Ep:25 Rhonda Jobe - The legacy of her children

The Full Life Podcast with Melanie Lynam

Rhonda and her husband Rod Jobe have been pastors for 42 years and are the Senior Pastors of Church On The Rise Sunshine Coast. They have 2 beautiful children - a son and a daughter - who passed away when they were teenagers from a genetic disease called Mucopolysaccharidosis. We talk about what it was like for them in raising 2 children with special needs, the challenges that they faced, and ways they recognised that God was with them. Rhonda gives us some advice on looking after your marriage when your children require a lot from you and what we can do to help support friends who have children with special needs. Then we look at Psalm 139 which paints the picture of a loving Creator who carefully and intentionally knits us together in our mothers’ womb, and we ask how does that make sense when we see children born with defects and diseases. Rhonda has a great answer for that.

Upon diagnosis her first reaction was “God can fix this.”

Both children diagnosed with Mucopolysaccharidosis. Develop normally til they’re 3, gradual evening off and they don’t see their teenage years.

Christie had low frequency hearing loss. Josh went blind from Hydrocephalus.

There were answered prayers along the way.

“If we can get through this, you can get through it too.”

What you can do to help support friends who have kids with special needs.

Advice for looking after your marriage:

• Having God as your life
• Do this together
• Good communication
• Give each other space
• Accept the other person for who they are and what they’re like

We look at Psalm 139 How do we reconcile this scripture with children who are not born ‘perfect’?

Rhonda’s book “Unto Us a Child is Born” is available. Please contact Rhonda [e-mail] for a copy.

www.xavier.org.au enables families of children with health and disability and were a great help to Rhonda and Rod and their children.

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