Book Review: A Special Gift

A few years back my BFF gave me a book called A Special Gift by Carrie Gruman –Trinkner, which is a devotional book written by a Mother of a child with special needs for Mothers of children with special needs.

I did read a few of the devotions in the book when Lani originally gave it to me but at the time J and I were doing a couples devotion but the book has always remained on my bookshelf knowing one day I would pick it up again.

That day came this summer when I was having such a hard time dealing with Noah’s meltdowns. I just opened the book one night and read the first devotion it opened to. That particular devotion happened to be about how as Moms we get so busy taking care of and worrying about our children, their health, and their special needs that we can easily become stressed and we need to take time to not only refresh ourselves but to refresh our souls as well. It was just what I needed to hear that day and almost everyday since I have read a devotion in the book.

I like that they are written by the Mom of a special needs child and that most of the devotions in the book deal with the unique challenges that we face as Moms of special needs kids. The author writes about her special needs child some and also weaves in the stories of other mothers of special needs children in each devotion.

Each devotion begins with a scripture that in some way relates to that particular devotion and then ends with a prayer. The devotions are not terribly long, usually a page and a half. After a day of meltdowns, reading something long is the last thing I want to do plus my eyes can’t take too much reading at this time so the fact that they are pretty short is very nice after a long day.

Curling up in my bed and reading one of these devotions has now become my perfect ending to the long, stressful days.