Rays of Hope for Special Needs MomsSample

Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged. These are two commands that the Lord is giving us in this scripture. But why? Because He is with us, and He is our God. He WILL strengthen you, help you, and hold you up.

I don’t know about you, but having children with disabilities means I haven’t had a day without fear or discouragement of some sort. Fear often comes from thinking of the future. What if my oldest never verbally communicates? What if my children never learn to use the toilet? What if neither of my children can ever live on their own?

And discouragement comes in waves for me. Sometimes, that looks like talking to another five-year-old and realizing my child's vast differences compared to her peers. That could be teaching something over and over again and my child not wanting to learn. That could be trying to get them to eat just one vegetable or just one fruit instead of a goldfish or potato chip.

But the Bible tells us not to be afraid or discouraged. And that gives us hope. Why? Because God isn’t just throwing this around. He’s not up in Heaven saying, “Ya, life’s pretty hard, but just don’t fear and don’t get discouraged, k?” No. He’s telling us why. Because He is with us, and He IS our God. If the God who created the universe is on our side, then we have every reason to believe Him.

I know it’s not easy to just “stop worrying,” and some days, it’s impossible not to get discouraged. Still, I challenge you today that anytime you think of the future in a negative light or you get discouraged, that in those moments, you remember that God is right there with you. He sees you. He cares. And He’s sitting right beside you.

Prayer

Give all your fears, worries, and anxieties to the Lord in this moment. Fear of the future, worries of today, anxieties that you can’t seem to shake, give them to God. Talk to Him about them, and if you need to actually open your hands to visually hand them to the Lord, then do that! God wants our worries, and He wants us to trust Him. Do that today. Don’t let your worries and anxieties eat away at you today; trust that He is faithful, and He knows the future.