{"id":280273,"date":"2024-05-10T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-10T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/risen-motherhood-parenting-kids-with-disabilities-emily-jensen-laura-wifler\/"},"modified":"2025-04-30T11:25:38","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T15:25:38","slug":"risen-motherhood-parenting-kids-with-disabilities-emily-jensen-laura-wifler","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/risen-motherhood-parenting-kids-with-disabilities-emily-jensen-laura-wifler\/","title":{"rendered":"Risen Motherhood: Parenting Kids with Disabilities: Emily Jensen &#038; Laura Wifler"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Parenting children with disabilities demands extra care and attention, often leaving you feeling utterly drained. Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler, Co-Founders of the Risen Motherhood Podcast, understand this all too well. They&#8217;re here to emphasize the vital role of community and guide you in finding comfort among challenges, while also celebrating the special gifts your children bring into your life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Parenting kids with disabilities is tough. Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler share about community support, finding comfort, and celebrating your child&#8217;s uniqueness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47000,"featured_media":280865,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"https:\/\/traffic.omny.fm\/d\/clips\/cbd16f10-ac60-4f09-b4df-b15400ce35aa\/33aaac7e-3581-4e21-a3df-b154011ba58c\/37f936e1-822c-4c48-a82b-b1620160fc62\/audio.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:30:27","filesize":"27.91M","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"2024-05-10 08:00:00","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[],"tags":[2124],"podcast_series":[8756],"cwp_profile":[10886,9933],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-280273","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-parenting-children-with-disabilities","podcast_series-sunday-faith-to-monday-tantrum-emily-jenson-laura-wifler","cwp_profile-emily-jensen","cwp_profile-laura-wifler","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/06\/image-scaled.jpg?w=1024","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/280273\/risen-motherhood-parenting-kids-with-disabilities-emily-jensen-laura-wifler","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/280273\/risen-motherhood-parenting-kids-with-disabilities-emily-jensen-laura-wifler","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"kv0cFY4iyY\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/risen-motherhood-parenting-kids-with-disabilities-emily-jensen-laura-wifler\/\">Risen Motherhood: Parenting Kids with Disabilities: Emily Jensen &#038; Laura Wifler<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/risen-motherhood-parenting-kids-with-disabilities-emily-jensen-laura-wifler\/embed\/#?secret=kv0cFY4iyY\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Risen Motherhood: Parenting Kids with Disabilities: Emily Jensen &#038; Laura Wifler&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"kv0cFY4iyY\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/06\/image-scaled.jpg",1024,1024,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Margaret","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/margaret-coylefamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Parenting kids with disabilities is tough. Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler share about community support, finding comfort, and celebrating your child's uniqueness.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"<ul>\n<li>Connect with Emily Jenson &amp; Laura Wifler and catch more of their thoughts at <a href=\"https:\/\/emilyajensen.com\/\">emilyajensen.com<\/a> and listen to their podcast, <a href=\"https:\/\/emilyajensen.com\/podcast\">Risen Motherhood<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Connect with them on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/emilyajensen\/\">Instagram<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/EmilyAJens\">X<\/a> @EmilyAJens<\/li>\n<li>And grab Emily Jenson &amp; Laura Wifler\u2019s book, <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product\/risen-motherhood-gospel-hope-for-everyday-moments\/\">Risen Motherhood: Gospel Hope for Everyday Moments<\/a> by Emily Jensen &amp; Laura Wifler in our shop.<\/li>\n<li>Intrigued by today\u2019s episode? Think deeper about Motherhood by listening to <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/soul-care-for-stressed-moms\/\">Soul Care for Stressed Moms<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/donate.familylife.com\/may-2024\/?cru_source=D0002405RB&amp;cru_medium=RadioBanner&amp;cru_premium=PRE21802&amp;cru_campaign=May2024&amp;utm_source=web&amp;utm_medium=radiobanner&amp;utm_campaign=may2024\">Double your gift<\/a> this month when you give to FamilyLife!<\/li>\n<li>Find resources from this podcast at <a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/radio-resources\/\">shop.familylife.com<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/shop.familylife.com\/product-category\/past-radio-resources\/\">See resources from our past podcasts.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Find more content and resources on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/app\/\">FamilyLife's app<\/a>!<\/li>\n<li>Help others find FamilyLife. Leave a review on <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303\">Apple Podcast<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm?si=d6dfa8d2415f4750\">Spotify<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Check out all the FamilyLife's podcasts on the <a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/familylife-podcast-network\/\">FamilyLife Podcast Network<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylife.com\/fl2024-05-10.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>FamilyLife Today\u00ae National Radio Version (time edited) Transcript<\/p>\n<p>References to conferences, resources, or other special promotions may be obsolete.<\/p>\n<p>Risen Motherhood: Parenting Kids with Disabilities<\/p>\n<p>Guest:Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler<\/p>\n<p>From the series:Sunday Faith to Monday Tantrum (Day 3 of 3)<\/p>\n<p>Air date:May 10, 2024<\/p>\n<p>Laura: When my daughter was diagnosed, I felt pity for her thinking, \u201cOh, that stinks.\u201d I will confess I have felt those things. I think that\u2019s a natural first response. But then I think when we back up and we think about it biblically and apply the gospel, we can remember that \u201cNo, every person on the planet is made in the image of God, and therefore they have inherent worth simply because they\u2019re made in the image of God.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Shelby: Welcome to FamilyLife Today, where we want to help you pursue the relationships that matter most. I\u2019m Shelby Abbott, and your hosts are Dave and Ann Wilson. You can find us at FamilyLifeToday.com.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: This is FamilyLife Today!<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I thought the way to start today is a word I hate. This is a word I hate\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014what is it?<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014Weak! I don\u2019t want to talk about [weakness]. I want to be strong.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: I feel you.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I want to go to the weight room, and I want to throw up some pounds. [Laughter] I don\u2019t want to walk around [looking] like, \u201cHe\u2019s a weak man.\u201d I want to be a strong man.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That\u2019s true for women, too. We don\u2019t want to be weak; yet we\u2019re going to talk about that.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Actually, I\u2019m being facetious because when we\u2019re weak, He is strong. [2 Corinthians 12:10, Paraphrased]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Exactly.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And it\u2019s a beautiful thing. We\u2019ve got the Risen Motherhood women. Is that what you\u2019re called? The Risen Motherhood women.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: We\u2019ll take it.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: We like it better than \u201cgirls.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Yes, that\u2019s better.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: As long as you don\u2019t call us \u201cthe Risen Motherhood girls.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler are back at FamilyLife Today in Orlando, with two of your eight kids between you.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: That\u2019s right.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Yes, we each brought our oldest son to do a little Orlando adventure after we get done recording.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That\u2019s really fun. And we\u2019re going to talk about two of your books. You\u2019ve each written a book.<\/p>\n<p>Emily, you\u2019ve written He is Strong: Devotions for When You Feel Weak. I\u2019m going to tell you as a listener, if you\u2019re a woman, you need to get both of these books. The other one is a children\u2019s book called Like Me: A Story about Disability and Discovering God\u2019s Image in Every Person.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re going to talk about both of those. You\u2019re sisters-in-law. You do a lot of work together. You have a podcast together, so we\u2019re going to talk about both of these books together.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: Here\u2019s the thing: if people know you, they know this, but [it is] very unique that you\u2019re related as family. You married her brother.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Emily married Laura\u2019s brother.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And you both have a child with disabilities. You\u2019ve even said doctors tell you that\u2019s very unique, right?<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Yes, it\u2019s incredibly unusual. We were told it\u2019s like lightning striking twice, because we both have children with disabilities, and yet they\u2019re unrelated as far as doctors can tell. I think Emily and I would both say that God has decided that, and that there is some intention there. So, we trust Him with that; but it\u2019s definitely kind of a wild story.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Can you take us back to that? How many kids did you have? What went on in your life? What did you feel? Take us back.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Sure, so our son with disabilities is the fourth in our lineup of five. He had\u2014I had a typical pregnancy with him, a typical birth. It wasn\u2019t until he was about three- to six- months old that we noticed some things that were a little strange about him. He smiled and laughed, but he only rolled over once, and then he never really rolled over again. He would scoot to get around. He was not sitting up on his own. He had a hard time holding his head up.<\/p>\n<p>We went to the doctor and said, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on here? This seems a little odd.\u201d But we weren\u2019t super concerned. She had a really hopeful prognosis: \u201cOh, it\u2019s your fourth child. He\u2019s probably laid back. He\u2019ll catch up. We don\u2019t really notice anything.\u201d Months went by, and he just was not improving. He was not meeting his milestones at all.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Emily, what was going on in your heart and your mind as this was going on?<\/p>\n<p>Emily: I had some fear. There was part of me that was thinking of the worst-case scenario, but no one had told us that yet. I was really busy with my hands full with other kids, so there was this low-level anxiety; but I had not gone to the worst of the worst in my mind yet, which we\u2019ll get to because I think we have different stories here. But it started us down a path of understanding what was going on. Eventually, when he was around a year old, after we\u2019d done MRIs and we\u2019d done all this testing, we found out through a genetic test that he had a very rare genetic syndrome.<\/p>\n<p>He has one piece of a chromosome that\u2019s flipped upside down, and it\u2019s affected everything about him developmentally. His doctor at the time said, \u201cOh, he\u2019ll be walking into preschool. He might be a little bit behind but get him in therapy. Everything will probably be good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He was not walking into preschool. In fact, he did not walk until he was seven, so he\u2019s only been walking for a year. He had a wheelchair. He\u2019s still totally non-verbal, so he does not talk at all. He uses a communication device occasionally. He has significant delays in every area.<\/p>\n<p>I would say our grieving process\u2014[for] my husband and me, it\u2019s almost been a little abnormal, because at the beginning we had such a good prognosis and such hope, and then every year that would go by we said, \u201cWhoa, the gap is widening so much between him and his peers.\u201d It\u2019s a lot harder than we ever would have thought. His disabilities are a lot more serious than we ever would have thought. He\u2019s strong.<\/p>\n<p>This book was kind of after a cascade of events, but one of those for me was he had his first seizure, and he ended up being diagnosed with epilepsy. So, adding these major medical things to something that was already extremely tough, it was like I got the rug pulled out from under me and my life. It made me face my own weakness.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s a little bit of our story. But, Laura, you guys have a little bit of a different story, if you want to share.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Sure. I was pregnant with my daughter. She is the youngest of my three children. There were a couple of things at the end of my pregnancy that clued us in that perhaps she would have disabilities or perhaps she would just have a failure to thrive in utero.<\/p>\n<p>At about two months old, we thought we were in the clear, but I noticed\u2014since she was my third child, I felt like\u2014there were some things. \u201cI\u2019ve had these other children; I know she\u2019s not doing the same things.\u201d Things like eye contact and smiling that she wasn\u2019t doing. We also, of course, had heard, \u201cShe might have disabilities.\u201d But it seemed like she didn\u2019t right away.<\/p>\n<p>At two months old, I really lobbied pretty heavily for genetic testing because my mom gut said, \u201cSomething is off.\u201d We ended up being able to get that, and she was diagnosed. About three or four weeks later, we were told she has a genetic abnormality, which is similar to my nephew, Emily\u2019s son, but actually wholly and completely different in the sense that, for her, she has a duplication and an inversion of five hundred and forty genes.<\/p>\n<p>Very different than a single. It\u2019s, again, unrelated things like that. Yet it affects her globally. But we knew that right from the outset. The doctor said, \u201cShe\u2019s the only one in the world with what she has. We\u2019ve never seen anything like this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u201c\u2014in the world!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Really?<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Yes, the only one. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Whoa!<\/p>\n<p>Laura: I know\u2014pretty wild. They said, \u201cBut we can look at some children who are somewhat similar to her, and we can make some predictions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We got about five pages of all the things that could potentially be complications for her. That set us down a very big, high medical need situation. We were doing surgeries and doctors\u2019 appointments and scans and all the things. They also told us at that time that she would likely never walk or never talk. They said, \u201cWe can be hopeful, but probably that\u2019s where your expectations need to [be] set.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Time passed and progressed, and years went by, and eventually, I\u2019m so thankful to be able to tell you [that], for her, she is able to walk. She had a walker and she had leg braces.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: She runs.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: She runs, yes. [Laughter] She\u2019ll do a summersault. She\u2019s still affected globally, so you can tell, but she has great movement. Also, with talking, she has started to talk.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: How old is she now?<\/p>\n<p>Laura: She is in kindergarten; she\u2019s six years old. She\u2019s talking and definitely has intellectual disabilities and is delayed there, but overall, she\u2019s doing much better than any doctor predicted, which we\u2019re so thankful for.<\/p>\n<p>Our stories are very different. Out of my daughter\u2019s story, I wrote the book, Like Me. That\u2019s a kid\u2019s book that was designed to help educate children who perhaps don\u2019t have a lot of familiarity with other children with disabilities, and to show them what it looks like to have a friend with disabilities, and to teach them what the \u201cImago Dei\u201d is, which I know is a concept a lot of parents want to teach.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, I was also thinking of my nephew, Jones, as I wrote that book, too. Both Emily and I have a lot of touch points with others with disabilities, so it seems God has been writing that into our stories for a long time.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I was with a group of 130 women the other night. I asked the women with children that have any sort of disability to stand. I was amazed at how many there were. Then we had all the women around them lay hands on them and pray for them. As they did that, these moms sobbed because they feel so alone, and they don\u2019t have a lot of people to talk to or vent with or to complain or to cheer.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m thinking as I look at you two: isn\u2019t it sweet that you have each other? What has that been like? Have you needed one another in these days?<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Absolutely. It\u2019s been a gift in the midst of a really hard situation; definitely a provision from God. I think one of the things that\u2019s hard about being a parent to a child with a disability is that when you look at other families, it\u2019s night and day. You almost can\u2019t compare.<\/p>\n<p>I was telling Laura\u2014we were talking about coming to Florida and all these different things, and I said: \u201cI just don\u2019t think we could bring our son here and do some of these things.\u201d That\u2019s a real limitation for our family. It\u2019s not as easy as just saying, \u201cWe\u2019ll pick up and go somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ann: \u2014as a family.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: \u2014as a family. We have emergency medication that needs to come, and you have to worry about sensory things and what you are going to do when there is a meltdown. Is it worth it? There are so, so many challenges. You look around at other families and can get really discouraged by some of the limitations and challenges that are there and how \u201ceasy\u201d it feels like other families have it, and they don\u2019t even understand how easy they have it.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s been nice is Laura is not only my sister-in-law and my ministry partner, but she\u2019s also my best friend. I think it would be so hard if I felt like, \u201cShe\u2019s doing these things as a mom, and she doesn\u2019t understand these challenges. When my son has a meltdown, or he pulls my hair, or he does whatever, she\u2019s not going to get it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But she does get it. It\u2019s such a gift that we can make eye contact with each other and she\u2019s saying, \u201cI know. I got it. It\u2019s fine.\u201d [Laughter] Or we can bond over \u201cI had to carry my kid screaming out of this place,\u201d and it\u2019s way different than you taking your two-year-old screaming\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Laura: \u2014carrying a seven-year-old.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Yes, that\u2019s very different than a two-year-old.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: And people are looking at you\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Laura: \u2014yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014 [and thinking], \u201cYou\u2019re a bad mom.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Yes, they\u2019re telling you tips on how to raise your kid. So, it\u2019s been a gift.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: It has been a gift, and I know what we have is rare; obviously, very rare. But I think it\u2019s been incredible to me to see what it\u2019s like to have a child with disabilities in the day and age that we live in and how different it is than it used to be. I think there\u2019s a lot of hope.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Me, too.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Just like you were talking about of people being aware and saying, \u201cOkay, we want to pray for these moms who are facing a very unique trial in their life.\u201d It\u2019s something that I think, with disabilities, often it\u2019s a different type of grief. Let\u2019s say you go through a death in the family. [That\u2019s] horrific, horrible. But you also\u2014there\u2019s a finality to it. You say, \u201cOkay, how are we going to move on? How do we learn to live within this knowledge?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But with disabilities, it\u2019s very much an unfolding, day by day. For me, the news was maybe a little better than I was told; but for Emily, the news was actually harder for her. There is so much hope that you hold, as a parent, for your child with disabilities, and you want to believe, \u201cThey\u2019re going to be basically just like normal or close to normal.\u201d That\u2019s what you tell yourself. But then there\u2019s this slow waking up to the reality that, \u201cNo, this is how far off they are.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>You don\u2019t know what\u2014still today, Emily and I don\u2019t know what\u2014that is. We\u2019re waiting, and every day we\u2019re walking forward, we\u2019re discovering new challenges, new painful moments, new milestones that just rip your heart out because your child didn\u2019t get them. You need community.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s where, going back to having a child in this day and age, there are a lot of resources for great community. I think no mom should be walking this\u2014or dad should be walking this\u2014path alone. Churches are doing more. I\u2019ve seen more of them connecting families. There are online organizations.<\/p>\n<p>Something incredible is, on Facebook, there\u2019s a group of parents that have children that are somewhat similar to my daughter. They\u2019re not the same, but there\u2019s this group where we can share maybe not Christian faith, but we can share: \u201cThis is something medically that my child experienced,\u201d or \u201cOh, my child\u2019s 14. Here\u2019s what it looks like for us.\u201d So, there\u2019s been some camaraderie that can even be developed.<\/p>\n<p>For any parent who is out there and has a child with disabilities, I would encourage them to seek out groups, to seek out friendships and relationships. Don\u2019t walk the path alone, because you don\u2019t have to.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: I talk often with parents who have kids with special needs or some sort of disability, and the other siblings are kind of remarkable as a result.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: You can spot them, can\u2019t you? [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Exactly.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: What does that look like for your families? Is that true?<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Absolutely. I think that it has really shaped our family culture. I don\u2019t want to toot my own horn, and we are not at the end yet. I don\u2019t have proof in the pudding, so I need all of that to be out there. But I do consistently feel like I see in my children a compassionate heart being developed; one of endless patience, of understanding, and even\u2014I see this in Emily\u2019s children, as well, and even some other cousins that we have in our family that are close with us\u2014just a heart for those that are overlooked.<\/p>\n<p>I have seen my kids go up to a young girl in a wheelchair who is nonverbal and is at our school and just lay their hand on her shoulder. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Ann: That\u2019s so sweet! It makes me cry.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Yes, I know. Me, too. I\u2019m tender with it, too. Just because they understand in a unique way that that other person is the Imago Dei and they deserve\u2014what we say in our home is they deserve dignity paired with compassion. Oftentimes, when it comes to seeing others with disabilities, we can often say we have pity.<\/p>\n<p>When my daughter was diagnosed, I felt pity for her, thinking\u2014I thought, \u201cOh, that stinks.\u201d I felt self-pity for me. I have felt pity for Emily. I will confess that I have felt those things. I think that\u2019s a natural first response. But then I think when we back up and we think about it biblically and apply the gospel, we can remember: \u201cNo, every person on the planet is made in the image of God, and therefore, they have inherent worth, value, and dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For my kids to go up and spend time with another kid isn\u2019t based on whether they\u2019ll be more popular. It\u2019s not based on whether going to have more friendships or more success or be better at sports or whatever it is. Instead, they know, or I\u2019m hoping that they continue to learn to know that that person deserves their presence simply because they\u2019re made in the image of God, and that we can feel for someone. We can say, \u201cI\u2019m sorry this happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We can still recognize the effects of the fall. We don\u2019t ignore those, but we can still give them that worth and value through spending time with them, through speaking to them, through smiling, even when, maybe, we don\u2019t get a response back that we feel like is appropriate socially, or even if we feel uncomfortable or awkward.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s something I talk to my kids about all the time: \u201cThis life isn\u2019t about you.\u201d We say in our home, \u201cMy life for yours.\u201d What that means is that Christ gave His life for us and, therefore, now we can give our life to others. That\u2019s not in some self-sacrificial martyr way, but in a way that says, \u201cThis life isn\u2019t about me feeling comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I think when we get around people with disabilities, we learn really quickly that \u201cI\u2019m going to feel uncomfortable and awkward.\u201d They probably feel fine. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, Emily, what would you add?<\/p>\n<p>Emily: It\u2019s interesting watching it through a child\u2019s eyes, because they can hold sorrow and joy together a lot better than an adult can sometimes. It\u2019s even been interesting watching our kids see our son have a seizure, and they have that fear and [are] processing through all of that. Ten minutes later, they\u2019re in the backyard playing football and they\u2019re laughing again. They can transition in and out of that.<\/p>\n<p>They feel the weight of it but they don\u2019t carry it in the same way that we do as an adult. Sometimes, I think about childlike faith, and what it looks like to accept what God has given and have sorrow for the sad things and have joy in the good things and be able to have both and to still laugh. I learn that from my kids a lot.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m actually a sibling of someone with a disability. That\u2019s my youngest brother, my only sibling, so it\u2019s deeply affected my life. It\u2019s deeply shaped me. It\u2019s hard for me to translate that to my own kids sometimes to know that\u2019s happening in their life, too; but we\u2019ve seen a lot of things, like what Laura said.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a kid in my twins\u2019 grade that their teacher was asking, \u201cWhat in the world?\u201d They were playing with a kid who doesn\u2019t talk the same way and is on the spectrum and some different things. They just went right over and played. They were taking turns every other day playing with him at recess.<\/p>\n<p>The teacher pulled them aside, and it wasn\u2019t until the teacher pointed out, \u201cThat\u2019s great that you\u2019re doing that,\u201d that they even noticed. It was like an instinctive [thing] for them to go to the kid who was different, because they\u2019re comfortable with that. That\u2019s like their brother.<\/p>\n<p>Now children are being exposed a lot younger to other kids with disabilities, so it\u2019s so important that we do have a lot of conversations around this topic and that parents are teaching that Imago Dei, and where children find their identity and worth, and how they can value other people; teaching them, too, to have comfort and familiarity with disabilities and adaptive equipment and knowing what to say when they see something that maybe feels foreign to them or different and knowing what to say when a child acts out in anger in a way that they don\u2019t understand.<\/p>\n<p>Those conversations are really important for families to start having at a pretty young age to start building some of those little blocks. It doesn\u2019t have to be this big, \u201cLet\u2019s sit down!\u201d but over time.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Somebody should write a children\u2019s book about this. [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Yes, they seriously should.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I was going to say, I read the whole thing.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: It\u2019s really cool.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: It\u2019s so helpful. I was thinking [for] kids, \u201cNobody\u2019s telling them what you\u2019re telling them.\u201d I\u2019m even watching the pictures, thinking those are your siblings, right? Some of that taking care of\u2014 [Laughter]<\/p>\n<p>Laura: Yes, it\u2019s very much written as an autobiography of our own life, for sure.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: That\u2019s what I figured.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: And it\u2019s beautiful. I feel like every home should have that. Honestly, Emily, this devotional [book], I could go through and read\u2014it\u2019s not just about having a child with a disability\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Emily: No, it\u2019s not.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: No, no, no.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: That was more just the inspiration behind it. I thought to myself: \u201cWhat would someone who\u2019s feeling weak need?\u201d which is really what I need. [Laughter] It\u2019s just truth from Scripture\u2014relatable, easy to understand, applicable\u2014and then questions that are ultimately turning you back to God.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Because that\u2019s what the title is all about.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: They don\u2019t turn you inward.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: No, it\u2019s about God. He is strong.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes, He turns you\u2014<\/p>\n<p>Dave: \u2014it\u2019s not even, \u201cWe are strong.\u201d It\u2019s \u201cHe is strong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Emily: \u201cHe is strong,\u201d that\u2019s good.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: As somebody who identifies more on the strong side and doesn\u2019t like to think about weakness or talk about weakness, I highly endorse this book. I read every chapter; they were dripped to me in a Word document. It was so fun, because I found myself tearing up over my laptop as I read this on a Word document. I thought, \u201cThis is not my thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I just encourage you, no matter how you feel about weakness or strength, this is an incredible book that just points you to Jesus over and over.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: This would be a really good gift to give to a girlfriend. It\u2019s really good.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: I would end this way: by saying thank you. I didn\u2019t have a brother or sister who had disabilities, but my mom [and I], after the divorce and the death of my little brother, moved to Ohio from a mansion in New Jersey. My dad was an airline pilot. We moved to this little house, and she became a schoolteacher of physically challenged little kids across the street with disabilities.<\/p>\n<p>I was around these little boys, and it changed how I viewed everything. I saw my mom as this strong woman who had compassion. You guys are\u2014that\u2019s you! It\u2019s been a blessing to have you here. You\u2019ve walked that; you\u2019re going to walk it your whole life.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Dave: You\u2019re now imparting it to a legacy of your children. I can\u2019t wait to see what these little guys that are tearing apart our building right now\u2014[Laughter]\u2014are going to be as men someday.<\/p>\n<p>Emily: Oh, boy! Respect for people, but not for things all the time. [Laughter] No, we\u2019re working on it.<\/p>\n<p>Ann: Thanks for always pointing us back to Jesus.<\/p>\n<p>Laura: You bet! Of course.<\/p>\n<p>Shelby: I\u2019m Shelby Abbott, and you\u2019ve been listening to Dave and Ann Wilson with Emily Jensen and Laura Wifler on FamilyLife Today.<\/p>\n<p>I loved how real it has been with Emily and Laura today and the last few days that we\u2019ve had them here with us at FamilyLife Today. I hope that it has been a life-giving time for you, as well.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to hear more from Emily and Laura, they\u2019ve written a book called Risen Motherhood. This book really gives you guidance and encouragement for navigating the complexities of motherhood in a world that\u2019s kind of confusing and has conflicting advice. [It] really gives you the opportunity of how to connect your faith with your everyday challenges of being a mom.<\/p>\n<p>You can get your copy of Risen Motherhood by going online to FamilyLifeToday.com, or you can give us a call at 800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now, this is a unique month. It\u2019s the month of May. Because of some generous partners, this month, all month long, any donation that you make when you become a monthly partner, is going to be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $500,000. That means when you give a monthly gift of $100, it becomes $200 a month.<\/p>\n<p>Again, that\u2019s only happening this month, in the month of May. In addition to partnering with us, you get a lot of benefits when you do. We\u2019re going to send you a copy of Chris and Elizabeth McKinney\u2019s book called Neighborhoods Reimagined. They were with us earlier this week.<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019ll also get to become part of our new online community and be a part of the conversation here at FamilyLife, including the opportunity to join us on a Facebook Live event with me and the Wilsons on June 5th at 7 pm. Again, that\u2019s only for monthly partners. So, if you want to learn a little bit more about how to give, head over to FamilyLifeToday.com and click on the \u201cDonate Now\u201d button at the top of the page. Or you can give us a call with your donation at 800-358-6329; again, that number is 800- \u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Join us next week as Alistair Begg is with Dave and Ann Wilson. He\u2019ll be discussing marriage, ministry, and the profound insights that we can get from the sermon on the plane. That\u2019s next week.<\/p>\n<p>On behalf of Dave and Ann Wilson, I\u2019m Shelby Abbott. We will see you back next time for another edition of FamilyLife Today.<\/p>\n<p>FamilyLife Today is a donor-supported production of FamilyLife\u00ae, a Cru\u00ae Ministry.<\/p>\n<p>Helping you pursue the relationships that matter most.<\/p>\n<p>We are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider donating today to help defray the costs?<\/p>\n<p>Copyright \u00a9 2024 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<p>www.FamilyLife<\/p>\n","theme_header_position":"Sticky","post_header_is_sticky":"default","is_header_overlay":"0"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/280273","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47000"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=280273"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/280865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=280273"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=280273"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=280273"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=280273"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=280273"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=280273"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}