Ep 117 // When God Doesn’t Answer the Way You Hoped: A Special Needs Parenting Journey with Lisa Plett

What do you do when God doesn’t answer the prayer you’ve been pleading since you were 13—and instead, He calls you straight into the fire?

This raw and deeply moving conversation with Lisa J. Plett—author of In a Stroke of Love—pulls back the curtain on what it’s really like to mother a child with profound special needs. From a devastating medical diagnosis at birth to a God-whispered adoption story in a Jamaican orphanage, Lisa shares how her identity was formed and refined through heartbreak, caregiving, therapy, and relentless faith. We talk about caregiver burnout, the messy road to surrender, and what it looks like to trust God's voice—even when it breaks you wide open.

POWERFUL QUOTES:

“He didn’t answer my prayer. But He knew what I needed.”

“God didn’t give me what I asked for. He gave me what would shape me.”

“I was so busy serving God I didn’t know how to sit with Him.”

“I used to be Bryson’s caregiver. Now I get to be his mom.”

REFLECTION QUESTIONS:

1. Has there been a time when God didn’t answer your prayer in the way you hoped? What came out of it?
2. What parts of your identity have been shaped in the hidden trenches of caregiving, grief, or obedience?
3. Are you living in denial about something hard in your life right now? What would it look like to gently face it with God’s help?
4. Who is your “go-to” person to help carry the weight when you don’t have the strength to pray?

Get Lisa's book:

In a Stroke of Love: Hope and Healing on the Special Needs Journey - For every mom, educator, or caregiver walking the hard road—you’re not alone.

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• Website:https://meganbnilsen.com/
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