There are times over the years that I’ve wanted to throw in the proverbial towel and change professions completely.  Not because I don’t love what I do, but because I’m mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted – like many of the families I serve.  I recognize, as a professional, I’m supposed to “keep it all together,” but the reality of life is I am a “whole” individual.  I am a physical, emotional, relational, mental and spiritual being.  There are days when I have a child fuss and cry during therapy sessions for the whole 60 minutes.  And there are days, because of the child’s behavioral outbursts, they squeal or scream for 60 minutes straight.

After 16 years of serving 6-10 families and their children per day, I’ve been able to physically, emotionally and mentally condition myself to “handle this” for 3-5 hours of a 10 hour day( before I need to take a break).  However, just because you can “work through” something doesn’t change the impact it has on your “whole” being.  Life is whole – it is not a fraction.  I cannot compartmentalize my life and think one area doesn’t impact the others.  And neither can the families Victory Lane Camp is serving.  Attempting to compartmentalize one’s life is like saying one room of my house is on fire and I go on living in it ignoring the present reality of danger for the whole house.

The grace endurance necessary to live a “whole life” is one of my motivations for blogging.  If my insights and thoughts from life as a pediatric physical therapist can help one Dad engage differently with his son who just happens to have a disability, this blog has succeeded.  If one marriage is saved because a couple begins to see their differences as strengths to help their child through their disability, Victory Lane Camp’s vision is being fulfilled.  Grace endurance is the reality that life with a disability is a marathon race in which you are always training for and never finish.   When individuals in a community come together and see the value of a child, the needs of a family and brings the grace of a Heavenly Father that is infinitely available to supply what everyone needs, hope is found.

We would love to hear your comment on how you and your family build “Grace Endurance” into your lives!