Your Hope-Filled Perspective with Dr. Michelle Bengtson podcast

How to Let Go of a Broken Dream and Discover God's Greater Plan

April 24, 2025
00:00 19:57
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Episode Summary:

In this episode of Your Hope-Filled Perspective, we are continuing the Sacred Scar Story Series during which I’ve had the blessing to interview many people who have experienced some very painful wounds, but then saw God heal and do a redemptive work and bring about beautiful sacred scars.

Maureen Miller shares about her devastatingly painful wound when she had dreamed of becoming a mother since early childhood only to have doctors report that short of the miraculous, she would be unable to conceive.

She shares how she coped with her pain and her grief, and how God ultimately fulfilled her dream of motherhood through adoption.


Quotables from the episode:

  • Everyone has a story about something that has wounded them and caused pain.
  • My scars have been more emotional scars having to do with the loss of a dream since I was a little girl, of being mom and so looking forward to having children and being able to do all the things that moms love to do with their kids.
  • I married my high school sweetheart and not long after that we realized we were going to have difficulty conceiving. It was painful to hear a doctor say that short of the miraculous, you will never have children biologically. Those words felt like the death of a dream and cut very deeply.
  • Having been raised in a Christian home, and having a good grounding in biblical truth and God’s promises, it wasn’t long before I really began seeking the Lord and asking him how he might use this pain for something good and bring something beautiful out of my broken body.
  • I mourned and I grieved the death of that childhood dream that I had held onto so tightly. There was a season when I shook my fist at God, but it wasn’t a long season.
  • As I began to delight myself in the Lord, and be real with him, and at times even shake my fist, he can not only handle all my doubts and fears and anger, but he can even pry open my hands that were clenching that dream.
  • He began to show me that as I prayed with my hands up and open, he could either take that dream away and replace it with something better, or he could grant me that dream in some miraculous way.
  • As I meditated on the scripture and began to delight in the Lord, it didn’t mean that God would always answer our prayers in the way we wanted them answered, but he would actually fill our hearts with the dreams he had for us first and those would become our dream.
  • As I mourned then sought the Lord and delighted in Him first, He began to show me that it was his dream for me to be a mom—it just didn’t look like I thought it would.
  • We have the choice when we are wounded to either turn toward God and seek him or turn away and walk in the other direction.
  • There was shame because I had to really remind myself that my identity as a woman was not wrapped up in me being a life-giver. My identity came in Christ and who he created me to be.
  • The Lord confirmed for me that I was “blessed in my barrenness.” Our pain became a catalyst for me to offer sympathy, comfort, and help for those he places in our paths.
  • I realized I had the ability to minister to birth mothers who chose life for their children, carry them for 9 months, and then give others the greatest gift of life they could ever give.
  • When God impressed upon me that I was “blessed in my barrenness,” I realized my condition wasn’t a mistake and that God had given me a heart to sympathize and empathize with those who are hurting.
  • Over time we were able to adopt three children, but we also experienced the pain of two failed adoptions that have their own sacred scars and round out our story.
  • It’s a beautiful thing when we’re able to hold up our dream and offer it to God and say “Take this dream if it’s not yours, and you have something better, or if it is your dream, confirm it so I can walk it out in faith and joy knowing it’s according to your will.”
  • Delight yourself in the Lord. Spend time with Him in His Word. Spend time with God in prayer. Surround yourself with Christian brothers and sisters who can really speak into your life and confirm the truth. Know your identity in Christ and surround yourself with people who will remind you of that. Trust that according to Romans 8:28, God will work all things together for good for those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose.
  • Journal so you can go back and look at the “stones of remembrance” and you can remember how God answered prayers.
  • Once I surrender my will and my way, God has the freedom to work His perfect will, in His perfect way, and in His perfect timing.


Scripture References:

  • Psalm 37:4-6 NIV “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.”
  • Romans 8:28 NIV “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Recommended Resources:

Social Media Links for Host and Guest:

Connect with Maureen Miller:

Website / Facebook

For more hope, stay connected with Dr. Bengtson at:

Order Book Sacred Scars / Order Book The Hem of His Garment / Order Book Today is Going to be a Good Day / Order Book Breaking Anxiety’s Grip / Order Book Hope Prevails / Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter (@DrMBengtson) / LinkedIn / Instagram / Pinterest / YouTube / Podcast on Apple

Guest:

Maureen Miller has been married to her childhood sweetheart Bill for 35 years. Together they have three born-in-their-hearts children and three grand-girls and share life on Selah Farm, a hobby homestead in western NC. She writes for Guideposts, her local newspaper, and several online devotion sites, and her debut novel, Gideon’s Book, is due to release later this year.

Hosted By: Dr. Michelle Bengtson

Audio Technical Support: Bryce Bengtson

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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Meet Your Host
Dr. Michelle Bengtson is a hope concierge! She is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist, international speaker, and award-winning author dedicated to offering hope, healing, and practical tools for mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. As the host of the top-rated podcast Your Hope-Filled Perspective, she combines her professional expertise with biblical truth to empower listeners to overcome anxiety, depression, and life’s challenges through faith.

A trusted voice in Christian mental health, Dr. Bengtson is the bestselling author of Hope Prevails: Insights from a Doctor's Personal Journey through Depression and Breaking Anxiety's Grip. With over 30 years of clinical experience, she has helped countless individuals find lasting freedom from fear, stress, and discouragement.

Dr. Bengtson is a frequent media guest on platforms such as Focus on the Family, Life Today, and Moody Radio. Her writing and resources have been featured on outlets including Crosswalk, iBelieve, and Salem Media, equipping believers to embrace God's promises in every season.

Connect with Dr. Bengtson at DrMichelleBengtson.com, where she shares faith-based encouragement, expert insights, and free resources for cultivating a hope-filled life.
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