I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate,
who will never leave you.
John 14:16 (NLT)
One of the most important roles an autism or special-needs parent holds is to advocate for the physical, emotional, legal, educational, social, and financial assistance their child’s diagnosis necessitates. While most special-needs individuals are assigned case workers and service providers to ensure they receive these essential services, parents are still the ones who know their child’s needs better than anyone. Therefore, it is crucial for parents to be actively involved. An advocate can make the difference between a life that thrives or a life of perpetual struggles.
In her book, Different Dream Parenting, author Jolene Philo says, “We advocate for our children in health care, governmental, and educational agencies on earth. We should advocate in the spiritual realm as well. Through prayer, we can advocate before God on behalf of our children.” (1)
Much like our children, you and I need an advocate; someone who understands our longings, our limitations, our failures, and our daily struggles. Someone to help, advise, and give us the counsel we so desperately need. Someone who can take our sighs and tears and bring them before the throne of grace. Someone who knows us inside and out yet will never drop our case or recuse Himself.
We may not always find the right words to express our thoughts or know how to pray, but our advocate does.
(1) Our Advocate – Jolene Philo, Different Dream Parenting (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Kregel Publications, 2016), Pg. 52.