Inconvenience or an invitation from God? Which word describes your view of special needs parenting? That’s a question guest blogger Michelle Selent has been praying about lately. Today, she’s here to explain how her prayer was answered.

Is Special Needs Parenting an Inconvenience or Calling?

I have something on my on my heart tonight. With some areas of my life, like my new business, I have been completely enamored—just so delighted by the experience. Then other things have been quite the contrary. I have even been a little miserable with how some areas have been playing out. Especially when it comes to areas of parenting special needs.

In some areas, I have felt like I have kind of lost myself in the shuffle. I will try my best to explain. I used to be more purposeful. Especially in areas of my family. We used to have regular outing with the kids one-on-one so they knew their individual importance and didn’t get lost in the crowd. We used to have family meetings once a week so we just stayed connected as a family unit. As responsibilities in our family swelled, those occasions became less frequent and some months non-existent. At one point, I considered part of my calling inconvenient.

We missed church recently because 2 of our 6 were down with fevers, so we watched our pastor preach the 4th message of his series online. It was just what I needed, exactly when I needed it. I had been struggling with why couldn’t I get back to my default setting. Where had my purpose gone?

The pastor posed this question: Are you consumed with your calling or with your convenience?

Consumed by Convenience or God’s Calling?

Yep, it sorta took my breath away. I think sometimes you can get worn down, and you call things like you see them and not how God sees them. Do I see what God has put before me as an interruption or as an invitation? Do I call what is before me overwhelming, too hard, monotonous, or do I call it how God sees it? An invitation to see his power. An invitation to my calling.

The pastor said something to this effect: Misery is inevitable anytime convenience is your consumption, and God will consume your convenience to get you consumed with his calling.

So there it was. All the areas where misery was creeping in were my own consumption with convenience. It was me, calling things as I see them. I am welled up right now as the whole thing settles on my heart. I have been praying over certain areas for quite a while, and I have had the wrong perspective the whole time.

Father God forgive me.  I have been consumed with my comfort and my convenience. I felt interrupted and I missed invitations. Help me where I am weak and show yourself strong. I don’t want today’s excuses to become tomorrows regrets, dressed in disguise. Turn my misery into ministry. Thank you for you faithfulness to redirect. Thank you for your redemption. You have blessed me! I am calling it like you see it. Consume me with your calling. I don’t want to miss the invitation.

What Consumes You?

Thank you, Michelle, for being so transparent about your struggles. It’s an example for the rest of us who need to confess what consumes us, if we’re brave enough, in the comment box.

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