Sometimes it can feel like everyone else is getting a breakthrough for their child except you. You are doing everything a good Christian parent should be doing, but you are still waiting. Waiting for the miracle your child needs. Waiting for the battle to be over and the victory to be obtained. Waiting for God to move in response to your prayers and petitions and tears you have shed for your child. For the parent raising a child with a disability, the longer wait time can often become a normal—even expected—part of the process.
One recent Sunday, I was in church with my family while students from our children’s ministry were getting baptized to publicly declare their belief upon Jesus. As we all cheered for the students, something caught my attention. A sweet group of girls, the same age as my daughter who has a disability, were standing together up on the stage. They were so excited to be baptized and share this spiritual milestone with one another.
I was so happy to see each of them share their faith and respond to the work of God in their hearts. But as I sat there and observed each one being submerged in the water, there was a part of me aching inside. I was sad my daughter didn’t join them on this special day to make her faith public.
This same group of girls have grown up with my daughter in the church. They have attended the same Sunday school class, and been taught the same Bible lessons. They have even had the same experiences at church camp. So why was my daughter not up there on stage ready to be baptized? Why am I still waiting in line when other parents are seeing breakthroughs for their children? I wished my daughter was up there. I wished my wait in line was over and we could have celebrated our daughter along with the other families that day. But because of disability (and God’s sovereign hand), this will be a line we wait in for a bit longer.
Have you been there? Have you watched other families celebrate while you were still waiting for your child’s milestone or breakthrough moment? My friend, you are not alone. Many are waiting, just like us. So, let’s encourage ourselves with the Word of God. His Word gives us truth to cling to, and counsels us when our souls get weary.
There was a New Testament parent who had to wait for his daughter to be touched by Jesus as others pressed in and got their breakthrough first. In Mark 5, Jairus went to the feet of Jesus and begged him to heal his daughter. He had great faith for his daughter’s healing, and Jesus was moved to respond. As Jairus led Jesus back to his house, something unexpected happened. Someone bumped ahead of line. A woman with the issue of blood came up from behind and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. She was immediately healed, while news came that Jairus’ daughter had died in the waiting. Jairus was waiting and believing for his daughter’s miracle, but Jesus was too late. But we know that’s not the end of the story. Jesus didn’t take that report as the final say. Jesus continued his journey to the house with Jairus, and when he arrived and saw the little girl in her bed, he spoke. With just a simple word, Jesus tells the girl to arise, and she is restored to perfect health!
What a beautiful ending to the waiting. What can we take from this story and apply to our lives as we wait for miracles for our children?
- Hold onto hope. Jairus could have seen the miracle done for another and lost hope. He could have listened to the report that things had gotten worse for his daughter and given up on believing in Jesus. But he held onto hope. He chose to believe that Jesus was more than able to heal more than one that day. The how and the when will be different, but the same healer is on the move. Jesus is moving. Just because you are still waiting doesn’t mean he’s not moving towards your child’s need. It doesn’t mean he hasn’t heard your petition and prayer. Hold onto hope. Hold onto Jesus.
- Change what you see. When Jesus entered the house with Jairus, it was full of mourners and wailers. They looked at the girl and saw death. But Jesus looked at her and saw her simply sleeping. He knew that in a moment everything was about to change. He knew that her current state was temporary. She was about to be healed. When you see your child, what do you see? Are you weeping and wailing? Are you so focused on their lack, so focused on what they can’t do yet, that you forget to see the possibilities of what Jesus can do in their life? My friend, let’s change what we see! Let’s see the healer in the room. Let’s see that his timing is perfect and all will be amazed at his beautiful, powerful, perfectly timed work in our children’s lives (Mark 5:42)
No matter what you are waiting for, no matter the disability or current challenges you are facing with your child, you can choose two things today. Choose to have hope in Jesus. He is on the move in your child’s life. He loves them and will perfect everything that concerns you (Psalms 138:8). Choose to change what you see. Look for what’s possible with our God who does the impossible!
Consider a few extra resources:
- Your child’s greatest advocate is not you
- Trusting God’s plan for my kids
- Three things to do when you don’t know God’s plan
