Author’s Note: No, you’re not reading the Christian Adoption Blog. But the role of prayer in our lives as we parent our special needs child can’t be denied. I recognize that adoptive parents of special needs have a variety of beliefs. But I also know from talking to parents of children with special challenges that many have deeply rooted faith walks. And since this is my blog about life with LuLu, I’d be sadly remiss if I didn’t talk about the importance of prayer to us.

Scene One: I got an email today from a woman who referenced knowing a woman who I couldn’t recall. The name was vaguely familiar…but did I know her? Anyway this woman said she was on a prayer list for LuLu and had a similar situation and wanted to talk. So we talked (and had much in common).

I clarified that I did indeed know her friend, who is a friend of one of my friends at church, and evidently was receiving the prayer requests I had submitted to my local prayer group.

Scene Two: Last weekend, our church had a revival of sorts – called a Lay Witness Mission. It’s an evangelism program in the United Methodist Church, where other laity come to lead a revival for the weekend. We attended with no expectations of what this experience would be, just came because we love our church family and knew this was a big event that so many had worked hard to plan (not us in the planning role for a change – YEA!)

The weekend was wonderfully moving for us and an incredible experience of renewal. One of the biggest blessings was that the leaders of this program took our child into their children’s program willingly and kept her busy all weekend. I have since learned that they found her extremely challenging (they were strangers and knew little of what to expect). But they assured us over and over that all was fine. And really it was. LuLu was thrilled to be participating without her parents hovering. And we needed the break.

But my point of relating this was that as these lay witnesses (about 30 people from UM churches all over the state) were leaving, at least ten of them approached us directly to ask if they could take our story home to their home churches and have their prayer groups pray. Of course they can…you can never have enough prayer!

Then it struck me…LuLu just may be the most prayed for child I know. There are literally hundreds of people praying for her. Our entire church, my SIL’s church, family and friends around the world, countless other parents I’ve met through ADN, and people who have met me, Super Dad or LuLu in various ways. And now all the folks above. It is a humbling moment to realize we’re being held up so continuously and by so many.

Cynics may ask if it’s making any difference. After all LuLu has so many disabilities and here we are embroiled in school battles, with our income dwindling, and stressors galore. Are these hundreds and hundreds of prayers working? With that many people praying, shouldn’t she be totally “healed” by now?

“She just seems to be bound up,” one of the lay witnesses commented. “Like she’s held captive and it seems so immovable.” Pretty insightful thoughts from a woman who had just met her the day before. It reminded me of the “faith to move mountains” passage in the Bible. Immovable = impossible? And I realized that cynics are wrong about the lack of healing part. How long does it take to move a mountain? I’ve always visualized that the mountain talked about in the Bible would literally move right in front of your eyes. But just how often has been seen that happen?

Actually we’re seeing it happen every day. The Earth shifts and changes…but usually in a very slow, subtle way (unless you live in California). And so it is with LuLu. Small seismic changes that could only be measured by a finely-tuned Richter Scale.

So, it’s comforting, amazing, and very necessary that LuLu remains one of the Most Prayed For.


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