This insightful book led my heart to a new level of understanding for families raising special needs children.
Amy Julia Becker, the author, tells the story of her pregnancy and the first two years of life as a mother to a precious little girl named Penny. The day of Penny's birth brought joy, anger, and worry, for Penny was diagnosed with Down Syndrome.
At the beginning of each chapter, Becker shares an exert from her past personal journals. As a devoted journaler myself, I greatly enjoyed this deep look into her heart. We both seem to find peace and fulfillment in sharing our heart on paper. Becker shares her story of faith, how her view of God changed when her daughter came into her life. For so long her faith had been easy, as simple as breathing. When Penny was born, anger and doubt clouded her faith. Question of "why" rose to surface again and again. God continued to reveal Himself to Becker in many ways, slowly moving away the clouds of doubt and questions. She states, "I believe in a God who doesn't always make sense. I believe in a God who overturns expectations and cannot be controlled by me. I believe in a God who loves so deeply as to be willing to allow us to suffer, that we might have fullness of life.." (p. 152)
Becker helps me see through the eyes of a parent raising a child with Down Syndrome. She helped me feel the worry of taking Penny into public for fear of looks or scrutiny, the feeling of unknown in life expectancy and rate of development, the complete trust that must be put in doctors and tests. I also felt the joy when a small milestone is reached, when communication takes place, or when yet another life is touched due to Penny's love for life and others.
May we see each child, each person we meet as a gift from God. How often we forget we are each created in His image, with love and purpose.
Psalm 139:13 says, "For you formed my inward parts, you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very well."
What we call a disability or a special need, God calls beautifully and wonderfully made. God didn't make a mistake when he made Chromosome 21 be replicated in every cell in Penny's body. Becker believes this happened so His glory and power could be revealed in her, the same way God's glory and power was revealed through the blind man in John 9.
I couldn't agree with her more.
At the beginning of each chapter, Becker shares an exert from her past personal journals. As a devoted journaler myself, I greatly enjoyed this deep look into her heart. We both seem to find peace and fulfillment in sharing our heart on paper. Becker shares her story of faith, how her view of God changed when her daughter came into her life. For so long her faith had been easy, as simple as breathing. When Penny was born, anger and doubt clouded her faith. Question of "why" rose to surface again and again. God continued to reveal Himself to Becker in many ways, slowly moving away the clouds of doubt and questions. She states, "I believe in a God who doesn't always make sense. I believe in a God who overturns expectations and cannot be controlled by me. I believe in a God who loves so deeply as to be willing to allow us to suffer, that we might have fullness of life.." (p. 152)
Becker helps me see through the eyes of a parent raising a child with Down Syndrome. She helped me feel the worry of taking Penny into public for fear of looks or scrutiny, the feeling of unknown in life expectancy and rate of development, the complete trust that must be put in doctors and tests. I also felt the joy when a small milestone is reached, when communication takes place, or when yet another life is touched due to Penny's love for life and others.
May we see each child, each person we meet as a gift from God. How often we forget we are each created in His image, with love and purpose.
Psalm 139:13 says, "For you formed my inward parts, you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very well."
What we call a disability or a special need, God calls beautifully and wonderfully made. God didn't make a mistake when he made Chromosome 21 be replicated in every cell in Penny's body. Becker believes this happened so His glory and power could be revealed in her, the same way God's glory and power was revealed through the blind man in John 9.
I couldn't agree with her more.
