Brent and Sonia have four children. Their oldest child, Kaci, is seventeen and has a severe form of autism that she can only speak one word at a time. Sometimes, she hits and kicks and bites, hurting other people and herself.

Brent and Sonia have asked God to heal their daughter, Kaci, but that hasn’t happened, at least not in the ways that they have prayed for. They have also prayed that God would give strength to them and their other children. And God has. 

Their pastor, Jeff Manion, writes, “As I listen to Brent and Sonia, I witness a constant thread of God’s redemptive hope woven through the tapestry of their family life and their experiences with Kaci. The tears and exhaustion over the years have been balanced with the irrepressible presence of God’s mercy. God knew the toll that caring for Kaci would take, and has provided for them all that they need for that complicated journey.”

God’s provision for Brent and Sonia has not looked like they thought it might look, but God has still provided for them. Pray that God would help you recognize the ways that God is answering your prayers, even when it is not what you expected.

Question to Ponder: Pastor Manion writes, “Brent firmly believes that in giving them Kaci, God also gave them Himself. Their experience has been exasperatingly hard at times, and often isolating, but God has met them in their low places, restored joy, and given hope” p. 91. How have you seen God do this in your life?

This week’s devotions are adapted from the book, The Land Between: Finding God in Difficult Transitions by Jeff Manion. Zondervan, Grand Rapids. 2010.