eat, sleep, and save the world. Superheros wear many different capes

The successes of the Marvel and DC universes show that the world loves a superhero. You know what I mean, those people who seem so ordinary, until a crisis hits, and then out comes the cape, and they set out to save the world—or at least render the bad guy a lot less powerful than he seems at first glance. Maybe they don’t have the superpowers needed to save the world, but parents of special needs kids fall into the category of super-hero. At least in my book.

                In her latest book, Eat, Sleep, Save the World: Words of Encouragement for the Special Needs Parent (B&H Publishing, 2020), Jamie Sumner shares the world that she was charged with saving: that of her son Charlie, born with cerebral palsy and several other interesting ‘bad guys’.  This is a heart-warming story of how plans go awry, but how we can depend on God to help us through the toughest of crises, whether it’s a one-time thing, or it’s ongoing, and lasts for a long time.

                Sumner allows herself to be vulnerable—both as ordinary human and superhero—and shares her thoughts on the super powers that on a daily basis allow her to get through the crises involved in raising a special needs child.  The 6 super powers, and yes, they are available to all of us are simply as follows (because we all can’t fly or turn invisible): determination, hope, resilience, patience, laughter, and thankfulness.

                She devotes a couple of chapters to each super power, and in each chapter there is another person mentioned. Of course, we hear about Ant-Man, but the main person she mentions as an example comes directly from the pages of the Bible.  For thousands of years people have faced trials, and managed to overcome. Things didn’t always go as they planned, but somehow, they got through the bad times. Even when our human frailties are most evident, God’s grace and power are made manifest.

                I can only imagine what a blessing this book will be to the parents of special needs children who can find the time to read it, but beyond that, it seems that anyone else who reads it will benefit too. It just might help us to walk the proverbial mile in someone else’s shoes.

                As a member of the publisher’s bloggers’ program, I received a copy of this book. I was not required to write a positive review, but it is definitely a joy to be able to do to.

                5/5