No Room at the Inn: Special Needs Rejection

No Room at the Inn: Special Needs Rejection

by | Dec 16, 2015 | Different Dream, Encouragement, Spiritual Support

No Room at the Inn: Special Needs Rejection

Parents know the sting of special needs rejection. We experience it as parents when we are excluded because of our children. And we experience it even more painfully when our children are rejected. Guest blogger Sheri Dacon relieves the sting of special needs rejection in this lovely Christmas devotion.

No Room in the Inn:
When Your Child with Special Needs Is Rejected

Special needs parents know the sting of special needs rejection. We know what it’s like when our child is excluded.

Here in the throes of the Christmas season, it’s easy to forget about that night. The night that changed everything. The night when the time came for God to be born.

Door after door the answer was the same.

No.

No room.

People had to realize, didn’t they? Didn’t they hear Mary’s cries of pain? Joseph must’ve been frantic as he rushed through town, desperate for a place, a room, ANY ROOM, for the Savior of the world to be delivered.

Why didn’t anyone let him in? Why did no one make room? Was there so little compassion for a young girl in labor and her flustered, terrified husband?

Well, we all know the story, don’t we?

There was no room.

When your special needs child is rejected

Parents of special needs kids know that feeling.

  • That frantic, desperate knocking.
  • That last-ditch attempt to get their foot in the door.
  • That aching need to have their child included, wanted, welcomed. If only we could have one more chance to squeeze in, just one more do-over.

“Please let us in!” we beg. Distraught, focused, impassioned almost to the point of hysteria.

“LET US IN!”

Can’t you see how we need to come in?

But all too often the answer is:

No. No room.

Our children are often teased and bullied and made to feel less than. Jesus was, too. Our children aren’t recognized as the special people they are, but are often shunned and despised. Jesus knew that road well.

Parents, we are in the best of company.

Yes, the pain of being locked outside when everyone else is inside is frighteningly real.

But the true wonder is happening outside. . . in the stable. We are in good company.

I pray you will experience that wonder. That you would contemplate this: the God of all creation made Himself small enough, not only to be born as an infant, but to be born excluded. Outside. With no room.

He knows. He understands what it’s like.

With His wailing entry into this lowly earth He made a bold statement.

He was born outside because there was no room for Him.

Oh, how He loves our precious little ones. Oh, how he loves each of us as well.

Hope for all who are rejected

One of my favorite Christmas books is The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado. It is the story of a lamb named Joshua who is unable to go out with the other sheep because he is lame. He stays in the stable and, as a result, is privileged to witness the birth of the Christ child. It is because he was excluded that he experiences such a gift.

The moral of the story? There is glory and awe and worship happening outside, under the stars, beneath that one brightest holy star. Only those on the outside get to experience it.

Whether you’re a special needs parent or not, haven’t you felt the sting of rejection? The sadness of being excluded, left on the outside?

Jesus was born for you. On the outside.

So you could understand that He really does know how you feel. He gets it. He lived it. He died for it.

There may not be room in the inn, but there is room for all at the manger.

With Jesus, there is always a place for your child. And for you.

Merry Christmas,
Sheri Dacon

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.

By

You can learn more about Sheri by visiting her website at sheridacon.com.

Author Jolene Philo

Archives

Categories

Subscribe for Updates from Jolene

Related Posts

7 Holiday Survival Tips for Special Needs Families

7 Holiday Survival Tips for Special Needs Families

by | Dec 9, 2015 | Different Dream, Holidays, Special Needs Parenting

7 Holiday Survival Tips for Special Needs Families

Christmas. The most wonderful time of year. Unless it isn’t. Which is often the case for special needs families. So guest blogger Sheri Dacon is here with her tried and true list of 7 holiday survival tips for special needs families.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year:
7 Holiday Survival Tips for Special Needs Families

It’s called the most wonderful time of the year, but it can also be the most stressful. As special needs parents, we often feel like wounded warriors as we limp our way into January.

Here are seven holiday survival tips for special needs families to get you through the season with minimal wear and tear.

1. Take care of yourself.

It bears repeating: put your own oxygen mask on first. Take the necessary steps to keep yourself healthy and as stress-free as possible. When you’re stressed and exhausted, you’re putting your family at risk for a chaotic and overwhelming holiday. It’s vital to tend to your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. Sleep, diet, exercise, and spiritual fulfillment are crucial all year round, but especially during the Christmas season, when tensions run high. Make self-care your #1 priority during the holidays.

2. Keep it simple.

There is no such thing as a perfect holiday. Our media-saturated world somehow convinces us that we can craft, bake, or buy our way to the best Christmas ever. It’s simply not true. Avoid Pinterest and keep your decorations, gifts, and food preparation simple.

3. Emphasize the true meaning of the holidays.

Our kids — especially those with special needs — tend to obsess over the material aspect of the holidays. They associate Christmas with presents, and can become overly agitated if they don’t get what’s expected. Talk to them about expectations during times when they are calm. Gently remind them of the true meaning of Christmas. Spend quiet family times reading special books or telling stories. Consider having family devotionals that point to the true reason for the season.

4. Stick to a regular routine.

It’s important for the whole family, but especially for special needs kids: keep your schedule as close to normal as you can. Even though kids are out of school, insist on a regular bedtime and limit screen time. Have the family continue with everyday chores. Adhering to a routine helps lessen the stress of the holidays, and it will help your special needs child (and you) feel more grounded when tinsel and wrapping paper are everywhere.

5. Plan for down time.

With parties and festivities galore, the holidays can be overwhelming. Plan ahead for quiet family evenings at home. Too many social outings can be challenging for special needs kids, who need time and space at home to decompress and recharge.

6. Do what’s best for your family.

Put your family first when it comes to holiday planning. It may seem selfish, but it’s actually healthy. It’s crucial to consider your family’s unique challenges when planning celebrations. You may end up disappointing friends or family members, but it is okay. If you need to stay home or come late to a celebration in order to accommodate your family’s special needs, make that decision and stick to it.

7. Don’t be afraid to say no.

You don’t have to do everything. It’s okay to say no to baking cookies, caroling, or buying a white elephant gift this year. If an activity or event is too much for your child (or you), or if it causes undue stress, politely say no and move on.

The Christmas season truly can be a wonderful time, but it requires planning. Be proactive and decide now to implement these strategies so your season will be one of peace, not chaos. And from my special needs family to yours, Merry Christmas!

How Do You Survive the Holidays?

Do you have tried and true holiday survival tips? Leave them in the comment box.

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.

By

You can learn more about Sheri by visiting her website at sheridacon.com.

Author Jolene Philo

Archives

Categories

Subscribe for Updates from Jolene

Related Posts

Top Ten Reasons I Hate Wrapping Christmas Presents

Top Ten Reasons I Hate Wrapping Christmas Presents

by | Dec 8, 2015 | Top Ten Tuesday

Many people absolutely love wrapping presents before Christmas. But I'm not one of them. Here's why.We’re celebrating Christmas with the kids and grands early, so this week is wrapping week…not my favorite activity for these ten reasons.

10.  I grew up trying to force reused, wrinkled wrapping paper that was always too small around boxes that were too big.

9.  Next we topped the wrinkled paper with old bows, all of which had lost their sticky.

8.  We always ran out of Scotch tape before we were done.

7. When we ran out of Scotch tape, Mom showed us how to use masking tape rolled inside out to hold the wrapping paper together. This tactic worked approximately 50% of the time.

6.  She told us to use rolled up masking tape to stick bows on the packages, too. That worked approximately 25% of the time.

5.  All of the above traumatized me, so I now avoid wrapping paper whenever possible.

4.  So I’m in a catch 22 situation: If I seek immediate treatment for my wrapping paper phobia, I will not have time for wrapping presents.

3.  Plus, as a result of the tendon I severed 2 months ago, my left thumb has a bad case of oppositional defiance disorder (ODD) and is in therapy, too. Which means even less time for wrapping presents.

2. Though gift bags are the obvious solution to my gift wrapping issues, I am too much of a cheapskate to buy them. So I’ve developed this habit of saving gift bags from year to year and store them in a big drawer.

1.  Every Christmas season, when I open the drawer and see the big pile of wrinkled gift bags, I realize that I’m more like Mom than I want to admit. And I thought Christmas was designed to gloss over harsh realities like that.

How about you? Do you love or hate wrapping presents? Tell us why in the comment box.

No Room at the Inn

No Room at the Inn

by | Dec 7, 2015 | Church Newsletter Columns

What if Egypt had refused to allow in Joseph, Mary & Jesus when they fled persecution? What if we close our borders to refugees fleeing persecution today?So Joseph got up and took the Child and His mother while it was still night, and left for Egypt. He remained there until the death of Herod.
This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
“Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
Matthew 2: 14–15

Children’s programs.
Decorations.
Parties.
Gifts.
Santa Claus.

Too often our favorite holiday traditions hide the truths of Jesus’ early years like frosting on Christmas cookies. Only by scraping away colorful layers of fluff are the stark and frightening realities of the season exposed.

A young and very pregnant Mary riding a donkey to the strange town of Bethlehem.
Joseph walking beside a woman whose baby is not his.
An innkeeper without room in his inn or his heart.
The Son of God born in a dirty, dark barn.
A newborn lying a manger filled with hay.
Smelly shepherds gawking at the sight.
Smellier sheep bleating and creating commotion.

Once the small family is more settled, after the arrival of the Magi–visitors who recognize the importance of Jesus’ birth and give Him gifts worthy of his royal lineage–Joseph receives a warning from an angel in a dream.

“Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt,
and remain there until I tell you;
for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.”
Matthew 2:13

Joseph heeds the warning and flees with his wife and Son. They escape just before Herod, the ruler over Bethlehem and surrounding area, sends soldiers to slaughter every male child two years old and younger in an effort to eliminate a little boy he believes will one day seek to depose him. In verses like those, the dark side of Christmas is exposed.

Teen mothers.
Reluctant fathers.
Babies born into poverty.
Political maneuvering and dirty tricks.
Genocide.
Refugees fleeing for their lives.

The Light of the World betrayed by believers in His own country. Forced to beg sanctuary from strangers in Egypt until the darkness ended and the world made sense again.

In mid-November, terrorists in Lebanon and Paris committed craven acts. Not the indiscriminate slaughter of babies, but terrible nonetheless. The dark side of humanity was exposed again, tempting us to shut doors in the faces of present day refugees.

As Christians, we must wrestle with the truths of our faith as we consider how to respond to the plight of refugees forced to beg sanctuary from strangers until the world makes sense again. The questions before us are these.

Will we trust God’s promises and stand on the eternal security we have in Christ while seeking wise ways to welcome these lost refugees and share His hope? Or will we succumb to fear and abandon compassion toward the people Jesus, the Light of the World and the hope of Christmas, came to save?

Non-Dairy Brunch Casserole

Non-Dairy Brunch Casserole

by | Jan 7, 2015 | Recipes

Brunch CasseroleEgg bakes are so yummy, but because of their high dairy content, they’re often off limits to people with dairy allergies. But this egg bake, served by my daughter-in-law at our Christmas brunch, is not only dairy-free, but also delicious. So delicious it received the coveted Hiram Seal of Approval, which may have something to do with the pound of bacon on top. The original recipe can be found at All Recipes. Below you’ll find the modified dairy-free version.

Non-Dairy Brunch Casserole

1 pound bacon
2 onions, chopped
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
4 cups frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups rice, soy, almond, or coconut milk

Directions:
Place bacon in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain and set aside. Add the mushrooms and onion to the skillet; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent and the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes.

Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Place potatoes in bottom of prepared dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with crumbled bacon, then add the onions and mushrooms.

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the milk. Add the garlic. Pour the mixture over the casserole. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until set. This casserole can also be baked immediately after it’s prepared. In that case reduce the baking time to 45 minutes.