Sometimes parenting is about perspective—this is even more true when you have a child with a disability. My goal today is to do one thing: to encourage you in the way you think about your child.
The story of Terrence:
Our son’s name is Terrence. The doctors diagnosed him with Down Syndrome before he was born, and we discovered later in his life he also has autism. If there is one thing you should know about Terrence, it is that he enjoys music more than anything else in the world—even though food is a close second and sometimes wins. From a very young age (now nineteen years old), he has enjoyed listening to music. Praise and worship music is at the top of his list of favorites. His love of worship began with Kids Praise videos and, like him, has grown and changed with time. Now he prefers Fred Hammond, Kirk Franklin, and Israel Houghton. However, if you just put the praise and worship station on in the house, it can keep him occupied for hours!
Image from Jonas Mohamadi on Pexels
There is something else about my son you should know. He is non-verbal. However, even though he doesn’t verbalize, he vocalizes and has the most infectious laughter you will ever hear. I bring this up because when the music is playing, Terrence is often heard vocalizing right along with it. Sometimes my wife and I just listen as we recognize he is singing along with the song. Even though we may not understand the words he is saying, in his own way, he is offering praise and worship to the Lord. This does not just happen in our home; it extends to church. Terrence is all about praise. When the music is playing, he is fully engaged. When the pastor preaches, this is when he usually falls asleep. (Maybe it’s not my son, maybe, it’s the pastor.)
The why of this story:
Why am I taking the time to share this? There is a passage of scripture that comes to mind every time I think about my son engaging in worship.
After this, I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. - Revelation 7:9
There will be a day when people from every tribe and every nation, including you and me, will gather around the throne. At that moment, we will open our mouths and pour out our worship to Jesus. Do you know who else is going to be there? Terrence. On that day, all the vocalizations that come from his mouth and his heart—that right now only God understands—I will stand next to him and hear him declare the praises of God in his own voice. Just the thought of that gets me excited and causes tears to well up in my eyes.
You have a future hope.
Sometimes we get caught up in the realities of caregiving for our children, and if we are not careful, we can only see the temporary and miss the eternal. Regardless of the challenges, they are only temporary. Your child has an eternal future with hopes that their current disability will not limit. On that day, it will no longer exist. Just like Terrence, one day your child will do and express all the things they cannot do right now, and they will do it perfectly and completely. This means one day, they will join you around the throne worshipping Jesus. Who knows, maybe your child and Terrence will stand next to each other, leading their own choir section in worship.
Here is one last thought. When your current reality becomes overwhelming, look to the future, and know it will not always be this way. When you look at your child now, keep this truth in mind. Jesus will one day make all things new, and we will see our children made perfect in Christ.
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will have not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. - 1 John 3:2
You don’t have to wait until then to think of your child in this light; you can start doing that today. Like I said at the beginning, sometimes parenting is about perspective.
This guest blog post is written by Clarence L. Haynes Jr. Clarence is a speaker, Bible teacher, and co-founder of The Bible Study Club. He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose, which will help you understand how God leads you into his will, and his latest book The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. Do you want to go deeper in your walk with the Lord but can’t seem to overcome the stuff that keeps getting in the way? This book will teach you how to put the pieces together so you can live a victorious Christian life and finally become the man or woman of God that you truly desire to be. To learn more about his ministry please visit clarencehaynes.com
