If you read this blog very much, you may have noticed that I
blog on issues related to disability a great deal. This topic is close to my
heart because I have a seven-year-old son named Sean who has Down Syndrome. We
also have another son, Luke, who is eleven. My wife and I have learned a great
deal about a great many things as parents, and parenting Sean has had its own
set of lessons, challenges, and bumps in the road.
I don’t talk about my personal experiences very much
because…well…they’re personal. I do write about the Bible, theology, the
Church, and disability, but rarely from a first-person perspective. I’m a
pretty private person, as is my wife. Recently, however, Jason Vickers asked if
Harriet and I would be willing to share our experiences as parents of a child
with Down Syndrome at the upcoming Light the Fire conference. This conference
will focus on church renewal and people with disabilities. We agreed, and we’ll
be speaking at three breakout sessions. The description of our talk is as
follows:
Sean Watson was born
on Thanksgiving Day, 2006. Four hours after his birth, his parents were told
that he had Down Syndrome. At four months of age he had open heart surgery. Now
seven years old, he is a lively, precocious, mischievous boy who loves to jump
on his trampoline and play Angry Birds. For his parents and brother, learning
to raise Sean has been a journey of faith, joy, heartache, patience, and
celebration. In this session, David Watson, Academic Dean at United, and
Harriet Watson, a stay-at-home mom and United Methodist layperson, reflect on
what they have learned about God, the Church, and loving a child with Down
Syndrome.
So… If you have any interest in our talk or many of the
other fine offerings at this conference, I hope you’ll attend. You can find out
more information about the conference by clicking here.
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