may give you the Spirit<\/span><\/i> of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you,
the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,\u00a0<\/span><\/i>and his incomparably great power for us who believe.
<\/span><\/i>Ephesians 1:17-19a (NIV)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n
I sat in a waiting room of a children\u2019s hospital dedicated to those with special needs. It\u2019s a small hospital, and the waiting room was packed. My daughter Abbey was around 10 at the time, and we were there for a routine appointment. I was irritated about the wait when an ambulance transfer showed up with a little boy confined to a hospital bed. There were feeding tubes, trach tubes, and all kinds of other medical leads coming out of this little guy. His mom walked alongside the paramedics and stayed with her son while he got checked in. She rubbed his forehead and kissed his chee. A nurse suctioned his trach. I looked around the room at all the children with disabilities and their parents and felt hopeless. What are we all doing here? This life is too hard, it\u2019s too painful! What\u2019s the point of it all!? <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Is there any hope?<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n I know I\u2019m not the only parent who has felt that way because I have talked to so many of you who have wrestled with those very thoughts. It\u2019s really important for us to recognize that this pursuit of truth leads to the answers that quiet our soul\u2019s questions. Time in God\u2019s Word is what strengthens our ability to process our unique and sometimes painful experiences. If we are in Christ Jesus, we have a living hope that is not only meant to be known, but to be experienced. Paul prays for the Ephesians to have the eyes of their hearts enlightened so that they may <\/span>know<\/span><\/i>\u00a0 (emphasis mine) the hope to which Christ calls us, the riches of our inheritance in Him, and the incomparable power of Christ in our lives. <\/span><\/p>\n Psalm 119:114 says this about the Lord: You are my refuge and my shield;\u00a0<\/em><\/span>I have put my hope in your word.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Sometimes people look at our life and say that it\u2019s really hard. I won\u2019t argue that having two disabled children is sometimes heartbreaking. But is there any hope? The answer is yes!\u00a0We still have joy and hope<\/strong><\/em>. People ask my husband Ryan and me how we handle it the way we do. There\u2019s only one word: Jesus.<\/strong><\/em> <\/span>The work of his Holy Spirit, and the truth of God\u2019s word has changed us from the inside out.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n Jeremiah 29:12-13 says\u00a0Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.\u00a0<\/span>You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.\u00a0<\/span>If you are feeling hopeless today, I encourage you to seek God\u2019s Word.<\/span>\u00a0Christ is a refuge and shield. <\/span>This hope, this inheritance, this power of Christ is meant to be known and experienced!<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Do you like what you see at DifferentDream.com? You can receive more great content by subscribing to the monthly Different Dream newsletter and signing up for the daily RSS feed delivered to your email inbox. You can sign up for the first in the pop up box and the second at the bottom of this page.<\/em><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner _builder_version=”4.4.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.2″ background_color=”#b4dbc0″ custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blurb title=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9hdXRob3IiLCJzZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJiZWZvcmUiOiJCeSAiLCJhZnRlciI6IiIsIm5hbWVfZm9ybWF0IjoiZGlzcGxheV9uYW1lIiwibGluayI6Im9uIiwibGlua19kZXN0aW5hdGlvbiI6ImF1dGhvcl9hcmNoaXZlIn19@” image=”http:\/\/differentdream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Kimberly-Drew.jpg” icon_placement=”left” image_max_width=”100px” content_max_width=”800px” _builder_version=”4.9.4″ _dynamic_attributes=”title” header_font=”Rubik|500|||||||” header_text_color=”#44465f” header_font_size=”14px” header_line_height=”32px” body_font=”Rubik||||||||” body_text_color=”rgba(0,6,69,0.6)” body_link_text_color=”#ffffff” custom_css_main_element=”font-weight: 400;” border_radii_image=”on|100px|100px|100px|100px” border_color_all_image=”#ffffff” box_shadow_style_image=”preset1″ box_shadow_vertical_image=”20px” box_shadow_blur_image=”40px” box_shadow_color_image=”rgba(68,70,95,0.27)” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”] Kimberly grew up and went to college in the small town of Upland, IN. She graduated from Taylor University with a degree in Elementary Education in 2002. While at TU, she married her college sweetheart and so began their adventure! Ryan and Kimberly have three amazing kids on earth (Abigail, Jayden, and Cooper), and a baby boy waiting for them in heaven. Their daughter Abigail (Abbey) has multiple disabilities including cerebral palsy, a seizure disorder, hearing loss, microcephaly, and oral dysphagia. She is the inspiration behind Kimberly\u2019s\u00a0 desire to write. In addition to being a stay at home mom, Kimberly has been serving alongside her husband in full time youth ministry for almost fourteen years. She enjoys working with the senior high girls, scrapbooking, reading, and music. You can visit Kimberly at her website, Promises and Perspective<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>[\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner _builder_version=”4.4.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=”3_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_comments _builder_version=”4.4.2″ custom_button=”on” button_text_color=”#42313A” button_bg_color=”#EBDCB2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_comments][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_sidebar _builder_version=”4.4.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_sidebar][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.9.2″ use_background_color_gradient=”on” background_color_gradient_start=”#42313A” background_color_gradient_end=”#EBDCB2″ background_color_gradient_direction=”159deg” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” border_width_all=”3px” border_color_all=”#1c1259″ saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ _builder_version=”4.9.2″ width=”100%” max_width=”100%” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”25px|0px|5px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ module_class=”horizontal_optin_column_1″ _builder_version=”4.3.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.2″ header_text_align=”right” header_text_color=”#45107a” header_3_font=”Dancing Script|700|||||||” header_3_text_align=”center” header_3_text_color=”#B4DBC0″ header_3_font_size=”45px” custom_margin=”10px||||false|false” custom_padding=”||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”] At some point, most parents raising kids with disabilities ask this question: Is there any hope? Kimberly Drew explains the source of her hope in this post.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30898,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,\nmay give you the Spirit<\/span><\/i> of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.\nI pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you,\nthe riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,\u00a0<\/span><\/i>and his incomparably great power for us who believe.\n<\/span><\/i>Ephesians 1:17-19a (NIV)<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nI sat in a waiting room of a children\u2019s hospital dedicated to those with special needs. It\u2019s a small hospital, and the waiting room was packed. My daughter Abbey was around 10 at the time, and we were there for a routine appointment. I was irritated about the wait when an ambulance transfer showed up with a little boy confined to a hospital bed. There were feeding tubes, trach tubes, and all kinds of other medical leads coming out of this little guy. His mom walked alongside the paramedics and stayed with her son while he got checked in. She rubbed his forehead and kissed his chee. A nurse suctioned his trach. I looked around the room at all the children with disabilities and their parents and felt hopeless. What are we all doing here? This life is too hard, it\u2019s too painful! What\u2019s the point of it all!? <\/em><\/span>\n\nIs there any hope?<\/strong><\/em><\/span>\n\nI know I\u2019m not the only parent who has felt that way because I have talked to so many of you who have wrestled with those very thoughts. It\u2019s really important for us to recognize that this pursuit of truth leads to the answers that quiet our soul\u2019s questions. Time in God\u2019s Word is what strengthens our ability to process our unique and sometimes painful experiences. If we are in Christ Jesus, we have a living hope that is not only meant to be known, but to be experienced. Paul prays for the Ephesians to have the eyes of their hearts enlightened so that they may <\/span>know<\/span><\/i>\u00a0 (emphasis mine) the hope to which Christ calls us, the riches of our inheritance in Him, and the incomparable power of Christ in our lives. <\/span>\n\nPsalm 119:114 says this about the Lord: You are my refuge and my shield;\u00a0<\/em><\/span>I have put my hope in your word.<\/span><\/em>\n\nSometimes people look at our life and say that it\u2019s really hard. I won\u2019t argue that having two disabled children is sometimes heartbreaking. But is there any hope? The answer is yes!\u00a0We still have joy and hope<\/strong><\/em>. People ask my husband Ryan and me how we handle it the way we do. There\u2019s only one word: Jesus.<\/strong><\/em> <\/span>The work of his Holy Spirit, and the truth of God\u2019s word has changed us from the inside out.\u00a0 <\/span>\n\nJeremiah 29:12-13 says\u00a0Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.\u00a0<\/span>You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.\u00a0<\/span>If you are feeling hopeless today, I encourage you to seek God\u2019s Word.<\/span>\u00a0Christ is a refuge and shield. <\/span>This hope, this inheritance, this power of Christ is meant to be known and experienced!<\/span>\n\nSubscribe for Updates from Jolene<\/h3>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.3.4″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_signup mailchimp_list=”JolenePhilo|89f719a52b” layout=”bottom_top” first_name_fullwidth=”off” last_name_field=”off” email_fullwidth=”off” module_class=”custom_emailoptin” _builder_version=”4.4.2″ form_field_focus_background_color=”#42313A” background_enable_color=”off” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”16px” button_text_color=”#42313A” button_bg_color=”#B4DBC0″ button_border_width=”2px” button_border_radius=”0px” button_font=”|||on|||||” button_use_icon=”off” button_custom_margin=”5px||||false|false” button_custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px|false|false” border_width_all_fields=”2px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_signup][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.4.2″ custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.4.2″ header_font=”EB Garamond|600|||||||” header_text_color=”#B6452C” header_font_size=”50px” header_text_shadow_style=”preset1″ global_colors_info=”{}”]
Related Posts<\/h1>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.4.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.4.2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blog fullwidth=”off” posts_number=”3″ include_categories=”current” show_more=”on” _builder_version=”4.4.2″ header_text_color=”#42313A” meta_font=”||on||||||” read_more_font=”|||on|||||” read_more_text_color=”#B6452C” read_more_font_size=”12px” pagination_text_color=”#B6452C” pagination_font_size=”20px” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_blog][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
![\"At](\"http:\/\/differentdream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/any-hope.jpg\")
\n\nIs there any hope? Now there's a question every parent caring for a child with\u00a0disabilities and special needs ponders. Guest blogger Kimberly Drew is back to point readers to the source of her hope as she and her husband raise two daughters with disabilities.\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/differentdream.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/10\/IMG_6254-1-150x150.jpg\")
Kimberly grew up and went to college in the small town of Upland, IN. She graduated from Taylor University with a degree in Elementary Education in 2002. While at TU, she married her college sweetheart and so began their adventure! Ryan and Kimberly have three amazing kids on earth (Abigail, Jayden, and Cooper), and a baby boy waiting for them in heaven. Theirdaughter Abigail (Abbey) has multiple disabilities including cerebral palsy, a seizure disorder, hearing loss, microcephaly, and oral dysphagia. She is the inspiration behind Kimberly\u2019s\u00a0 desire to write. In addition to being a stay at home mom, Kimberly has been serving alongside her husband in full time youth ministry for almost fourteen years. She enjoys working with the senior high girls, scrapbooking, reading, and music. You can visit Kimberly at her website, Promises and Perspective<\/a>.<\/em>\n\nDo you like what you see at DifferentDream.com? You can receive more great content by subscribing to the monthly Different Dream newsletter and signing up for the daily RSS feed delivered to your email inbox. You can sign up for the first in the pop up box and the second at the bottom of this page.<\/em>","_et_gb_content_width":"2880","footnotes":""},"categories":[3559,3615,3583],"tags":[403,587,2401],"class_list":["post-30894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-different-dream","category-encouragement","category-spiritual-support","tag-faith","tag-hospitalization","tag-scripture"],"yoast_head":"\n