Mother's Day

You never dreamed you would be changing pull-ups on your 15 year-old son. You never dreamed you would have to feed your child, bite by bite, for his whole life.

You never dreamed you would be up several times every night, attending to him.

You never dreamed your child would need you to bathe him, dress him, change him, and care for him around the clock for the rest of your life.

You never dreamed that you would never hear him talk or say one word to you.

You never dreamed he would be unable to look you in the eye for more than just a brief second.

You never dreamed that every aspect of your life would be turned upside down and changed forever.

You never dreamed your child would never leave home, never marry, and never give you grandkids.

You never dreamed that this would be your “normal.”

You never dreamed you would pretty much sacrifice your hopes and dreams, and have to lay down your life for your child.

I believe that being the mother of a child with special needs is one of the most thankless, sacrificial, emotionally draining; endlessly tiring, physically demanding, least understood roles anyone could have in life.

For some of you, Mother’s Day is one of the hardest days of the year. Only another mom of a child with special needs can really understand that.

But I also believe it can be one of the most rewarding, noble, honorable, and blessed roles anyone could have in life.

Most people don’t choose to be moms of children with special needs. That’s why God chooses them. They don’t get why he chooses them, they don’t understand why they were called and chosen for this life.

Only one person could really tell you why that mom was chosen for this lot in life. That one person who can tell you, mom? Your child with special needs. That child could tell you.

The unconditional love, the sacrificial life, the willingness to do whatever it takes to fight for that child, to take care of that child, to lay down their life for that child. They see it. They feel it. They know it.

For all the moms of children who think no one “gets it.” Your special needs child gets it.

You may not get a card for Mother’s Day. You may not get any presents for Mother’s Day. You may not get a kiss or a hug either. For you it may just be another day.

But for your child with special needs… well mom you're his or her everything. That’s why you were chosen. Because your child needs everything.

And God knew only you could be that everything. God loves you moms. He captures your tears, he sings over you at night, he listens to your pleas, and he walks beside you.

When you cry out in frustration, when you just want to give up, when you just don’t know what else to do—he hears you and wants you to know that he knows.

He knows something about laying down your life to sacrifice for someone you love.

You know that whole notion of sacrificing yourself for the sake of loving someone who doesn’t show much love or appreciation back? He “gets it.”

So for all the moms who won’t hear it this weekend, for all the kids who have no voice, for all the dads who don’t know how to express it, “Happy Mother’s Day” mom.

This side of heaven we can’t thank you enough.