The Works of God

Get a group of parents of children with disabilities together and it won’t be long before the stories start to come out, frequently about being treated badly. It is rare to run into a parent who doesn’t have a story about a doctor or school teacher or therapist or social worker who talked down to the parent about what the child did or didn’t need, or refused to consider options from the parents’ perspectives.

Bob Horning kindly sent me another story about Krista when she was very young and they were in such a situation – and God demonstrated his might in using a little one for his glory!

Krista was in the Early Childhood Something-or-other program in our local public school when she was little. It wasn’t going well.

They were focusing on things that were not important, and our input was pretty much ignored.

“We are the experts here” is what they said. I’m not making that quote up.

We decided to pull her out of the program, but they wanted to have a meeting before we took that step. So we went over to the school and met with a therapist or two, plus the principal.

Three or four of them against a couple “confused” parents and a four-year-old girl with multiple disabilities.

Krista was in the corner playing with some toys while we were sitting at a table talking – and it also wasn’t going very well.

Finally little Krista walked over and said (I can still hear it today), “Guys, we need to pray about this.”

Fortunately I think most schools have improved over the years. But it’s always good to pray about it.

God was, and still is, good.

He hasn’t needed to improve.

Krista still clings to God. She grew up and her family created one of the best resources available on God’s goodness in disability, Just the Way I Am: God’s Good Design in Disability. Krista will also be speaking at our conference, The Works of God: God’s Good Design in Disability immediately following Pastor John.