So
often, parents with special needs children are often looked at with pity. After
all, it’s hard not to feel sorry for someone that has that “special” child that
has all those “needs” that other children don’t have. But, who is to say what
is “special” and what is a “need.” After all, God doesn’t make mistakes, and he
certainly didn’t make a mistake in my daughter when he gave her those “special
needs”.
My
daughter was born prematurely. Doctors have guesstimated that she was around
33-34 weeks gestation at birth. We may never know any answers because our
child’s birthmother didn’t actually know she was pregnant until she was
physically delivering our daughter. On top of all of this, our daughter also
tested positive at birth for alcohol and three different illegal substances.
After
many tests and doctors’ visits, our daughter has been diagnosed with FAS (Fetal
Alcohol Syndrome), and she quote-in-quote fits the medical definition of a
“special-needs child.” Our baby girl will have her battles. She will have her
struggles. She will have her “needs” that do make her “special.” However, even
at such a young age, our daughter has overcome battle after battle to prove
that she is perfect and strong just the way that she is.
Of
course, if I could take away my daughter’s daily struggles, I would. I would in
an absolute heartbeat. I don’t want life to be hard for her. I don’t want her
to hurt or be faced with circumstances that are not fair to her. I want to be
her mother, and I want to protect her from anything that may harm her. But, I
am only human, and I have to remember that I don’t know what God has in store
for my daughter and her journey through this life.
In times of doubt, I often find comfort
in the verse from Jeremiah 1:5. It states, “Before I formed you in the womb I
knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a
prophet to the nations.”
They
are such simple words, but they are such a pure truth that speaks straight to
the worries of my heart. My daughter is not a result of God’s mistake. My
daughter is not being punished for the choices of her birth mother. She is not
to be pitied for being “special” or for having “needs” that other children
don’t have. She has been designed in the image of God, and she is meant to have
a purpose in God’s perfect role. I consider myself lucky to have the privilege
to watch as she takes on the world… in her own “special” way.
No comments:
Post a Comment