Sheltering Families with Special Needs

This post is written by my niece and namesake, Pamela Jo.  She's the most amazing momma to Carli, Olivia Grace and Madeline.  Pam homeschools, keeps up with all of Madeline's therapies, and has a medical vocabulary that amazes even the doctors.  Add to that singing in the choir, entertaining friends and finishing her accounting degree with honors.  

Children remind us to treasure the smallest of gifts, even in the most difficult times. ~ Allen Klein

John 1:16 tells us, "From His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace (ESV)." Another translation reads, "From the fullness of His grace we have all received one blessing after another (NIV)." 

There are a handful of moments in one's life that forever change the way you see other people. I now know that I was guilty of taking people for granted until one life-altering day in March of 2008, the day we found out that our third baby would be born with serious disabilities. In those first shell-shocked hours, when we didn't even know if she would live, we found ourselves comforted under the sheltering tree of the family of God…indeed overwhelmed by "grace upon grace."

Lisa wrapped her arms around me and prayed right in the parking lot. Vicky added our kids to hers for a couple hours while we saw our doctor for more information and worked through calling our families. Dr. Tuchscherer sheltered us with encouragement ("If any of my patients can do this, you are the ones who can.") and hugs. 

Jed was carrying mail over by the church and stopped by the church office; with tears running down his cheeks, he passed along the news to our pastors and staff. They held hands and prayed immediately, and when we showed up a little later, Pastor Leeder prayed with us. Pastor Stan listened for a long time, and his wife (our Sunday School teacher) came from wedding shopping with her bride-to-be daughter to pray and listen. 

That afternoon, Jed and Alyssa walked in our door with bags of groceries and Jed worked on dishes while Alyssa put together manicotti, all the while listening and crying and laughing with us.

My parents drove through the night to be with the girls while we went for a more in-depth ultrasound at a specialist in Indianapolis. Daddy's hug when he walked in that door was one I'll never forget.

And it hasn't ended. Here are just a few of the ways we've been sheltered since then:

Church families babysitting while we were with Madeline in the NICU and other hospital stays along the way; Auntie and Pastor Kraig and Marcia sitting with us through surgeries, and Mom taking time off from her job to help with the kids and cook for us. 

A surprise landscaping job with the help of more than 20 people (a great witness to the community, too). "That's the pastor mowing the yard?" Read more here: You're Something Special.

 
Christmas gifts for all the girls, bags of clothes passed on from other little girls, bags of groceries and envelopes of money, and a box of headbands with bows from the great auntie, the host of this blog!

"Bless your baby heart," from Mom and Grandma and sweet notes from uncles and aunts and cousins and my three lovely sisters-in-law, and friends who allow me to be "not okay" for a little bit during a tough day. 

Prayers from people I don't know stopping me in public, and little Mason, a lad from our church, who reminds his parents every night to pray for Madeline during bedtime prayers.

We are overwhelmed to know the love of God and His family. You have sheltered us and have been the hands of Christ to us.

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