After sharing Chad’s story in the first post in this series, I knew you’d want to see a picture of this handsome young man. It makes you smile, doesn’t it?

Rita’s Advice for Parents

When Rita and I talked on the phone a few weeks ago, I asked her to share advice with parents of kids with special needs. Here are her suggestions for staying strong spiritually:

• Read your Bible every day, even if it’s only a few verses.
• Claim some verses when your child is diagnosed and lean on them throughout the journey. One of Rita’s verses was Psalm 46: 10 – Be still and know that I am God.
• Ask people to be on your prayer team and pray for your specific needs.
• Pray for the doctors and educators working with your child.
• Instead of focusing on the possibility of death, be thankful each day that your child is living with his condition.
• Adjust your attitude by paying attention to the other families in the hospital. There’s always a family experiencing greater difficulties than you are.
• Schedule play dates at your house so you can answer questions friends have about your child’s condition.

Rita’s Advice for Friends

Rita also shared the following advice for friends of the family:

• Remember what the parents enjoyed doing before the life-altering diagnosis. Talk about hobbies or interests with parents instead of focusing only on illness and treatment. Parents will welcome the change and find it refreshing.
• If you want to give a gift to the child, give gifts to his siblings so they don’t feel overlooked.

In the last post in this series, you’ll learn about what’s inside Rita’s group Bible study and how to use it. Until then, choose one of Rita’s suggestions and give it a try. If it makes a difference in your attitude or ability to cope, leave a comment.

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