had I tried to draw from my own strength, rather than His. So many moments when I just couldn’t keep going and He carried me.

Your challenges may leave you feeling alone. People may be cruel. You may end up feeling lost and the world may whisper time and time again that you won’t be able to find your way. Know that, just as He did today out on that baseball field, God will always be there to bring you home.

I’m so proud of you, Baby.

Your Forever Teammate, 
Mom

Do you like what you see at DifferentDream.com? You can receive more great content by subscribing to the monthly Different Dream newsletter and signing up for the daily RSS feed delivered to your email inbox. You can sign up for the first in the pop up box and the second at the bottom of this page.

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My name is Amy Felix. I’ve been married for 10 years to a guy who’s totally out of my league. I’m a homeschooling mom to 4 kids, ranging in age from 9 to 2 years. That’s really enough work on it’s own but, because I love it, I’m a photographer as well. And, in my spare time, I write. My faith is the driving force behind my special needs blog: Appointed To Hope. I’m a firm believer in being real, transparent, and using the gifts of this journey as a way to relate to others in their joy as well as their sorrow. To read more about my adventures in special needs parenting, visit my website at www.appointedtohope.com.

Author Jolene Philo

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5 Gifts Cystic Fibrosis Has Given Me

5 Gifts Cystic Fibrosis Has Given Me

by | May 14, 2020 | Different Dream, Encouragement, Grief

5 Gifts Cystic Fibrosis Has Given Me

5 gifts cystic fibrosis has given me. Hmm. Can a parent raising a child with this condition (or any other) write those words and mean them? Guest blogger Laura Spiegel says yes, and in her post she traces the path that led her to be grateful for those 5 gifts.

“When can I stop doing my treatments?” my daughter asks suddenly. I am hooking up her nebulizer and am caught off guard by her question.

“When there’s a cure for cystic fibrosis.” I pause. “And I think that’s going to come one of these days.”

“Maybe it will be on my birthday.” She picks up a book. Her birthday is in three months. She will be seven.

“That would be something, wouldn’t it? You’re my brave, strong girl, and I love you with all my heart.”

“You’re my mommy,” she replies. “And you smell.”

As a full-belly laugh builds from deep within, it hits me. This exchange represents my daughter to a T. Her inquisitiveness. Her humor. Her hope in spite of it all.

A life with cystic fibrosis is often filled with uncertainty, frustration, and fear. As a mother, I’ve experienced more lows in the last seven years than in the thirty years prior. I worry. I fret. My heart aches to think of the disappointment, the loss my daughter may one day feel. I would in a heartbeat give my life for her to be free from this disease.

And yet. There is a beauty to our days. An overwhelming sense of what matters and what doesn’t. What’s worth it and what’s not. In addition to its grief, a life with cystic fibrosis has brought my family an unexpected ability to nurture the blessings alongside the battles.  

Here are the top 5 gifts cystic fibrosis has given me: 

  1. Perspective – I used to sweat the small stuff and strove for perfection in everything. The more I had, the more I wanted. These days, my priority is the health and liveliness of my family. We don’t have to be perfect; we just have to be here. Perspective has helped me relegate the small stuff to the “junk drawer” of my mind. Every now and again, I’ll open it up and play around. But most days, there’s only so much room in my head for this kind of stuff.
  2. Purpose – I believe a well-lived life hinges on where you spend your time and who you spend it with. Four years ago, I leaped off the corporate ladder after realizing that I wasn’t where I was meant to be. Since then, I have soaked up time with both of my kids. I have partnered with children’s hospitals to create meaningful experiences for families. I have blogged and connected with dozens of parents who are walking in similar shoes. We laugh, we cry, and we search for some semblance of control. Above all, we celebrate the strength within us. In this work, I have found my purpose. 
  3. Hope – If I could have one wish, it would be for a cure to cystic fibrosis. Until that happens, I will put huge trust in the medical and scientific communities. New iterations of drugs that help address the genetic cause of disease? Yes, please. Gene editing in the future? Bring it on. So many men and women work hard every day to help my daughter live a long, full life. Thank you for giving my family hope.
  4. Faith – I am a Christian and am raising my children with faith. When I put my daughter to bed each night, I remind her that angels dance beside her bed. We even sing about it. “And while they dance, my Jesus will watch over me and keep me healthy, happy, safe, and strong. Warm and cozy all night long. Healthy, happy, safe and strong, my Jesus keeps me.” Her eyes close, and I know that she is deeply blessed.
  5. Beauty – When I see my daughter digging for worms under the watchful eye of her brother. When I feel the warm touch of her hand. When I hear her singing as she tries to outswing her shadow. When she races after bubbles, twirls in her tutu, and cruises down the street, streamers flying. She is beautiful to me, and God couldn’t have made her any better, cystic fibrosis and all.

These are the 5 gifts cystic fibrosis has given me. To all the parents out there, I hope that amidst the hard times and uncertainties, you can find moments of thankfulness for the gifts your child’s condition has given you. 

Do you like what you see at DifferentDream.com? You can receive more great content by subscribing to the monthly Different Dream newsletter and signing up for the daily RSS feed delivered to your email inbox. You can sign up for the first in the pop up box and the second at the bottom of this page.

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Laura Spiegel spent 12 years at the world’s largest biotech company, partnering with professionals and care teams to help people with special needs and disabilities lead full and happy lives. In 2013 her daughter was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Laura now hosts Paint Her in Color, a website that offers emotional support to parents of children with special medical, developmental, or behavioral health care needs. When she isn’t reading, writing, or soaking up time with her husband and kids, Laura can be reached at Paint Her in Color, by email at laura@paintherincolor.com, and on Facebook and Twitter.

Author Jolene Philo

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