In this week’s episode, Garett looks at one of the unexpected ways God has used his church to provide hope and comfort for the disability community. He also examines some of the ways God can use our churches to shepherd others through the deepest and most difficult valleys in life.
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If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like:
Five Truths of Disability Theology: Podcast Episode 069
How Did We Do That? We Didn’t! The Holy Spirit Did It: Podcast Episode 060
Hey everyone! Welcome to Key Ministry: The Podcast. My name is Garett Wall and it’s great to be back with you as your host this week. In today’s episode, we’ll talk about one of the unexpected ways God has used our ministry and our church to provide hope and comfort to our friends in the disability community. And as we chat about that today, I pray that it will help each of you to see how God can use you and your church in similar ways for His glory.
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to share some words of encouragement at a celebration of life for a friend who passed away unexpectedly. At 52 years of age, he was a wonderful husband to his wife of nearly 30 years, a loving dad to his three kids and a believer and follower of Jesus. But most recently, life had been increasingly difficult for he and his family.
I was first introduced to them about a year and a half ago after the untimely passing of their 21-year-old-son. As they processed the shocking loss of their middle child, they were also trying to work through the details on how to honor and celebrate his life. I was asked if I would be available to meet with the family and speak at the funeral service. For me, the answer to that question was an easy yes. Though I had never met the family during my time with our Shine Disabilities Ministry team, they had been connected to our ministry years earlier following their son’s autism diagnosis at an early age. I wanted to encourage and love on the family after the loss of their son, and my connection with them came pretty easily because of my own son with special needs.
I remember meeting the family for the first time at their house and feeling all the emotions as they shared many memories from the 21 years with their son. I remember thinking about how important it was in that moment for them to be able to share and process and grieve and laugh and cry with someone who wanted to share those emotions with them. And I was thankful it was me.
A couple of days later, we celebrated the life of their son, and we praised God for all the ways He was glorified during his 21 years of life. In the days and weeks and months that followed, life changed for the family as they adjusted to their new normal. In a similar way to how they adapted to their son’s unique needs so many years earlier, now came a new set of adjustments and a new normal for their family which featured an almost deafening silence and a heartbreaking emptiness left behind by the loss of someone so special. And though that void certainly remained, over time, they adapted and adjusted to the new routines and the new life without him.
Today, we’re a little more than 17 months removed from the loss of their son, while now trying to navigate the heartache and sorrow from losing a husband and a dad. There are no easy answers to the inevitable questions of “why” when these types of deaths happen, and it’s not our job to know God’s ways. But we are called to believe and follow, and trust Him so that His love and goodness in our lives can be shared and proclaimed with everyone. Even in the unavoidable loss of the people we love the most, God can and will do great works so that we can better know Him, and in turn help others to know Him.
Little did our church know, more than 20 years ago, when it started our special needs ministry of the scope and reach it would have throughout our community. In this instance, we have a family who found its way to our church largely because of the ministry we provided for their son with autism. And it was through that connection that a door was opened for our church to provide encouragement and comfort and hope following the unexpected deaths of two members of this family. This is just one example of what it means for the church to provide lifelong family ministry to our friends in the disability community.
On six different occasions over the last three years, I’ve had the opportunity to speak and share encouraging words of hope at a funeral or a celebration of life for someone connected to our ministry. Four of those were Shine friends with special needs who had attended one of our weekend worship classes, small groups, or special events. One of those six was the brother of one of our Shine friends, and the last of those was the father of our Shine friend we celebrated this week. In all six of these, it was not only a blessing for me to honor and celebrate the life of the person who passed away, while sharing the peace and comfort of the Lord with the family, but it was also an opportunity for our ministry to proclaim the good news of the Gospel and to share the eternal hope of Christ with family, friends and loved ones.
Individually, as believers and followers of Jesus Christ and collectively as Christ’s church, we’re called by the apostle Paul in Galatians 6 to carry the burdens of those around us. In 2 Corinthians 1, we’re reminded again by Paul that as God comforts us in our affliction, we’re called to comfort others in their affliction. We do that by being present in the valleys of life and by praying on behalf of those hurting. And through encouragement as we selflessly serve those who need a helping hand. And as we do those things, God promises to do a work in us and through us for His glory. That is the church and that’s the opportunity we have as we strive to serve more and more of our friends and families in the disability community.
As we create pathways for connection in our churches and build relationships and friendships with those impacted by disability, God will open doors for our churches to shepherd and comfort, especially when the storms of life arrive, as they always do. And thankfully, we aren’t navigating those storms alone, but instead we have with us the God of the universe who in Psalm 107, made the storm be still and the waves of the sea were hushed. As our friends and families in the disability community seek hope amid the deepest and lowest valleys in life, we in our churches can share the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:4 where He says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
We can confidently point to Matthew 11 where Jesus says “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” And in the church, we can triumphantly point to the eternal hope of Revelation 21:4 where the voice from the throne of the new heaven and the new earth reminds us that “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
As a husband and a father in a family significantly impacted by disability, I can tell you with great certainty that I too need to be reminded of all those truths. From birth to death and through every valley and across every mountain in between, I am thankful for the churches and pastors and ministry leaders and volunteers who are embracing the opportunities to provide tangible and eternally impactful lifelong family ministry for our friends in the disability community. But the work isn’t done, so I invite you to consider the ways you and your church can join us in this journey as we create intentional pathways to experience the love and hope of Jesus, and find authentic Christ-centered community.
Thank you for listening and supporting Key Ministry: The Podcast. You can find a full transcript as well as helpful links and notes connected to this week’s episode at keyministry.org/podcast. I’m thankful for the opportunity to provide another voice and perspective on so many important and impactful conversations. I hope you have a blessed day and I look forward to talking with you again soon.
