Special Children, Special Blessings

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 6
 
“The vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter.” Jeremiah 18:4
Janet came bouncing down the stairs, a bundle of joy. Her mother gathered her in her arms and said, “Jannie, you’re sweet!” She was indeed.
Some of us know what it is to have a child who at five years old cannot walk and still wears diapers. Almost no one comments that he or she is sweet, and the future seems to hold no promise that it will be otherwise. The vessel seemed to be marred in the hands of the potter.
Are you the mother of such a child? If you wonder why God sent this child to you, you may find some of His reasons in Scripture.
John 9 tells us that the blind man’s birth affliction was not caused by the sin of his parents, but rather that the works of God might be manifest in him. Has God really chosen you to be the mother of such a child? Then it is not your sin, but you have the high honor of serving one in whom the works of God are or will be manifest.
Deuteronomy 7:7 tells us, The Lord chose you because He loved you. Song of Solomon 2:4 tells us, “His banner over me was love.” And 1 John 4:8 tells us that “God is love.” This is unconditional love, and it does not depend on anything we do or possess. God loves me unconditionally. Now that I am born again, I have His nature, which can love because it is His choice. He can give you this unconditional love for your special-needs child.
When the doctor gives me a prescription, it may have some undesirable side effects which he did not intend. It is never so with the trials God sends. The side effects are part of His plan, too. He is in control of the effect that the conditions and its challenges have, not only upon you, but also upon every member of your family and friends.
It’s only by faith that we can value this. We who have healthy children pray often for you, and I think we will join the praise when we see you rewarded at the judgment seat of Christ. And you will pour out all the praise and honor and glory to the One who carried you through. There are willing helpers who are available to share this responsibility with you, and it is good to make use of them.
“Your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). Will you work for a reward from His pierced hand?