Can You See God’s Glory Through Your Child?

My sister-in-law heads an ashram for autistic children. One day, she was approached by a well-known TV anchor seeking admission for her son, who was also autistic. Unfortunately, she had to gently decline the request because the ashram had no space.

As they spoke, the mother shared her struggles—her husband had left, unable to cope with their son’s condition, and she herself was battling depression. My sister-in-law suggested that she seek help from a counselor.

A few weeks later, news broke that this TV anchor had tragically taken her own life. The loss deeply shattered my sister-in-law. With much pain, she shared this story with me and urged me to do something for parents of children with special needs.

The Struggles of Parents

Around the same time, the head of another special school also approached me. She pleaded for support to strengthen parents in her school community. Many were struggling, and some even abandoned their partners because they couldn’t handle the challenges.

When I expressed my hesitation, feeling unequipped to handle such complex parenting needs, she quickly reassured me:

“Don’t just focus on their crisis. Teach them the importance of their marriage, their time with one another, and every other aspect of their lives—not only their child’s special needs. Don’t treat them differently. Treat them as normal parents.”

Her words struck me deeply.

Breaking Cultural Barriers

From June onwards, we will begin engaging with these parents. Through these encounters, I realized that the needs of parents raising children with special needs are growing, and they require unique support.

Sadly, our society often makes things worse. Some communities view a child’s disability as the result of “bad karma.” This mindset leads to denial, blame, guilt, and even anger toward God.

A Biblical Perspective

When Jesus encountered a blind man, His disciples asked,
“Who sinned—this man or his parents—that he was born blind?”

Jesus replied,
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the glory of God might be revealed in him.”

The disciples had always assumed sickness was a punishment. But Jesus revealed a deeper truth—that even life’s hardest circumstances can reflect God’s glory.

Finding God’s Glory in Challenges

Every human experience, even the painful ones, can be used for God’s purposes. We don’t live in a perfect world—human sin brought brokenness into creation. True perfection awaits us only in God’s presence.

If you see your child as the result of bad karma, you will remain stuck in blame, grief, and bitterness. But if you begin to ask how God might be glorified through your child, a new perspective emerges.

Through this child, God may:

• Refine you

• Teach you compassion

• Make you more resilient

• Help you appreciate life’s smallest blessings

The focus must shift from our own glory to God’s glory.

Hope for Parents

The God who entrusted this child to you will also provide the grace you need to raise them.

Strength is not found in your own efforts but in relying on His grace. The more you fixate on disabilities and struggles, the more frustrated and weary you will become. Instead, focus on how your circumstances can glorify God and fulfill His purposes.

✨ Your child is not a burden but a testimony. Through God’s grace, what seems like weakness can become a powerful witness of His strength and glory.