The Small Things

by Mar 28, 2013Encouragement, Spiritual Support0 comments

Parenting a child with special needs is a big thing, sometimes overwhelming. Big things can keep us from seeing the small things God uses to draw us to him.

Parenting a child with special needs is a big thing—sometimes, an overwhelming thing. Those big things can keep us from seeing and appreciating the small things God uses to draw us close to him. With Easter fast approaching, may God use this devotion and your life as the parent of a child with special needs to fix your eyes upon the glory of the cross.

For who has despised the day of small things?
Zechariah 4:10a

As a young child, I daydreamed about becoming big-things kind of girl. I had big plans for a career as either a television star or a princess. Therefore, I focused on the big things like dramatic poses and tiaras rather than little things like learning to tie my shoes. Or telling time. Or making letters like b and d point the right way. Or memorizing math facts. Eventually, my parents and teachers made life miserable until I learned to pay attention to little things.

But I remained a big-things kind of girl at heart for many years—even after I became a Christian and started reading the Bible. I preferred the big, showy stories—Moses parting the Red Sea, Daniel in the lions’ den, and Jesus feeding the five thousand—to hidden, quiet events like Moses in the bulrushes, Ruth gleaning grain, or the long drudgery of rebuilding the temple in Zechariah’s day.

I remained a sucker for bright lights and big things until two babies entered our home six years apart. When they arrived, life became a river of small things. Tiny fingernails to clip. Itty-bitty diapers. Minuscule onesies. Little bodies asleep in my arms. The first tiny hints of toothless smiles.

The rest of this post can be read at the Not Alone website.

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By Jolene

Jolene Philo is the author of several books for the caregiving community. She speaks at parenting and special needs conferences around the country. Sharing Love Abundantly With Special Needs Families: The 5 Love Languages® for Parents Raising Children with Disabilities, which she co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman, was released in August of 2019 and is available at local bookstores, their bookstore website, and Amazon. See Jane Sing!, the second book in the West River cozy mystery series, which features characters affected by disability, was released in November of 2022.

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Meet Jolene

Jolene Philo is a published author, speaker, wife, and mother of a son with special needs.

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