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Friends, today we’ll meet Craig Johnson and talk about how his son Connor has changed his life.
Until he was 2 years old, Craig’s son Connor was just like other kids:
playful, verbal and affectionate.
When his behavior changed and he stopped talking, he was officially diagnosed with autism.
But Craig and his wife Samantha refused to believe that Connor’s life was without meaning and purpose.
It’s my pleasure to speak with Craig today and talk with him about his ministry The Champions Club and his wonderful book, titled
Champion: How One Boy’s Miraculous Journey through Autism is Changing the World.
Craig talks about how they had life all planned out: have their kids early, then raise them, send them off and then he and Samantha would travel the world and with mission and ministry. But as Craig recalls, it was unrehearsed destiny. As he’s says, “You didn’t plan it but God had it in his plan all along”. In an ironic twist of destiny, just two days after his vasectomy, Samantha tells Craig she’s pregnant.
Soon after, Connor was born and a new level of joy was brought to the family. And a new level of trusting God in His plan with the unexpected.
Connor was an all american kid. Very active and playful. He loved Disneyland and he was a very talkative, snuggly, happy little boy. But unexpected situations weren’t over for the Johnsons.
When Connor was 2 years old, he changed drastically after a heavy round of vaccinations. No longer talkative, Connor withdrew. Like a bad car wreck, everything in their world was instantly different.
In that moment of the autism diagnosis, Craig scooped up Connor and said, “You’re not a victim, you’re more than a conquerer.” He recalls how these words were healing not just Connor but also for Craig himself. Craig didn’t know what God’s plan looked like but he believed in God’s sovereignty.
Craig talked about the difference in how parents deal with a diagnosis like this. Dads can tend to handle the newness of special needs differently than Moms. But the key, he says, is being on the same team, choosing to not let the difference of how they handle things create a wedge between them but to run toward each other and fight together.
Shame is a subject we talked a bit about. There was shame in feeling that Craig and Sam somehow could have prevented Connor from having autism. During this time, they immediately turned to God in prayer.
Craig affirms that a strong devotional life is crucial to not deny where we’ve been but instead to recover where we are. But ultimately the Johnsons have learned that their struggle was part of God’s greater plan to help others who also struggle.
I loved the lesson that Craig learned about embarrassment when he experienced a situation when Connor was a young kid. When Connor was 10, he ran outside to play with the neighborhood kids and started acting erratically, overfilled with stimulation. Craig didn’t want the kids to laugh at him so he went to pull him inside but he heard from God saying, “Who’s more embarrassed? You or Connor?”
Craig used this time to be a teachable moment for the kids. He explained what autism was and brought understanding to the neighborhood kids. This opened doors and allowed community in a way that Craig never envisioned. And the lesson he learned about stepping out was a good one.
Even though life was different and Connor was not typical, the family had to keep living. Their new normal meant pressing on, participating, and being part of the rest of the world. Craig talks about how when they moved to Seattle, in the beginning, they never left their house because of the rain. Once they realized that it was ALWAYS raining, they had to resume life, even in the rain. This brought a prefect example of how the Johnsons also choose to live and press on amidst their (rain) struggles.
The Champions Club is an organization that supplies churches with the ability to meet the needs of those who have special needs and enables them to also attend and worship in church alongside of their community. A holistic approach that also supports that parents as well as the kids.
The Champions Club stemmed from a miracle that Craig witnessed in Connor when after 2 years of not speaking, Connor quoted the entire, 88-word declaration that is given before every sermon.
This created a dream, vision, and now reality of The Champions Club being available worldwide.
The book Champion isn’t a book solely for the person who loves someone with special needs but for anyone that’s enduring a struggle. It’s filled with encouragement and hope that God has for us in the everyday.
It was such pleasure to speak with Craig and I hope you’ll feel encouraged by his triumphs and educated by his story! And I sincerely hope that his advocacy resonates with those share the struggle of a special needs family member. You aren’t alone.
Friends, be thinking of how you can help share this message of hope. Do you know someone who would enjoy this episode? You can share it on your social media or shoot them a text. I am thankful for your support.
And I would love to hear from you! If you enjoyed the show, let me know! I’m on Instagram at constantly under construction.
