Danielle Schaeffer

My eyes were opened to the world of disabilities in July 2009 with the birth of my beautiful, hilarious, passionate, sincere, and loving son, Nathanael. Before Nathanael, I knew about disabilities, that they existed, and I assumed life was harder, different, for ‘them’. But honestly, not much in my life was affected by disabilities, and unfortunately, I paid little attention. After Nathanael, I’m learning more and more, every day, mostly through his eyes, his feet, his words, and his world. When we moved to our current community, we became connected with Good Shepherd Church after learning they have an amazing ministry that serves families like mine. For the past eight years, I’ve been serving as the Director of Fusion, our ministry for families with kids with disabilities. I’m still learning about ‘us,’ the body of Christ, and each one of its precious parts, handmade in the image of God. I’m forever grateful for a Creator who gave me His precious Nathanael, who has taught me more than I could ever have imagined about inclusivity, mercy, and the greatness of our God.