Christmas Miracles of the Special Needs Kind

by jphilo | Dec 9, 2013 | Different Dream, Holidays, Special Needs Parenting

Christmas Miracles of the Special Needs Kind

Guest blogger Stephanie Ballard and her sons are getting ready for Christmas. Today, she shares a poem about recognizing Christmas miracles of the special needs kind…and all year long.

Miracles

The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is upon us once again. It can be such a stressful time, with a never ending list of things to get accomplished. Let us remember to look for the Christmas miracles. They are evident everywhere…but easiest to see through the eyes of our children.

Outside the snow was falling
In a white, and wintry flurry,
Mom was baking cookies
And she seemed in quite a hurry.
The shopping was all finished
The tree was decorated
Tomorrow Christmas would be here
The children were elated.
And soon the youngest tapped his mom
His face…a bit forlorn
“Are miracles for real Mommy,
like when Jesus was born?”
“Of course they are,” his mother said
While picking out a book .
“Miracles are everywhere
You only have to look.”

And so, he sat up in the chair
And snuggled in her lap
So cozy…warm and comfy
He was ready for a nap.
Then Mommy read the story
More important than the rest
About the Christmas miracle
Which still remains the best.
She read to him of Mary
Who said, “God’s will be done,”
Of how the angel told her
That she would have a son.
“ Do not be afraid,” he said ,
“You have found favor… thus
You’ll call your son Emmanuel
And this means, ‘God with us.'”
She read of all their struggles
Of no room at the inn
Of how we needed someone
Who could save us from our sin
Of how the very brightest star
Was shining far and bright
And shepherds got to witness
God’s miracle that night.
And wise men came to worship
This most amazing birth.
Then mommy closed the book and said ,
“God’s miracle on earth.”

“  Does God still perform miracles?”
the boy asked hopefully…
“I know he does,” his mother said.
“ Just look at you and me.
Why love, it is a miracle ,
as is determination –
finding a reason to smile each day
in any situation.
Seeking to be hopeful,
treating each day as unplanned .
a simple prayer…a thankful heart .
Now do you understand?
Make each day a miracle,
keep your eyes open wide
for almost anything can have a miracle inside.”

The child kissed his mommy’s cheek
as he had grown tired .
His mother put him in his bed
Her heart had been inspired.
At times she found it hard to smile
when the long day was done.
But grace…had touched her heart today
through the words of her young son.
God still performs miracles
ff every shape and size .
But sometimes the miraculous
lies right before our eyes.

Does Stephanie’s poem give you eyes to see the miracles–Christmas, special needs, and otherwise–right before your eyes? If so, give your miracles a shout out in the comment box.

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Stephanie Ballard is the mother of two sons, her youngest son, Braeden, was born with Kabuki Syndrome and congenital heart defects. Her oldest son, Colin is in the military. She enjoys writing poetry and life lessons about her journey in life.

Author Jolene Philo

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Out of the Box Special Needs Christmas Gifts

Finding the right Christmas gift for a child with special needs can be a challenge. In this post, guest blogger Kimberly Drew encourages parents to think outside the box before Christmas arrives.

How to Think Outside the Christmas Box

I don’t know about you, but I have found shopping for Christmas presents for our daughter with disabilities to be extremely challenging. There were several years where I had done all of my shopping for our other children, relatives, and even friends and had still not spent a penny on Abbey. I hate to admit that I still have a gift from last Christmas up in our closet that she has never even taken out of the box. Over the years there were a few toys that she actually liked, but for the most part things just get thrown around and broken. It seems like money just wasted. Looking back, I wish I had realized sooner that for Abbey, an experience is a much better gift than something she can unwrap.

For birthdays and holidays, I always get Abbey a few things that she needs. Usually clothes, socks, bibs, and the like. But then when it came to that “special gift,” I never knew what to buy. Around our daughter’s ninth birthday, a friend asked if we would be interested in giving Abbey a riding lesson as her birthday gift. What was meant to be a one-time experience has turned into a beloved hobby and therapy.

It’s amazing the things you can find to go along with a hobby like this! A helmet, riding pants, boots, and the list goes on. We were unable to afford this therapy on our own, and have asked in recent years for family members to chip in toward a gift certificate. They got creative about how to wrap it up. Abbey’s Aunt Diane used the logo from the riding center’s website to print out coupons. When Abbey went to her next session, she handed in her coupon with GREAT joy! Many times our entire family goes to her therapy and sits on bleachers to cheer her on. She has perfected her wave while maintaining her balance on the horse, and especially loves to look at herself in the mirror along the wall of the arena. These moments are precious to me, and she loves every one of them!

When you grasp that the years with these precious children are uncertain, suddenly making memories together seems priceless. This Christmas, I’m reminding myself and all of you to re-evaluate what is important when it comes to gift giving. Is there a family experience your child might enjoy being a part of? Does your child have a hobby or place that they like to go that is just for them? Have you been afraid to try something new, like a dance class, because of your child’s disability? This year, why not think outside the box and give it a whirl?

How Do You Think Outside the Box at Christmas?

How have you thought outside the box to come up with a just right Christmas present for your child? Leave a comment to help other parents climb out of the box, too.

Do you like what you see at DifferentDream.com? You can receive more great content by subscribing to the quarterly 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.

Photo Credit: www.freedigitalphotos.net

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Kimberly grew up and went to college in the small town of Upland, IN. She graduated from Taylor University with a degree in Elementary Education in 2002. While at TU, she married her college sweetheart and so began their adventure! Ryan and Kimberly have four amazing kids on earth (Abigail, Jayden, Ellie, and Cooper), and a baby boy waiting for them in heaven. Their daughter Abigail (Abbey) has multiple disabilities including cerebral palsy, a seizure disorder, hearing loss, microcephaly, and oral dysphagia. She is the inspiration behind Kimberly’s desire to write. In addition to being a stay-at-home mom, Kimberly has been serving alongside her husband in full time youth ministry for almost fourteen years. She enjoys working with the senior high girls, scrapbooking, reading, and music. You can visit Kimberly at her website, Promises and Perspective.