God is in the business of resurrecting! Let me explain…
This was the title of a sermon given by Bishop Michael Lunsford (may he rest in peace) , five years ago.
When he announced the title, I was like “wait, what?” We are so used to hearing that God cares that this caught me off guard. He then went on to talk about his difficult upbringing, fraught with hardship and dysfunction and how unlikely a candidate he was to be ordained a pastor, let alone a bishop.
God didn’t seem to care that this Bishop came from a family that clearly had issues. He was called anyway. I just want to encourage you that, whatever you are going through, it’s not the end of the road for you and your dreams. God doesn’t care about your background, or what happened to you, or about your crazy dysfunctional family, or the fact that you are broke, or maybe, if you are like me, that you have two special- needs kids . He wants to use you anyway.
When Dan was born and I decided to stay home for good because of his diagnosis, it forced me to think about what I really wanted to do with my life. Could God possibly use me now that I was a special-needs mom to two kids? My previous job as an art teacher re-introduced me to art-making and that part of myself was re-awakened. I opened up my shop, http://www.nelarte.etsy.com (Nelarte- previously Nelesc Designs), when Dan was 14 months old, and although not running in full force, it’s still there.
Seven years after opening my shop I re-discovered my other passion, art history and museum work, and returned to work with an amazing organization called Arts & Minds which combines my passion for people and art. And guess what? My experience as a mom to two children with autism is valued there.
What I am trying to say is that God is in the business of re-awakening, rediscovering, and yes…resurrecting!
That day, before that sermon, I was struggling with self doubt but I felt like God zoned in on me and told me loud and clear I DON’T CARE THAT YOU HAVE TWO SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS, I STILL WANT TO USE YOU. YOUR LIFE IS NOT OVER, IT IS JUST BEGINNING!
Today, God is telling someone reading this, the same thing.
*Stories like these will appear in my second book about self care coming soon.
Girl Reconstructed 