Guest Post: Designed for this Journey
In celebration of Mother’s Day, we’re highlighting the experiences of some of the incredible moms in our Jack’s Basket community.
Liza’s son, Micah, received a basket in 2023. She now serves as a Basket Delivery Parent and has connected with over a dozen new families. This is what she shared about her motherhood journey so far, and what she has learned along the way:
“You know what I find to be so incredible about motherhood? Knowing that God designed me for this and that He sustains me through it; that when my cup is completely depleted, bone dry, and brittle, He knows exactly how to fill it up, and He does every single time.
When we found out our son would likely be born with Down syndrome, I was so sad, disappointed, angry, and scared. The phone call from my doctor that met me on my way out the door to a golf lesson, awaiting news of a gender reveal, left me completely empty. Even with years of experience teaching students with disabilities, it was not a life I expected, or wanted, for us. Having been deep and comfortable into mothering two girls, ages 9 and 7 at the time of receiving the genetic test results, I was not able to see how this diagnosis could, and would, lead to a sweeter, richer, slower life, completely dependent on God. Looking back, of course, I can see that those feelings were consuming me because all disappointment comes from unmet expectations.
I wish I had known then that the diagnosis wasn’t the end of the world (as it felt at times). That the grief and fear could live alongside a true and sincere joy that our family, and our community, would all get to experience.
Raising a child with Down syndrome has taught me that motherhood isn’t about comfort but surrender. It’s about slowing down, celebrating progress that is often overlooked, and seeing the image of God in ways that are so pure and undeniable. Micah has taught me to notice the small things, to be patient in ways I never was before, and to love without condition.
All of our children have had such a profound impact on who I am as a mom. My oldest reminds me that we are all here learning together; her firsts are my firsts. My middle teaches me to be flexible in my thinking, and to consider others’ feelings before mine. And Micah, our little guy with his something extra, makes me more present, less concerned with comparison, and more rooted in living this life for God. I hope Micah always remembers that he is fully known, fully loved, and fully chosen, both by his family and by His Creator. Not because of what he accomplishes, but because of who he is.
If I could sit with a mom who just received a Down syndrome diagnosis, I would tell her this:
Take a deep breath. Your child is not a problem to solve but a person, created perfectly in God’s image, to know and love. You don’t have to have it all figured out; one day at a time is great. You are the perfect mom for your baby. Lean into God, lean into your family, and lean into your community. Ask for help and let others in to learn alongside you. Oh, and congratulations! Welcome to the best club in the world!”
-Liza, Micah’s Mom (Illinois)
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