Special Needs Moms and Faith: 3 Simple Ways to Care for Your Soul

When my daughter, Bethany Grace, made her extraordinary entrance into the world, I couldn’t possibly imagine how caring for her would bring me this unimaginable joy and purpose that I’ve discovered. But before I began to live in this beautiful hope and meaning, I suffered through miserable years of feeling hopeless, bitter, and spiritually bankrupt. As a special needs mom, I nearly lost my life-long faith.

It wasn’t until I began to care for myself again and nurture my own soul that I began to rise up out of that dark pit to begin to truly live and enjoy my life. Caring for our spiritual health impacts every other area of our health. That’s why it’s critical we invest in growing and deepening our relationship with God. But how can we do that in the midst of the stressful caregiving demands? Today, I’m sharing why investing in your spiritual health is so critical and three simple ways to care for your soul.

Why Caring for Our Spiritual Health is So Important

1. We weren’t meant to journey through this life on our own

God created us to live in a relationship with him. In nurturing our faith, he gives us renewed strength, hope, joy, and meaning in the midst of our difficult lives, suffering, and challenges. He also gives us other people to travel with on this difficult journey. Whether it’s other special needs parents, church leaders, friends, or other moms with typical children, God loves, encourages, and supports us through these connections.

Remaining isolated and trying to care for our children without these relationships simply doesn’t work out well. I’m speaking from experience.

2. Our faith impacts every other area of our health

Over the past couple of posts, we’ve looked at how each area of our self-care is related to all of the other areas. Our spiritual health can directly impact our mental and emotional health and vice versa. Read these posts to learn more.

3 Simple Ways to Care for Your Soul

As moms caring for children with special needs or disabilities, we’ve learned how to be flexible, resourceful, and creative. I’ve learned to look at challenges through the lens of, “How can I adapt this to make it work?” These are three ways that I’ve began to care for my soul in the midst of my chaotic life. I encourage you to pick one and adapt it to yours. These spiritual practices are ideally meant to be practiced sometimes alone and sometimes with others.

God is just waiting to help us—to give us renewed strength, hope, and joy in the midst of our challenging days.

1. Scripture

Read or listen to God’s love letters to us in Scripture. The YouVersion Bible app is free. It’s wonderful because you can take it everywhere. Listen to or read daily Scriptures, thousands of devotional plans, or a full Bible reading plan. While you’re driving, caring for your child, or walking, you can feed your soul with God’s Word.

2. Prayer

The idea of finding a time to steal away to a room or outside to pray alone may feel impossible right now. There’s another way to look at it. Brother Lawrence, a monk in the 17^th century, wrote of how he practiced God’s presence all throughout his day (The Practice of the Presence of God). Even while washing dishes or going about his other tasks, he prayed with God. He is quoted as saying, “I turn over my little omelet in the frying pan for the love of God.”

We can nurture our faith throughout the day in the middle of our everyday tasks.

I think this applies beautifully to the life of a caregiver. As I give my daughter medicines and a bolus feeding, care for her when she’s sick, or simply do the day-to-day housework and cooking, I try to use those times to pray.

I’ve written these 7 Prayers especially disability parents. Download the prayers and tape them to your mirror, put them on your fridge, or have them in your car to receive peace and joy throughout the day.

3. Worship

On days when it’s just Beth and me out in the living room, I tell Alexa to play some worship music. I could be in a bad mood, frustrated, or discouraged, but when I begin singing while I take care of Beth, my whole perspective resets. When I’m able, I put in ear buds and listen to praise music while I clean or do dishes.

We can sing praises to God all throughout the week.

Attending a church service in person with others is ideal. But since Bethany Grace was born, her chronic illnesses have prevented us from regularly attending church. So, we’ve watched online and kept in contact with people. But I miss going so much! Nothing can replace being in a room with others worshiping our God together and talking in fellowship. Go if you are able and if you can find respite care either at the church or at home in order to be able to go to the service or a small group. Attend church online and talk with others virtually. In the meantime, we can also worship throughout the week.

What creative ideas do you have for nourishing your soul in your caregiving life?

Please share with other parents in the comments section.

Blessings,

Kristin

Kristin Faith Evans, MA, MS, LMSW

Kristin is an author, a speaker, a mental health therapist, and a special needs mom. Her greatest passion is walking with others on their journey to deeper faith and emotional healing. As a Licensed Masters Social Worker and with her Masters in Christian Education, she has served in youth, camping, and retreat ministries and is experienced in Christian counseling, couples and family therapy, substance abuse treatment, and crisis counseling. Kristin lives with her husband, Todd, and their two children in the Nashville, TN area. When she is not enjoying life with her family, writing or working with clients, you can find Kristin training for triathlons, reading, or simply being out in nature. Visit her author website at www.KristinFaithEvans.com.