Families Impacted by Disability Need Spiritual Rest and Renewal

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

James 4:8

Eli is 11 years old and has autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and developmental delays. His whole family was blessed at our Minnesota Family Retreat. As his mom, Amy, explains, “We really needed a heart change, and at Family Retreat we got it!”

Dan and Amy have three children – Eli, Isaiah, and Abby. Eli is their oldest, and as Dan and Amy navigated through identifying Eli’s diagnosis, they experienced ups and downs… and sometimes complete exhaustion.

“Those were very hard years, and we didn’t always know how to help Eli. Plus we had a new baby in our family. There were days of yelling, crying, meltdowns and tantrums. We were overwhelmed and felt very isolated.”

Amy

Life with disability impacts the whole family. As Dan works hard to provide for his family and Amy cares for their children, many days there’s just not much time or energy left to pour into their marriage.

For Isaiah, it can be hard to be in the “big brother” role when he’s actually Eli’s little brother. Isaiah loves his brother and wants to be his friend, but doesn’t always understand Eli’s behaviors. And while three-year-old Abby can’t verbalize her thoughts on the matter, Dan and Amy know she feels the effects of their day-to-day challenges, too.

Amy shared candidly with the other special needs moms at Family Retreat. Within the safety of that support group, Amy realized that she had been stuck in resentment and worried about what life might be like when Eli gets older and bigger and has larger meltdowns. But bringing her fears out into the light with a group of moms who completely understand the unique challenges of disability gave Amy a new sense of freedom in Christ. As a result, Eli’s entire family has a new appreciation for their unique circumstances.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”

Galatians 5:1

“Each one of our children had the opportunity to do what they loved at Family Retreat, and Isaiah was able to see that he wasn’t alone on this journey,” explains Amy.

The heart change each family member experienced is long-lasting.

Since Family Retreat, Isaiah is more intentional about finding activities he and Eli can do together, like playing bubbles. Amy cherishes the precious and joyful interactions she witnesses between these two brothers now. Their home is filled with laughter, and Amy knows it’s because of what God did during Family Retreat.

“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’ The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”

Psalm 126:2-3

At Family Retreat, Eli found new friends and strengthened the bonds within his family. He found unconditional love.

“We have never had an experience like this before!” says Amy.

An independent needs assessment survey commissioned by Joni and Friends identifies that respite care – rest and renewal in Christ – is the most significant need among individuals with a disability, their parents and caregivers, and their family members. Yet in the United States, 75% of special needs families’ respite care needs remain unmet.

Family Retreat answers this call for spiritual rest and renewal, changing hearts and transforming lives.

So many more special needs families need the heart change found at Family Retreat. God can use your prayers and support to strengthen families and bring about change that lasts.