Beautifully Broken- A Study For Special Needs ParentsExemplo

Servanthood

As parents of children with special needs we have been entrusted with a whole lot of extra stuff. Jesus tells his disciples in Matthew 25:14-30 about servants who were entrusted with much as well. They were each given talents, a ridiculously large sum of money. It was a unit of coinage that coined our modern usage of the word talent. Talents, meaning a special aptitude or ability, is derived directly from this parable of Jesus.

Our job as special needs parents looks nothing like the job other parents face. We have been entrusted with different talents than our peers. They are unique to us and our children. There never has been nor ever will be another you. You've been given this time, this opportunity, to use the talents God has entrusted specifically to you because He believes in you. He trusts you to work with and enrich what you've been given; to put forth the effort to grow & nurture your child.

What happened to the servant who buried his talent in that parable? He got in a wee bit of trouble. While nothing bad happened to the talent, nothing good came from it either. That man was an example of a poor servant. He didn't take his job seriously or put forth any effort because he was too scared to work with the talent he's been given. He received a harsh punishment for his pitiful service. The servants who worked their talents? They are described as faithful. They were reliable. Dependable. Trustworthy. Because of their faithfulness and willingness to serve, they were entrusted with even more talents.

Why is God's standard of service so important? Jesus says in Ephesians 6:7 to "serve  wholeheartedly as if you were serving the Lord, not man. Whatever you do work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."  It's pretty clear then that service is a reflection of our heart. Service is tied to our love for the Lord. That means who, what, why, and how we serve matters. God values our character over our abilities.

I know we can feel like we are enslaved to our children with special needs because we work so hard for them. They demand our time and energy, day in and day out. We can be drained from their needs and we are expected to still give more of our self. Remember who we are ultimately working for though. We are working for the Lord. And He sees you. He sees you exhausted, burned out, and ready to give up. And He sees your talents. He sees your heart. Don't lose hope. Don't lose faith in the calling he's given you. It isn't always easy to be a servant to what God calls us to, especially in a culture that teaches how to get others to serve us instead. But that is not God's way. Matthew 20:26-28 "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve."  It's a flipped view of what we see in our society today but it's one of such high biblical importance it's mentioned over and over. Serve Jesus. Serve others. Servanthood is how God carries out His work through us. And that beautiful example of a heart in service towards God is fully on display as you care for your child with special needs.

What new "talents" have you received on your special needs journey?

Do you feel like you are serving the Lord by serving your child?