Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Leilani Haywood for a summer series highlighting great writers who focus on disability.

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“D’Andra, you need to get dressed to get on the bus,” I  said for what seemed the 500th time.

She smiled and  continued to write numbers on her white board. At 7:05 am she had only 20 minutes to get dressed and wait for the bus. There was a possibility this would be a morning when I would have to drop her off at school.

At 7:12 am I turned her radio off and asked her, again, to get dressed. She picked up her outfit and went into the bathroom. When I checked on her a few minutes later, she needed some help.

She barely got on the bus that morning and I could have used that episode to start my day badly. But instead, I  chose to look for the good.

  • She fried bacon and made herself a breakfast burrito
  • She carried the radio into the living room, turned it
    on and turned the dial to a station we both agreed on
  • She worked on counting coins, something her teacher
    said she needed to work on during last week’s IEP
    meeting
  • She wrote numbers on her marker board
  • She got herself ready with minimal help from me

Raising a child with special needs – or even what specialists call a typically developing child – is  a challenge. We can choose to dwell on their weaknesses  and the hassle of helping them, or we can search for the good in every situation. Search the good in them even in the midst of their struggles.

“The one who seeks good finds delight.” Proverbs 11:27a NIT

Searching requires focused effort. The definition of search is “to inquire, investigate, examine, or seek; conduct an examination or investigation.”

Searching for good allows for God to show you delight. Make an effort to investigate or examine the challenges facing you right now to find the good.

What’s the good thing you see in your challenging circumstance today?

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Leilani.HaywoodLeilani Haywood is the editor of Spirit Led Woman. She is an award-winning writer and author of “Ten Keys to Raising Kids That Love God,” that will soon be released. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook or check out her blog.