lovegirl30's review against another edition
5.0
The heart will always look to rejoice in something beyond itself, so rather than trying to squash desire, we should instead look to satisfy it. It is what you call fighting for your joy in all circumstances.
The Life We Never Expected was a beautifully painful book for me to read. You can tell that the authors Rachel & Andrew Wilson are blessed with a wonderful gift of being able to be parents. They are great at the ministry of parenthood. They are parents of two autistic children. I don't have autistic children but I know people who do and know it can really be a challenge and struggle. It is so worth it though. In this book, we witness stories of their successes, grief, joy, defeat, and victories on their parenthood journey. They are bound and determined to turn this into something great and give all the glory to God.
They have faced the pain, not shoved nor explained it away. They have been able to see their distress in ways I can only learn from. It isn't just their words they have your reflect on. They keep the gospel in their teachings and reflections because God is the only one we can lean on.
The Life We Never Expected was such a true title, but ultimately all our lives are unexpected. I am thankful for the words expressed in this book.
Disclaimer: I received this book from Crossway and the authors in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
milceymoo's review against another edition
4.0
A lot of the special needs literature out there is written by been there, done that, seasoned parents and professionals. Which is totally fine and definitely helpful.
But sometimes, especially for someone like me who is brand new to this walk of life, you desperately want to hear from someone who is in the trenches with you. At that's exactly what this book is. Andrew and Rachel have two young autistic children, and while they don't know everything there is to know about special needs or parenting they do have a beautiful outlook on the hope, grief, loss, love, and all of the other challenges and feelings that come with special needs parenting. Their faith is contagious and their focus on eternity has helped me shift my perspective.
The chapters are short which are perfect for when you just need small bursts of encouragement throughout the day. This is great read for anyone who is going through something tough (doesn't have to be special needs related) and wants to feel a little less alone and lot closer to God.
But sometimes, especially for someone like me who is brand new to this walk of life, you desperately want to hear from someone who is in the trenches with you. At that's exactly what this book is. Andrew and Rachel have two young autistic children, and while they don't know everything there is to know about special needs or parenting they do have a beautiful outlook on the hope, grief, loss, love, and all of the other challenges and feelings that come with special needs parenting. Their faith is contagious and their focus on eternity has helped me shift my perspective.
The chapters are short which are perfect for when you just need small bursts of encouragement throughout the day. This is great read for anyone who is going through something tough (doesn't have to be special needs related) and wants to feel a little less alone and lot closer to God.
kefletcher's review against another edition
5.0
I am the mom of a son who caught a nasty virus when he was 7 weeks old and which left 6 holes in his brain. But I am also the mom of 7 kids with developmentally "healthy" brains, so dealing with all of the grief, issues, altered parenting paradigms, paperwork, and the uncertain future of a child with special needs has been like the wave that takes you under after an afternoon of calm seas.
Reading The Life We Never Expected did several important things for me:
- Reading and pondering each section slowly, I grasped that my concerns and experiences were neither isolated nor unique. There's a great big world of special needs warriors out there.
- In light of that knowledge, my resolve to see our churches fully embrace our brothers and sisters raising or living with special needs has heightened. The church in America, in general, does this poorly. We cast a blind eye and marginalize families fighting the hardest fight. In fact, I recently spoke at a conference and a group of moms parenting kids with special needs approached me, one by one, to tell me that they no longer go to church. The attempt and effort is too costly and the church, by way of a myriad of responses (from a lack of resources to shunning a noisy special needs teen from worship) has made it a feat not worth attempting.
The Wilsons don't really camp on this aspect of raising kids with special needs, but I couldn't shake that reality from my head the entire time I was reading. They talk about the importance of living in community and the humility it takes to accept help, but what if you have an unwilling community with no access to a better one? Pray. God is faithful to give us what we need, which they communicate well and leads me to...
- God has this. He was not surprised when our son slipped into a coma and weathered all that He did. He knows the future, and there is grace there, too.
Reading The Life We Never Expected did several important things for me:
- Reading and pondering each section slowly, I grasped that my concerns and experiences were neither isolated nor unique. There's a great big world of special needs warriors out there.
- In light of that knowledge, my resolve to see our churches fully embrace our brothers and sisters raising or living with special needs has heightened. The church in America, in general, does this poorly. We cast a blind eye and marginalize families fighting the hardest fight. In fact, I recently spoke at a conference and a group of moms parenting kids with special needs approached me, one by one, to tell me that they no longer go to church. The attempt and effort is too costly and the church, by way of a myriad of responses (from a lack of resources to shunning a noisy special needs teen from worship) has made it a feat not worth attempting.
The Wilsons don't really camp on this aspect of raising kids with special needs, but I couldn't shake that reality from my head the entire time I was reading. They talk about the importance of living in community and the humility it takes to accept help, but what if you have an unwilling community with no access to a better one? Pray. God is faithful to give us what we need, which they communicate well and leads me to...
- God has this. He was not surprised when our son slipped into a coma and weathered all that He did. He knows the future, and there is grace there, too.
cmarie1665's review against another edition
5.0
balm to my soul, 18 days after hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy rocked my world
brandonkeel's review against another edition
5.0
Theological reflections that are as broken-in as a pair of well-worn work boots. Andrew and Rachel Wilson give honesty without self-pity, counsel without heavy-handedness, and hope without white-washing. Though our experiences differ on the particulars (my boots are more stiff and have fewer scuffs), this little book made me feel known. I’d commend it not only to those who are walking through the unique and difficult joys of raising children with illness and special needs, but even more particularly to those who are walking alongside them- pastors, family members, and friends.
sp_anna's review against another edition
5.0
Authentically honest, a book I couldn't put down as it was so incredible to read.
worshipgeek's review
5.0
As a parent of a 2 1/2 year old medically fragile, special needs child, this book was wonderful. There were several places where a person who's not a parent of a special needs child would really get a glimpse into what our lives look like. We joked about getting a poster made with "The Survival Zone" chart so we could put "Mommy Is Here" and "Daddy Is Here" dots on it each day...
thebookgirl's review
5.0
The heart will always look to rejoice in something beyond itself, so rather than trying to squash desire, we should instead look to satisfy it. It is what you call fighting for your joy in all circumstances.
The Life We Never Expected was a beautifully painful book for me to read. You can tell that the authors Rachel & Andrew Wilson are blessed with a wonderful gift of being able to be parents. They are great at the ministry of parenthood. They are parents of two autistic children. I don't have autistic children but I know people who do and know it can really be a challenge and struggle. It is so worth it though. In this book, we witness stories of their successes, grief, joy, defeat, and victories on their parenthood journey. They are bound and determined to turn this into something great and give all the glory to God.
They have faced the pain, not shoved nor explained it away. They have been able to see their distress in ways I can only learn from. It isn't just their words they have your reflect on. They keep the gospel in their teachings and reflections because God is the only one we can lean on.
The Life We Never Expected was such a true title, but ultimately all our lives are unexpected. I am thankful for the words expressed in this book.
Disclaimer: I received this book from Crossway and the authors in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
More...