Special Needs and the Imago Dei: Encouragement for Parents (Download)

One in five households care for a child with a disability. Laura Wifler and Erin Smalley are included in this count as they are both mothers to daughters with special needs. Over the years they have learned how to navigate parenting through the lens of disabilities. Some days involve going to physical therapy or undergoing surgery, other days include coping with a school bully or a difficult diagnosis. But through it all, Laura and Erin see these challenges as a form of sanctification. Their grief and struggle are a means to grow closer to the Lord’s grace and strength. Laura’s daughter might communicate differently, and Erin’s might look different, but both girls were made in the image of God – and it is this fact that gives a person’s life innate worth. Laura and Erin remind us that the smallest acts of inclusivity, such as a kind word or a friendly smile, can make all the difference. There is a transcendent bond between all humans as we crave for relationships with one another and our Creator, who fearfully and wonderfully made each one of us.