Lessons from Jessica

As part of the Pastor’s Choice series, Pastor Scott Wiens shares “Lessons from Jessica,” a deeply personal message about his daughter Jessica, her autism diagnosis, and the ways God has used her life to shape his family’s faith, character, and understanding of His sovereignty. Scott begins with the frightening circumstances surrounding Jessica’s birth in 1994, when a medical emergency led to an ambulance ride, desperate prayers, and an unexpected hospital delivery. From the beginning, Jessica faced challenges: tongue tie, jaundice, colic, and then, around eighteen months old, a noticeable change in communication. She stopped responding to her name, seemed to withdraw into her own world, and eventually received an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. With honesty and tenderness, Scott describes the grief that can come with disability—not grief because someone has died, but grief because certain dreams have to die. He speaks candidly about the weight of realizing Jessica might never marry, go to college, have children, or live independently, and about the lifelong caregiving journey he and his wife, Hedie, were beginning. He also shares the daily realities of autism in their home: communication struggles, sensory sensitivities, difficulty with social cues, fear of conflict, and the constant need for patience, protection, and understanding. But this message is not only about hardship. Scott celebrates Jessica’s creativity, her love for animals, her artistic gifts, her work serving others, and her sincere love for prayer. Through her life, he highlights five lessons God has taught him: unselfishness, a servant heart, kindness and tenderness, the importance of hating conflict and practicing self-control, and childlike faith that simply believes God hears. Scott also asks a larger question: how do we view people with disabilities? Are they mistakes to be fixed, or are they image-bearers of God with purpose, dignity, and something holy to teach us? Through Scripture and personal testimony, he points to the sovereignty of God and the truth that God does not make junk. If you are parenting a child with autism, walking through disability, carrying caregiver fatigue, or learning to trust God with a life that looks different than you expected, this message offers compassion, honesty, and hope. In Jessica’s words, there is still the promise of “a beautiful morning forever.” We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more! Find us on Facebook & Instagram