Recently, I came across an article in a group chat published in Christian Times (Mar 10, 2026) titled “No Stage, No Breakthrough: The Path of Sanctification for SEN Families.” It prompted much reflection on my part. The author has a daughter with Down syndrome. She enjoys attending worship services with him, but she often cannot understand the sermons. After sitting for a while, she would lean against him and fall asleep. At first, the author often wanted to remind his daughter to sit upright, but one day he suddenly asked himself, “Do I want her to sit properly for her sake, or because I don’t want others to think I am not managing my child well?” At that moment, he realized that for his daughter, leaning against her father and sleeping quietly was her way of feeling safe. Feeling safe may well be a pathway to trust, and trust is often the starting point of faith.

         In the Disability Fellowship, we also often encounter members who fall asleep during our meetings. Even though we arrange many “engaging” activities, they still cannot resist their drowsiness. To be honest, this situation has at times made me feel frustrated and even disappointed with the members. However, after reading the article, I began to reflect from a different perspective: perhaps when members fall asleep during a gathering, it is precisely because they feel safe that they are able to rest at ease. This sense of safety is a seed of trust. As long as we faithfully plant and water it, our Heavenly Father will make it grow (1 Corinthians 3:6), leading people to trust in Him. This understanding helped me to relax: if I have done my best in preparation and members come to the fellowship, our Heavenly Father already sees it as good. When members fall asleep, it does not mean that they or I have done poorly. More likely, it reflects their trust and sense of belonging in the fellowship.

         I am also reminded of a brother’s sharing. He had long suffered from insomnia. Yet during worship services, he was able to fall asleep peacefully. Perhaps it was because the church had given him a sense of trust. He knew that he would not be judged and would only be gently reminded. There was once a brother who fell asleep and even snored during the worship service. A pastor gently said to him, “Brother, you must be very tired!” This kind of understanding was not over tolerance, but it will make the brother feel cared for. After that, he no longer fell asleep during worship services.

         In fact, many brothers and sisters who fall asleep during worship services are going through busyness and major changes in life. They are weary in body, mind, and spirit. Some even feel guilty for falling asleep and are afraid of how others may think of them. So, they choose to switch to online worship services instead. Thankfully, with encouragement from counselors, these brothers and sisters have learned to show understanding toward themselves for their struggles, to re-adjust their routines, and to return to in-person worship services.

         The disability theologian John Swinton reminds us: “Belonging precedes performance.” People do not need to prove their usefulness before they are worthy to stay. Rather, they first know that they belong, and then they will gradually live out life within relationships.

        Dear brothers and sisters, you may be going through weariness and hardship at this very moment. Please believe: you do not need to prove your usefulness before you are worthy to stay, because you already belong to the NPAC family. May the Lord help us to accept one another, to remind and show understanding toward each other, and to live out life together step by step.