Isaiah 41:10, 13 NIV
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand…. For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear, I will help you.”
To say being the parent of a child with atypical development and special needs is hard, is an understatement. I remember seeing people in this situation from the outside and thinking “I could never do that”. The truth is it’s harder and can be more isolating than I ever imagined. Having to count grams of sugar, making every meal from scratch, spending extra money on allergy-friendly snacks, navigating kids with hyperactivity and extreme emotional reactions with emotional intelligence myself, while also getting to therapy appointments and staying on top of all the home support had broken me many times.
On this day I found myself crying in my car, waiting for my oldest son to finish therapy. My mind and emotions were a wreck. I found the prospect of mothering my 3- and 4-year-old boys for the rest of the afternoon overwhelming. My fear was failing them; not being the mother they needed, the mother I desperately wanted to be. That was when God brought this verse to me, “Do not fear… I will help you” (v10). In that moment, fear was paralyzing me. Fear that the situation was too big for me, that who I was as a mother was not enough. The truth is, I was right. I am not enough on my own.
While all those hard things didn’t go away, I remembered I no longer faced them alone. That realization was enough to help me take the next step of mothering in faith. Faith that God was with me, had provided for us every step of the way in this journey and would continue to do so. God provides for us in a lot of different ways. Sometimes it’s encouragement through a verse or a teaching, like I experienced this day. Often, it’s through our friends. Look for the ways God is reaching out to you in your struggle this week, pray for Him to give you eyes to see His provision.
Recommended Uplifting Songs:
Peace Be Still by Hope Darst
Gonna Be Alright by Ryan Ellis
