Small Things and Special Needs Joy

by jphilo | Jul 21, 2014 | Different Dream, Encouragement, Spiritual Support

Small Things and Special Needs Joy

Special needs joy pops up in the small things. That’s what guest blogger Kimberly Drew discovered recently. She felt great joy as she observed her daughter with multiple disabilities make very real progress in a series of small things.

Small Things and Special Needs Joy

Sometimes the greatest joy can come from the smallest accomplishment. Not that long ago, Abbey came home from school and went right to the kitchen. She pulled out a yogurt from the fridge, went to the drawer and got a spoon, and then sat down and started hitting the table to get my attention.

Small Things as Parents

I thought I was going to pass out….she’d never done anything like that before. I was completely amazed that she not only recognized hunger, but knew where to get food, what food she wanted, that she needed a utensil, where to get it, that we eat at the table, and that she needed my help. Hey, that’s a lot going on in the brain if you ask me.

When your child doesn’t speak or communicate, you sometimes have no idea what’s going on inside of them. Abigail continues to surprise us in so many ways. The first time she laid down in the tub to play and knew to keep her mouth out of the water, the first time she asked for her hearing aids by pulling on my shirt and touching her ears, the first time she tried to jump off of a curb, and so many other moments that could easily be forgotten if they hadn’t meant so much to us.

It’s those small things that keep us going when we’re struggling through the list of milestones still not met. Those moments give us strength to keep trying and fighting. No small victory is unnoticed or uncelebrated.

Small Things as Children of God

It isn’t any different with the Lord. Recalling God’s goodness and faithfulness over the small things can sometimes give us the strength needed to wait on God through the more difficult trials we face. It’s so important to recognize his hand at work in our lives, and if we don’t pay attention, we can miss so many ways he reaches out to us, answers us, and loves us. Having eyes to see and ears to hear is a spiritual analogy. If your child lacks either of those senses as mine does, then you understand at an even deeper level how important they are and what this really means.

For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them. But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. Matthew 13:15-16

Opening our eyes, mind, and heart to seeing God’s faithfulness, goodness, and love toward us keeps our hearts in a place of gratitude. No matter how small things may seem, each time we experience God’s hand in our lives, they must be noticed and celebrated. Recounting it to him will help us to hang on in our difficulty and also bring glory to God as we praise him and acknowledge all he’s done for us. Psalm 77 shows a man crying out to see God’s hand at work and then it comes to the psalmist.

I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.

This moment of recounting God’s ways caused a shift in his whole demeanor. It can cause one in ours too!

What Small Things Are Bringing You Joy?

How are you finding special needs joy in the small things at your house lately? Use the comment box to give them a shout out if you like.

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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.

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Autism Overload and Elephants in the Room, Pt 2

Photo Credit: vectorolie at www.freedigitalphotos.net

Yesterday, in Part One of her series, guest blogger Sarah Broady mentioned how autism overload is part of every day life for her family. She writes about it on Facebook, thinks about it on dates with her husband, and talks about it on the phone with friends. Today, she explains how she’s come to terms with autism–the elephant in the room–over the past few years.

Autism Overload and Elephants in the Room, Pt 2

Autism Overload and Grief

I am happy to say autism doesn’t bother me nearly as much as it did a year ago. Before coming to what I think was true acceptance of my son having autism, I grieved over every one of these thoughts. Sometimes I was in autopilot mode and did what I needed to do or made the necessary decisions in the moment without falling apart. But for all the internal thoughts, for every post I read or wrote about autism, for every déjà vu realization that this autism thing was really real, I grieved. It came in various ways, which would require a whole different post, but it came.

Autism Overload and Acceptance

There are probably definitely parents out there who might read this and be angry at me or maybe just angry in general. Angry that I’m okay with something that isn’t okay, even though they understand the continuous onslaught of autism questions and musings. Frustrated that they are not there yet. Not that I have reached some pinnacle of acceptance that negates any grief of future challenges. I’m not trying to brag that I don’t struggle like everyone else. I do. It’s just that things are different now. My struggles are the same, but the way I handle them takes on a different form. Usually. I’ve just come to accept that this is part of my life, so it doesn’t always bother me to see so much autism stuff in my email and Facebook news feed.

Autism Overload and Faith

I think that this is one area of my life that is proof positive of the hope that I have always clung to that is real and true: Jesus is King and is making all things new–now. I can’t wait for the day when autism is no longer a struggle because all struggles will be ultimately and finally conquered forever. But for now, He has given me grace more than sufficient for my need to be okay in a not okay world.

Invitation to Talk

If you’re not okay right now, bogged down in the autism world, that’s okay. We don’t have to be okay all the time. I just want you to know that Jesus is your “hope in autism” with immeasurable grace for your every need. Please feel free to contact me at sarah@spacelots.com if you need someone to talk with. Sometimes you just need another person who can honestly say, “I understand.”

You can also read more about Sarah and her family at her blog Hope in Autism.

Autism Overload and Elephants in the Room: Part 1

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.

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Sarah Broady and her husband have three boys. Their second son is autistic. Sarah is an autism advocate and has spoken to state capitol committees to secure better services on behalf of families living with autism. Her greatest joy comes in being an encouragement to other parents who are walking the same road she is walking. She blogs about their life raising a son with autism as they hope and delight in God at Hope in Autism. and interviews people involved with disabilities and special needs at A Special Hope Podcast. She is also writing a book that gives hope in Jesus on the special needs path. She speaks at Christian-related special needs events to reach parents on a more personal level. You can contact Sarah through her blog or by email at sarah@hopeinautism.com.