God’s Surprising and Redemptive Ways at Family Retreat

By Joni and Friends|Published On: September 3, 2024|Categories: Family Retreats|

Anna assisting Sophia as she walks with her walker, both smiling and excited, at Family Retreat.

“We spend a lot of our life hearing everything that’s wrong with Sophia. At Family Retreat, we get to focus on what’s right.”
Anna, Sophia’s mother

Sophia is twelve years old and has a rare metabolic deficiency. She is non-verbal and has a lot of physical disabilities. Just in the past year, Sophia has learned how to walk independently with a walker. Anna recalls the beginning of life with Sophia:

“She was blind at birth. I called out to God, ‘Give her vision, or give me vision!’”

Miraculously, the Lord answered both parts of Anna’s prayer. Sophia can see, and Anna has grown to trust God and see beyond disability, even when life feels difficult.

Reconciling with Disability

“I’m still reconciling with disability. Some days I stop and wonder, Is this really our story? But I can see that Sophia is a catalyst opening our eyes, hearts, and minds to who God is outside of our preconceived notions.

Our family showed up at our first Family Retreat three years ago with a major chip on our shoulders. We were a wreck. Honestly, I was in a bad mood for no less than 80% of the week. Sophia loved it—riding horses, listening to music, and all the attention from her buddy—but not me.

My husband, David, and I waffled between tears, anger, and embarrassment most of the time. I really didn’t want anyone to look at me, let alone talk to me. I was at one of those especially rough patches in my own process of frustration about disabilities, tension with my husband, and fear over the unexpected turns of our life.”

God’s Surprising and Redemptive Ways

Anna reflected on the transformative work God has done in her family and in her own heart, especially at Family Retreat:

“In the surprising ways of God, I am now the co-leader of our women’s small group at Family Retreat. My nervousness and anger have turned into an eagerness to see what God has for each of the families here.

God invites us to mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice. That’s what I look forward to doing with the women at retreat each year. Disability is very, very painful and hard. It doesn’t feel good. It can feel like a long, unending process. But God is and always will be good, kind, and present.”

“We fit in at Joni and Friends.”

Anna can breathe a sigh of relief at Family Retreat. And as she watches Sophia being seen for who she truly is, a sense of peace begins to unfold.

“Sophia loves Family Retreat! She really thrives here. She is loved here, and we’re not looked at as weird. We fit in at Joni and Friends, which is such a relief. Sophia has a disability, but that is not her identity. She is a child of God.

Everyone here sees Sophia as the precious child she is—there are complex, wonderful things inside of Sophia that she can’t express. But she opens doors that would never have been opened to us without her.”