Reaching out to Children with Special Needs

I remember the mother of a special needs child in a wheelchair saying she wished children would come up and talk with her kid instead of ignoring him and whispering. If they were curious and had questions, to simply ask instead of walking away in fear. Those of you who have children with special needs (or know someone who does), do you agree/disagree or have anything else to share?

The example of the “Bent Over Woman” in Luke 13 is a powerful one to share with our kiddos. When Jesus was in the middle of teaching, he noticed a woman who had been sick and completely bent over for 18 grueling years. Jesus compassionately stopped what he was doing and called her to the front. When she showed her faith in Him by walking forward, Jesus healed her.

Even though Jesus was ridiculed by the Pharisees for healing this woman on the Sabbath day, he didn’t care. He reached out to a woman who had probably been ignored her whole life and loved her.

My son, Bates, got star student a few months ago in school and I was proud of him. But what made me beam was when his teacher told me that he often helps a boy in his class with special needs. During the field trip, the teacher told Bates he didn’t need to buddy up with him but could go off with his friends. Bates told her, “He is my friend.” I love that.

Who in your life can you reach out to who might be ignored? Let’s encourage our children to be kind to kids with special needs or are ignored – To simply smile, say hi, or talk with them, so they feel known and loved, just like Jesus did. *I love this picture of my cousin’s son, Jack, as a counselor at Kanakuk’s Special Needs Camp, Barnabus.*

#Reachingouttokidswithspecialneeds #thebentoverwoman #BeautifulHeartedParenting