Feeling pressure to be “enough” for your kids? This episode explores how Christ-centered empowerment sets you free from unrealistic expectations, especially as a mom in a neurodiverse family.
Discover practical tips for discipling kids with unique needs!
Becky Beresford lives in North Carolina and is happily outnumbered by her husband and three wonderful boys. She is a writer, speaker, and coach with a Master’s Certificate in Spiritual Formation and Discipleship from Moody Theological Seminary. Becky loves encouraging God’s Daughters to embrace Christ-centered empowerment through gospel truth. Her work has been featured in large online communities, and she regularly teaches for Proverbs 31 Ministries in their First 5 app. Becky’s first book, She Believed HE Could, So She Did, released with Moody Publishers in March 2024.
She would love to connect with you online at BeckyBeresford.com, where you can sign up to become a part of her Empowered Email Tribe and receive resources and truth to help you walk closely with Jesus. Follow Becky on Instagram and Facebook.
Whether you’re a parent, church leader, or someone supporting families, here are three key takeaways:
✨ You don’t have to be “enough” for your family.
✨ Comparison is a joy-killer.
✨ Small moments matter—even when you pivot.
📚 FOLLOW-UP RESOURCES:
- “She Believed HE Could, So She Did” by Becky Beresford
- My Book: Little Habits, Big Faith by Christie Thomas
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📝SUMMARY
On the “Little Shoots, Deep Roots” podcast, host Christie Thomas sits down with author and fellow mom Becky Beresford for a thoughtful conversation about parenting, discipleship, and embracing God’s grace in the realities of family life. Drawing from her personal journey as a mother in a neurodiverse household and her book She Believed He Could, So She Did, Becky Beresford shares both practical insights and heartfelt encouragement for parents who want to cultivate faith in their families—even when life looks far from picture-perfect.
Shifting From Self-Reliance to God-Dependence
A core theme in Becky Beresford’s book, and throughout the interview, is the empowering shift away from societal pressures of self-sufficiency. As she explains, “What I want to help women do is kind of shift away from society’s idea of like, ‘You have to be it all. Everything rests on you. You’re the hero.’” Instead, her message calls us to depend on God’s strength rather than our own or the world’s expectations.
This lesson, she shares, is particularly vital for moms. Whether we’re drawn into the “supermom” mindset or crushed by comparisons, the antidote is the same: “I don’t have to be enough for my children. That is God’s job and He’s very, very good at it.” By releasing ourselves from perfectionism and surrendering our children to God, we find renewed hope and less pressure.
The Trap of Comparison—And the Grace to Pivot
For many parents, regardless of their family’s unique circumstances, comparison can rob us of joy. Becky is candid about the struggle, especially as a mom in a special needs family: trying to copy the “Pinterest-perfect” discipleship activities of others often leaves her feeling like a failure when things don’t go as planned.
Instead, she encourages “pivoting.” Every family, and even each child within a family, is different. “We are constantly having to be like, ‘Your will be done in this next five minutes, in this day, in this whatever, this moment, and give it to God.’” It’s an honest acknowledgment that discipleship isn’t about method or comparison, but about faithfulness and willing hearts.
Discipling Neurodiverse Kids: Creativity and Flexibility
A particularly helpful segment of the interview delves into the specific challenges and rewards of discipling a child with neurodiversity. Becky, whose oldest son is autistic with sensory processing disorder, describes her practice of finding “slivers of time,” brief moments to share God’s truth or invite her son into worship.
Because of her son’s short attention span, traditional Bible study doesn’t work; instead, she communicates succinctly, often threading faith into his unique interests or treasured moments like gratitude journals. Sometimes the fruit of these seeds takes months to become apparent, but it reminds Becky of the truth in 1 Corinthians: “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.”
For all parents, especially those who feel unseen, this gentle reminder offers sustaining hope.
Inclusive Church: The Power of Being Seen
Church can be a challenging place for neurodiverse families. For years, Becky and her husband took turns missing services to stay with their son, as most churches lacked supportive programming. Everything changed when, upon moving to North Carolina, a church welcomed her teenager into a dedicated special needs class. The relief and gratitude were overwhelming: “I felt so seen.”
She encourages churches to be bold in creating welcoming environments, even without expert training. Sometimes, simple presence (singing with kids, loving them where they are) is enough to make a profound difference for an entire family.
Embracing the Sacred Pivot
Above all, Becky’s message is one of grace in the ever-changing landscape of family life. “It’s okay to not know it all and to constantly be changing because every family is unique. Every person is unique. Every journey to knowing Jesus is unique.”
For parents feeling overwhelmed by expectations or discouraged by the daily messiness of life, these words ring true: Open hands, a willingness to pivot, and the steady trust that God is at work (even when we can’t see it) are what grow the deepest roots of faith in our families.
📚 FOLLOW-UP RESOURCES:
- “She Believed HE Could, So She Did” by Becky Beresford
- My Book: Little Habits, Big Faith by Christie Thomas
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