Holding Onto Faith After Tragic News

When you walk into Bryson’s room, it’s pretty clear he has a passion for sports. At 30 years old, Bryson is physically and mentally disabled. His father Barry has been caring for him since his birth. When he was 8 months old, Bryson suffered global brain damage, caused by an allergic reaction to vaccinations. Doctor’s said his ability to walk or speak would be severely impaired for the rest of his life.

Barry shares, “The reversal from being a healthy child with all these aspirations and dreams that a father has for a child, to what became is still hard for me to talk about 30 years later.”

Bryson was the second of Barry and his wife’s three children. Providing for them and Bryson’s continual care put a stress on their marriage. When Bryson was 15, they divorced and Barry was left to care for all three of them. He says during this time he had to deal with his anger towards God.

Barry recalls, “It's like 'What do you do?’  Do you turn to God or do you turn away from him in anger? I've learned you can be honest with God.  You can bring your anger to him, you can bring your frustration to him.  And he wants us to come to him, through his throne of grace He gives us grace and mercy to help us in our time of need.”

Barry says through constant prayer, God gave him and Bryson, the strength to persevere. After working thousands of hours in therapy together, Bryson spoke his first words when he was 3 years old. When he was 10, he started walking on his own.

Barry shares, “It was one of the greatest moments. We threw a party for him. We called it a ‘walking party.’ And so he had made it!”

With so many emotional and physical ups and downs over the years, even small accomplishments are cause for celebration.

Barry says, “We need to allow God to define the terms of victory.  To this day it's not perfect. To me to walk and to speak and to have a purpose in this world as broken as he still is better than winning the Super bowl.”

Although he has the mind of an adolescent, Bryson knows enough that his life is different than others. When he gets down, his dad reminds him of God’s love for him through stories he knows best.

Barry shares, “I said, you know, Tom Brady was behind.  He scored 31 straight points, in the 4th quarter he was behind by 19. Taking victory out of the jaws of defeat. That’s being more than a conqueror. And I tell him, You have done things that have amazed people.  You are glorifying God with your life. And I see him accepting the truth and relaxing into it and being reminded, ‘This is not hopeless.  I'm in part of a heroic story.’”  

Barry is proud of his son and all he has achieved and lets him know everyday he is a champion.

Barry says, “My kid's got what he needs in terms of simple faith, but he still needed the added information that he's different, but no less. No less valuable.  That he's important to God and that he's important to me.”

Barry shares their story in his book, “All the King’s Horses.” He hopes it will help others with broken lives experience god’s faithfulness, healing and love.

Barry shares, “I can look anyone in the eye and say, ‘I don't know what your problem is; but He knows and He loves you. He has a plan He's purposed.  If you follow Him, and if you trust Him, He will bring His victory, as He defines victory, in and through your life.’ Look to Jesus Christ.  He is the hope.  He is our hope and He is a certain hope.”