Andrew & Rachel Wilson | Lamenting & Parenting Special Needs Children, 140

Andrew & Rachel Wilson join Amber to discuss the emotional, spiritual and familial hardships and joys that come along with parenting special needs children.

Questions Andrew, Rachel and Amber Discuss:

1. (3:02) Take us back to when you first became parents.  What did life look like for you at the time?
2. (5:04) As your children became toddlers you found yourself parenting 2 special needs children.  As you think about those first few years, how would you describe the physical, spiritual, and emotional challenges you faced?
3. (13:01) Rachel: Early after your children were diagnosed you said you read a Charles Spurgeon quote, “I’ve learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages” and thinking I will never learn to kiss that wave.  Expound on that a bit and where are you now when it comes to kissing that wave?
4. (15:34) Andrew: Lament is more than crying and longer than a few days.  You write extensively about lament in The Life We Never Expected. What were some things you have lamented when it comes to loving and serving your special needs children and how do you encourage others to lament who are walking through similar family dynamics?  
5. cont.

Quotes to Remember:

Rachel: “Our testimony in recent years, is that we’ve seen the goodness of God in the land of the living like Psalm 27.”

Rachel: “Not only do they [children]  have wonderful gifts and qualities in themselves, they draw out the gifts and qualities in other people in ways I never could have expected.”

Andrew: “Lament….is the act of bringing those emotions to God in prayer.“

Rachel: “It can be really hard as Christians in those moments with friends and family to sit back, and to go, ‘No, God’s a good narrator. Let’s trust Him, that over time, in the course of history, in the course of life…He will be faithful, He will be good.’ It’s not on me to narrate this experience and to have a testimony ready for Sunday morning.”

Andrew: “I don’t know what God is doing. And I don’t know whether or not it will ever turn out good and I don’t know whether it will get better, but I’m going to hang in there. And I’ll still be here tomorrow is often what’s needed of us as friends and in my case, pastors.”

SHOW NOTES cont.

Related Episodes:

• 64: Natalie Maxwell | A Story of Special Needs Adoption
• 110: Caroline Bailey | From Barren to Blessed

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