Recently, we were asked to speak at an event for parents raising a child with special needs. They asked us to follow their theme of “Using Our Story for His Glory”. In several of our past Blogs, we have written about the blessings that have come as a result of Mary, our daughter, being exactly who she is. While we’ve talked about the difficulties of raising a child with special needs, we have also discussed how God has used Mary and us, not despite our situation, but because of it. See previous blogs (“Because of Mary”, “Happiness and Success Through Mary’s Eyes”).
Through the early years of parenting Mary, however, we would have been astonished to hear that our story could have been used for His glory. After all, we felt like we were just barely hanging on.
We are genuinely surprised when people today comment that they were encouraged or inspired in their walk with the Lord by the simple fact that we held on to our faith during a difficult time. Don’t underestimate the impact that keeping one’s faith through difficulty has on a watching world.
Keeping the faith doesn’t mean you don’t struggle or have questions, but when you do have struggles, you take them to the Lord.
“Keeping the faith” is profoundly important throughout scripture. At the end of the apostle Paul’s life, after everything he said, did and wrote about, he says “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (II Tim.4:7). Jesus told Peter, “you are Peter, on this rock, I will build my church” (Math 16:18), not because of his actions or skills, but because of his faith. We are told that in heaven we will receive the “Crown of Life” for keeping the faith in the midst of a trial (James 1:12).
Keeping our faith in difficult circumstances is quite possibly one of the most impactful things we can do in our commitment to God.
We encourage you to hold on to your faith. If you need help or counseling to do so, get it. You have no idea how God is using you in other people’s lives — just because you have fought the fight and kept the faith.
