I was raised to live the American Dream, “to be and have the best of
everything”. I found a great husband,
who had a great career and earned good money to support me. I enjoyed several careers along the
way while trying to live the American Dream, but there was something
missing.
My husband and I became the
parents of James in 1984, when I was 24 years old. We were expecting the perfect child and
planned our lives accordingly. However, 6
weeks before the due date, contractions started and all our dreams were
shattered in a matter of hours. James
was born prematurely with severe bladder and kidney problems, as well as
related breathing problems. At five
hours old, he was transported to Texas Children’s Hospital by ambulance, and he
remained there until he was seven months old.
At 7 months old, we were finally able to bring James home with the
assistance of 24-hour private duty nursing care that continued until he was 18
months old. Shattered dreams grew into
shattered lives that affect not just my husband, my son, and myself, but also
our immediate family.
Over the next 12 years, I placed
my entire being towards keeping James alive while still reaching for the
American Dream. I tried to have a career
in Real Estate Management and, although I succeeded, I wasn’t satisfied with
life. James was definitely alive and
improving, although kidney failure, dialysis, and transplant always loomed in
our lives, as well as the many trips to The Texas Medical Center. My marriage
suffered greatly, but thank God and my wonderful, loving husband, it is
preserved.
Sixteen years ago, James – who had
been attending church every week with my parents – nagged me into attending one
Sunday. That Sunday was a turning point
as I accepted Christ back into my life. I
learned through study and service that giving of myself to others was the
meaning in life I had been searching for all those years. Now, just one small hug from one of my “Treasures of JOY” gives me complete
satisfaction and fulfillment for hours of preparation and work; it is never the
money anymore. So at 53 years old, I now fully understand what I was created
for. I was created to be the mom to
James, an Unexpected Treasure. It may
have taken me too many years to understand the gift, but in the end, I know he
is priceless. As James’ mom, I have learned
my second purpose is to be the advocate for other Treasures. This second purpose allows me to help other
Treasures dream big and believe that God never makes a mistake; each Treasure
needs to be all they can be for God’s plan.
In James, I can see my purpose
realized. He loves everyone –
unconditionally – and makes it his job to hug and love on as many people as
possible each day. As long as James brings glory to the Almighty God through
his love and his hugs, that is all the confirmation I need for my ministry.
______________________________________________________
JOYce Weatherford is the Executive Director of Treasures of
JOY, a Special Needs Ministry founded in January 2011. JOYce has been
married to husband, Robert, for 29 years and they have one son James. The
birth of James changed the course of JOYce’s life from chasing the American
dream to chasing after God, serving Treasures like her son.
Minister to Special Needs Families
www.treasuresofjoy.org
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