Blessed Are the Different

Our story

Shepherd Morris Reavis calmly came into the world at 5:10pm on Tuesday, December 6, 2011. I say calmly because by his quiet demeanor at birth, you would never suspect that he was in any particular rush to arrive. Yet despite our expected weekly schedule, Shepherd willfully joined me and my husband, Josh, in person a month before his due date. While his cool persistence was cute at the time, it may be something that will come in handy, so to speak, throughout his life. That Tuesday afternoon, our baby slept smugly content in our arms, innocently unaware that he had just been born not only rather early, but also rather different.

This is a Bible study book especially for parents or caregivers of children with special needs. Family and friends may find it helpful as well, though it is written from one parent to another. I am not a writer. I am a wife and a mom who learned during my very first pregnancy that the child I carried was different, and I honestly struggled with accepting and appreciating that. I wish I could say that I felt honored from the moment we discovered the uniqueness of our child, but that would not be true. My husband’s reaction was joy. My reaction was pure shock that left my heart heavy with questions and worry, all hidden behind an outward smile. I had been a Christian since age fourteen but upon revelation that God made my child with one hand instead of two, my response was anything but faithful. That struggle is the primary reason for this Bible devotional. I know I am not the only parent to battle with the reality of having a different child, and there are likely other parents, grandparents, and extended family who experience difficulty in embracing this particular blessing. Thankfully my struggle did not last long and the moment our son was born, my husband and I were both elated!

Yet how did I get there? What transformed a heart of cynicism into a heart of peace? It was the Word of God, and a lot of it. That is the foundation of this devotional. It has parts of my personal experience along with some wisdom from family and friends, but it is primarily a study of Scripture as it relates to special needs families. I wish I could have had a quick reference guide of Scripture verses that directly applied to the feelings I experienced at that sensitive time. Instead, I combed the Bible with my questions and God poured out His answers.

The news that your child is different can be acutely stressful, so while the book is set up as a devotional guide – designed in a short question and answer format - that can be completed in a matter of days, some may be able to digest more or less at a time. It has been kept as concise as possible because if you are expecting a child or you are already a parent, you have extremely limited time. My desire is that your heart and mind be filled with the truth and promises of our Creator God, with His words answering your deepest questions and giving you hope so that the grieving can end and the enjoyment of your child can be all that remains!