Unexpected Blessings by Sandra Peoples Book Review

When someone in your family is diagnosed with a special need, it can be difficult to move past the pain and confusion.

Why did this happen? What will our lives look like now? But living in a special-needs family can be a special blessing! Are you ready to face the future with hope? Speaking honestly about the challenges that accompany a variety of disabilities, author Sandra Peoples shows you how to:

• Let go of false beliefs that hold you back
• Work through the cycles of grief
• Focus on self-care and healthy routines
• Rebuild a strong faith foundation
• Create support systems for yourself and others

Filled with real-life stories and hard-earned wisdom, this book shines a light on the possibilities and blessings that come when you see your new purpose in life—which was God’s purpose for you all along.

My Thoughts:

I love all the resources coming out for parents with special needs kiddos. I have to say I would have loved to have had Unexpected Blessings 15 years ago. We focus so much on our kids and the specialist that taking care of ourselves becomes not as important. It can be stressful having a kid with special needs. I know as I have a now 16 year old with disabilities.

Most of all I love that this comes from a Biblical perspective. The book is practical and very realistic with inspiring words and advice. I found myself nodding my head and chuckling throughout. I could see myself in her stories as I’ve been there - done that!

Most people who don’t have a child with disabilities couldn’t image what it is like daily and they don’t see the big picture of what it looks like having a child with disabilities. She takes you on her journey when her son was first diagnosed with Autism. She also explains the impact that it has on your family from other children in the family, and your marriage. What about extended family members and your church? The book shares her journey which is common in many families who have a child with special needs.

I love how she talks about grief. It is a continuing cycle of grieving for your child. Some people think grief is someone dying. With a special needs child it’s so much more. It’s a lost of dreams you had for your child, grieving over seeing your child being rejected over and over by kids and even family. Depending on your child’s needs it could be the lost of them marrying and having kids. It’s a lost of the little things that we took for granted.

Recently I have been dealing with some issues with my daughter not understanding why she can’t go on a trip like her brother can. The reality is that I’m not there with her, the issue of pull ups and accidents, appointments, medication, and her physical limitations. We had a lot of tears coming from her. I found myself grieving over the simple things that I took for granted as a child. My daughter will never be able to do those things that most kids can do. The words in the book were encouraging as I reflected on the grief of my daughter not able to do another thing again.  

Each chapter ends with questions that you can talk about or journal your thoughts from what you read. Some chapters you could write in the book but, I’d recommend a journal or notebook.

She has some interesting insights on scriptures that I’m still pondering on throughout the book.

I have been truly blessed reading Unexpected Blessings by Sandra Peoples. I do have to say that my daughter is an Unexpected Blessing in so many ways and I wouldn’t change the journey that God has taken me on all these years.

I highly recommend this book for a mom with a child with special needs whether they are new to this journey or several years into it. I also thing this would be a good book for extended families and friends to read.

  I received a free copy of this product from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this information accordance with the FTC Regulations.