Special Grace: Prayers and Reflections for Families with Special Needs
The world of special needs is filled with statistics: in the United States, about 17 percent of children have a diagnosed developmental disability, and 14 percent of public school students receive special education services. But behind these statistics are stories—stories of children struggling to fit into a world that wasn't designed for them, and stories of parents giving everything they have to advocate for their children. Most of these parents didn't choose this path; they were thrust upon it unknowing, unprepared, and often overwhelmed. They may struggle to talk about their experiences in relatable ways with family, friends, and even God.
Special Grace is a collection of 127 prayers for all aspects of life for families with special needs. Here are prayers for family life, school, and church; prayers for an initial diagnosis, for the first day of school, and for celebrating a milestone. Each section is set off by a reflective essay from Evans's own family life. Filled with humor and wisdom, these prayers and reflections will help families process their experiences together and offer them to God with hope and simple trust.
In moments when the cries of your heart leave you speechless, Special Grace provides words you can bring before your Father in heaven.
"If you live with disability as I do, you, too, will love Special Grace. . . . Messy, but beautiful. Gut wrenching, but wonderfully real. You'll discover a new friend in Elrena Evans, a Christ-loving mom who invites you to join her as she kneels at the throne on behalf of her family with special needs."
—Joni Eareckson Tada
"In Special Grace, Elrena Evans pulls back the curtain and invites us into the real-life experiences of a parent of children with special needs. Connecting with other exhausted parents, she gently leads them, through prayer, into the presence of the Father to receive his sustaining grace for their journey. A must-read for any parent of a child considered atypical by the world."
—Matthew S. Stanford, author of Grace for the Children: Finding Hope in the Midst of Child and Adolescent Mental Illness
Format: Paperback