A Journey of Hope: A Spiritual Path Toward Hope and Joy in Caring for Your Child with Special Needs. By Sue Cassel. Holy Fire Publishing (2010)
Book review by Paul D. Leichty.
A Journey of Hope is a simple, yet rich, devotional resource created especially for parents of children with disabilities. Out of her own ongoing journey as a parent of a child with significant challenges, Sue Cassel presents a set of topics dealing with the thoughts, feelings, and struggles that such parents often face.
Beginning with a scripture to introduce each topic, the author converses easily with the reader, weaving her own experiences and additional scriptural references around the relevant theme. She follows the reflections with her own prayer drawing the reader to God with both an honesty about the challenges and expressions of trust and hope in a God who understands and provides strength and joy in midst of those challenges. She concludes each theme with questions for reflection that invite the reader to apply the theme in his or her own life.
This small devotional book will appeal most to parents in the early stages of the journey, but will also offer meaningful insights and encouragement to anyone who has faced the challenges of children with significant disabilities. Pastors in congregations with young families would do well to keep a copy or two on hand. It would make an especially meaningful gift to young parents starting out on an unexpected journey.
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