Prayer has been an intimate connection to God for Cassia Shumate of Columbia, Tennessee, her entire life. She learned the power of prayer as a child guided by her parents.
“My parents were missionaries. They were church planters in central Europe,” explains Cassia. “Growing up overseas, we were pretty poor. We were living in Romania in a tiny apartment—my parents and four kids. My mom used to call me in to pray with her every night. As a 6-year-old, I would pray for a house with a porch and friends all around. I prayed for six months. Then we found a house in Hungary. Our house had a back porch. Over the years, other missionary friends moved in the neighborhood. God hears and He moves, and we can ask Him anything.”
A Mother’s Prayer
Now, as a wife and mother of three boys—Keller (9), Elan (7) and Rowan (3)—Cassia’s prayer conversations have changed from the simple prayers of childhood.
“I think I do pray differently as a mom,” she says. “Not that I did not struggle with the need to control earlier. I remember when my oldest was first born, I was really afraid of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). I would lay my hands on his chest multiple times in the night to see if he was breathing. I remember thinking I could not sustain this fear, and I thought, ‘He is as much in the Lord’s hands as he has ever been,’ and that helped. That focus has helped me pray a little differently about my boys. I know ultimately whose hands they are in.”
Her prayerful relationship with God is rooted in years of practice and a firm belief that God will provide what she and her family need.
“Prayer is an ongoing conversation between me and the Lord. Sometimes it is more like, ‘God, help! I do not know what to do.’”
Cassia Shumate
Walking Elan’s Journey
With the birth of their second son, Elan, prayer became even more central to the lives of Cassia and her husband, Cory. Their conversations with God also expanded to include a community of people they had never met.
“Our middle son, Elan, was born with his brain significantly undeveloped,” explains Cassia. “He is going to be 7 in October. He has a number of issues, including epilepsy, functional blindness and bilateral hearing loss. We had no idea until about three months after bringing Elan home.”
A Ministry of Hope
Navigating Elan’s journey has been greatly helped by a Facebook page that Cory originally created to keep friends and family updated.
“The phrase that God kept bringing to my mind was ‘For My glory.’”
Cassia Shumate
“It has turned more into a ministry opportunity,” Cassia explains. “The phrase that God kept bringing to my mind was ‘For My glory.’ I think it has been a mission of mine to get as many eyes on Elan as I can. It has been a way to let people know, here is how to pray for him, here is the latest update. It is also a way to present what really is going on. I was struggling and feeling broken down. It helps people find themselves in our story. People have found this experience as a way to find hope in darkness.”
Building Community Through Faith
Other families’ experiences have helped the Shumates recognize and advocate for children and adults who are often overlooked because of their disabilities. Sharing Elan’s story has fostered greater understanding and compassion.
“Part of finding out about Elan was finding other mothers with children with complex health issues,” shares Cassia. “We all experience grief at the loss of a normal childhood differently. I enjoy finding other kids like him now. Ask the questions! Help those families feel less like a spectacle. The beautiful thing about having this Facebook page is I have had strangers come up to me and say, ‘You do not know me, but I have been praying for Elan for years.’”
Learn More
To learn more about Elan and the Shumate family, follow Elan’s Story on Facebook.
