Welcome to the Truth in Love podcast with your host, Kimberly Faith. The Truth in Love podcast seeks to present God's timeless truth through the lens of his remarkable love.
Kimberly Faith:Welcome back to the Truth in Love podcast. And I am so excited about our guest today. If you all listen to last week's podcast, you heard from Melissa Sharp. And today we also are joined again by Melissa. Good morning or good afternoon, Melissa.
Kimberly Faith:Here. Yes. And her lovely daughter. Actually, lovely isn't really a good enough word. Gorgeous.
Kimberly Faith:Drop dead gorgeous daughter, Hope Ingram. And welcome, Hope. Thank you. I love to be here. Yes.
Kimberly Faith:And we're so excited that you're here. And today, we're gonna hear, your story because your story is remarkable. And, just to give our listeners a little bit of a background, I've been practicing law for a long time, and, Hope's story, intersected with my law practice, several years ago, back when, Hope, you told me you were born. Is it okay if I tell your age? Yeah.
Kimberly Faith:Okay. Back in April on April 14, 2005. And, I really, want Melissa, I really just want you to take the lead on the story. Okay? Because it's a miracle.
Kimberly Faith:And and I wanna lay some foundation. In my law practice and in our circuit and in the state of Missouri and probably many other states, I know for a fact many other states, we see the scourge of meth. We see the scourge of drugs on children and what it's doing to a whole population of innocence. And in my law practice, I see this over and over again where children are born to parents who are addicted to drugs and the just the the havoc it wreaks, the just the horrible consequences of the of the sin of drug abuse. And, Hope, you're a miracle.
Kimberly Faith:You're a miracle, and your life is a miracle, and your story is a miracle, and I'm not gonna cry. I'm I You wouldn't and I think your story needs to be told because, I'm sitting here looking at you, and you are just I just look at you. You're a miracle, and I think your mom is gonna fill us in on on, probably what that looks like. And, so let's without further ado, let's let's go and and start at the beginning, Melissa.
Melissa Sharp:Okay. That's, gosh. There's so much to our story. But just like we said back in April of 05, I was a mother to to my son, Luke, and he would have been about 7 at that time. Now now previous to this, I couldn't have any more children after Luke, because I was look well, there was a lot of different things, but I just it wasn't safe for me to ever attempt another pregnancy.
Melissa Sharp:And but I had always prayed to have to have a little girl. Right? And, I'm God is faithful and he is good and he gave me a little girl, however, not in the way that I had had had thought it would happen. In her way. Right?
Melissa Sharp:And it was her her her for sure, he's amazing. So as as as you know, Kim, my father, was dating a much younger girl who was addicted to drugs. She did, you know, meth was her primary thing, but she did whatever she could get her hands on. Inevitably, she got pregnant. And, without going to too much into detail on that, when Hope was born, when she went to deliver Hope, what she didn't even get, prenatal care until the 3rd trimester.
Melissa Sharp:There was a lot of complications because Hope was born addicted to meth and several other different drugs. Plus, there were some STDs. There was just all kinds of things. She was in intensive care for a couple days. And then, at the 3 day mark, d d DFS delivered her to us.
Melissa Sharp:My dad had called me, when when she was born and laid out the situation, and I had already assumed that this was this was what was going to happen. That hope had been taken. The state of Missouri had taken custody of her because she was in in in meth withdrawals. And that, she she could go to a family member, but not to him because he wasn't willing to give up the girlfriend. And so I threw up a flare prayer, and I said, lord, if this is what you want me to do, you know, and, I I asked my husband at the time if if this was something we could do, and and he said yes.
Melissa Sharp:And, and so I I I agreed to it on the stipulation that we would be able to adopt. I was not going to take her and give her back to to the mother. That was the stipulation, and that was agreed to. Did you did
Kimberly Faith:you know about the mother's history of drug use?
Melissa Sharp:Yes. Everybody in town did. Okay.
Kimberly Faith:They all knew. And, ironically, you mentioned that your that she had not had any pre prenatal care. Your biological father is actually a doctor.
Melissa Sharp:Mhmm. And and Retired now, but yes.
Kimberly Faith:Right. And and so this did this situation surprise you?
Melissa Sharp:No. It it his his character he was not known to be a man of great character integrity. Mhmm. It disappointed me Right. But it didn't surprise me.
Kimberly Faith:And children said it was it was the state of Missouri pretty, admit that he was not to have her. Yes. And so with that in mind, you,
Melissa Sharp:tell tell us about the first time you met Hope. Oh my gosh. When they brought her to to the house, it was a it was a social worker. And, this is the one that you met that one time, that so graciously after she found out she was adopted, her social worker came and had a meeting with her and explained everything that happened on that day. But she was the saddest looking thing, Kim.
Melissa Sharp:Her face was so broken out and her complexion, and she was so tiny and they she just did she looked she was very sick, and she looked sick. She looked very sick. And I when they gave hope to me and and I held her in my arms, I just cried. I said, oh my goodness. Baby looks so sick, Lord.
Melissa Sharp:But, anyway, she, she was inactive withdrawals for, you know, for quite a while and it it was hard. The first two years were actually very hard because she she she get overstimulated easy. She wasn't good at managing emotions. She'd have outrages. She she did this really weird thing too.
Melissa Sharp:She she would suck on her 2 fingers and she would hit herself against the couch. Just bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.
Melissa Sharp:Bang. So hard that it would actually shake the couch. What did you say home?
Hope Ingram:It was, like, peaceful. It just, like, was very calming.
Melissa Sharp:Yeah. She she would go like this back and forth like this Wow. As she got older. But when she was a baby, to get her to sleep, I mean, we'd have to put her in a, in a vibrating chair and put her on the dryer, and then she'd, she quit breathing. A lot of times, especially in the beginning at night, we'd have to kinda tap her on her on her little chest as she there there was just it was a very hard very hard couple of years, and, we finally got to adopt her right after the age of 2.
Kimberly Faith:What what, how long did the meth stay
Melissa Sharp:in your system? Well, with the the the symptoms went on for for at least 333 or 4 months. Now there were residual I mean Right. You know, I I mean No.
Kimberly Faith:I mean, the drug itself. Like, I mean, she was born with meth. I mean, she was obviously addicted. Right? Because her mother had been Yeah.
Kimberly Faith:Taking meth while she was, pregnant.
Melissa Sharp:Mhmm.
Kimberly Faith:But, did the did the actual presence of the drug cycle out pretty quickly? Because you mentioned that when we were talking before we started the podcast that she even had burns on her legs from
Melissa Sharp:Well, the the vagina area would Okay. There were there were burns there. So I it it it seemed to cycle out pretty quickly. However, the neurological effects, the things that were left behind Right. Which, you know, they told me that they thought, that the doctors thought that she had hearing problems, probably some vision problems, but definitely some neurological problems and and, you know, and some learning problems and, you know, all kinds of things.
Melissa Sharp:And I did the research because I'm definitely all about research and there wasn't a whole lot of research on meth babies at the time. So I had to research crack babies. And, you know, crack babies, they were very easily overstimulated. There was just a lot of behavioral problems, lots of outburst of anger and I just was like, Lord, this cannot be this child's faith. Right.
Melissa Sharp:I just I'm gonna pray to you and I'm just gonna keep praying and praying and praying that you will completely heal her and that she will go on to take this kingdom and to do big and mighty things in your name. And ever since she was born, before she found out, we we don't wanna tell her she was adopted because I didn't wanna tell her the way that she came into this world because to me, she was mine. Right?
Kimberly Faith:She was I can imagine not wanting to argue with you about that.
Melissa Sharp:No. No. And I didn't want her to think that that her birth or the way she was conceived took away from any of her value because she was a daughter of the king. She was more most part, she was my daughter. She was my little girl, and I loved her.
Melissa Sharp:So, up until she found out she was adopted, I have to prepare her. I would always tell her we would talk about what she would do when she got older. And I said, you know, just remember that, you know, you're in your perfect job when you take all the in all all the experiences that God has given you and you use it to help other people, which she understands now.
Kimberly Faith:You know, before we were talking, I asked you, Hope, what you wanted to be when, when, you know, ultimately, what do you think that your your dream job is? And what is that?
Hope Ingram:My dream job would definitely be work with kids and work with people with mental health because I think that going through the experience I did, it just made me resentful of parents who don't take care of their kids.
Kimberly Faith:Right. So when you found out at some point, you found out that you were adopted. Mhmm. And what tell tell us about that.
Hope Ingram:It was kind it was just shocking. I didn't expect it. But
Kimberly Faith:You just thought this this beautiful lady. I mean, I mean, she's been your mother. Right? And and it's was it did you feel resentful for that? A little bit, but
Hope Ingram:it definitely made me more grateful for sure.
Kimberly Faith:That's so that's so beautiful to me that and it's it's a tribute to the way you've been raised Mhmm. That you would feel grateful, and and also the heart that Jesus has given you. Now your your mom, who led you to the Lord? My mom. Your mom did.
Kimberly Faith:Tell us about that. How old were you? Do you remember?
Hope Ingram:Oh, I was, like, super little, and she would just always bring me to church. So that's kinda it's just what I've always known. Mhmm.
Kimberly Faith:And so you were you accepted Jesus Christ as your lord and savior at age 7, I think, you you told me earlier. Yeah. And, you were baptized. And, have you grown up in church then? Yeah.
Kimberly Faith:So do you think that growing up in a Christian environment had a big effect on, overcoming kind of the, maybe the obstacles that could have otherwise affected you when you found out you were adopted and the situation was what it was. Oh, yeah. For sure.
Hope Ingram:I think it's made it easier to forgive people because it just makes you more at peace. You don't have to worry about it or anything. Mhmm. So
Kimberly Faith:That's such a blessing that you have recognized that. Mhmm. Because when Jesus forgives us, you know, and and saves us, he I always like to call it my 4 trillion. Right? I have $4,000,000,000,000 in forgiveness in the bank.
Kimberly Faith:And so I can give out $5 all day long and never run out. Right? And what happened in in your situation, the circumstances of your birth, really, those are they're obviously produced a a what could have been a very horrible end for you. But the lord intervened with your life, and and he has given you an amazing life now. Right?
Kimberly Faith:And a great story too of of overcoming. So so can you wanna do you wanna tell us anything else about that journey, what that list looked like for you? You said you you would it was easier for you to forgive. Yeah. And and what else has that added to your life?
Kimberly Faith:In other words, the the fact that you came from this, precarious beginning. Right? Mhmm. And now you have this amazing life in front of you, but you the start was rough. Yeah.
Kimberly Faith:Has that given you a more empathetic or compassionate spirit?
Hope Ingram:Oh, yeah. It's definitely made me more compassionate because other people would sit there and, like, judge, like, drug babies or, like, parents that are addicted to drugs, but I've like, I went through that. So it's just easier to be, like, okay. You know, I know what that's like, so I can show people compassion that it's gonna be okay. Yeah.
Hope Ingram:And your journey.
Kimberly Faith:Right? Your journey is gonna be your story to say, hey. I'm exhibit a of god's faithfulness. Right? Yeah.
Kimberly Faith:And, I think that's fantastic. I really do.
Melissa Sharp:And I think that's why she's chosen a field that she's chosen to so she can redeem that, you know, because she she could make those ashes allow God to turn you into a thing of beauty because she can talk to people from a standpoint that many people can't. Right. Because not many people can come and say, I know what you're feeling. I know what you're going through. I understand what you're going through.
Kimberly Faith:Right. And we don't even really know the the psychological effects from, you know, what you've been through. We don't understand all that. I don't I don't think there's any any, psychiatrist or psychologist worth their merit will say, oh, yeah. We we have a grip on this.
Kimberly Faith:Mhmm. But god does. And it it kinda reminds me of the verse in Ephesians 2:10 that says, we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared that we should walk in them. He's prepared those beforehand and which kinda reminds me also of the Psalms, the psalmist that
Melissa Sharp:says, I
Kimberly Faith:am fearfully and wonderfully made. Right? And and that God, before you were even shaped in your biological mother's womb, you know, bless her heart, just a mess, you know. He had a plan for you. And he abs he he heard the prayer of your mother, Melissa.
Kimberly Faith:Right? And, answered her prayer in a way that probably is a is a bigger story and a more blessed journey for her than even if she had given birth to her.
Melissa Sharp:Absolutely. Because, you you know, like, we've talked about this, you know, that, that God gave God, you know, God gave me Luke to my son. But my goodness, what a gift from the Lord. Yeah. To to be given this child and to, to just be in charge of her and to be able to pray for her and to watch God work, Kim.
Melissa Sharp:Yeah. You know, there were so many people. Even my own mother, I know that when I when I chose to adopt her, there's so so much animosity between my mother and my biological father at that time because of, you know, the the many times he had cheated on her and the other children that he sat out of wedlock. I mean, just there's a lot to it. Then there was so much animosity between her and me that it all Because you wanted to adopt.
Melissa Sharp:Because I wanted to adopt her, and she was angry with me for even doing anything for my father. And she was mad at at him, of course, because he was so irresponsible. Right. You know, first of all, he was, I think, almost 40 years older than this than this young girl. He knew what was going on.
Melissa Sharp:He knew she was on drugs and yet he continued to have a relationship with her. And then when hope was born, he they continued to try to fight me to get custody. I mean, there's there's there's so much to it. I remember that. Oh my goodness.
Melissa Sharp:There's so much to it. It's a miracle. Yeah. I had to fight them to get custody and I had her since she was little and she and and anyway, long story short, I just my mom after all this I remember I went to a ball game of of your brothers and I had hope and she was in her little bouncy thing. Right?
Melissa Sharp:And I was tired, Kim. I was tired because she had she had not been sleeping. I mean, she just had been going into with withdrawals and just just crying uncontrollably and and I was stepping over a bleacher. My mom was there to watch my son play and my stepdad. And I remember cutting myself from the side of the bleacher and just it was one of those ones that just get your flesh and but they bleed like like it's nobody's business.
Melissa Sharp:And my mom was there and, I was like, oh my goodness. Oh, this is the last thing I need. And my mom said, give me the baby. Let me hold the baby. I said, no.
Melissa Sharp:You don't even like her. And my mom said, give me the baby. Give me the baby. She sat and she looked at hope and she fell in love. And less than a month later, they got my mom and my stepdad.
Melissa Sharp:They started going back to church. They eventually, got, gave their life back to the Lord. They were born again again and then they were, you tell them, the best grandparents in the world.
Kimberly Faith:Yeah. Yeah. Well, you know, it it's it's interesting that you were a catalyst for your grandparents coming to Jesus. Yeah. Right?
Kimberly Faith:And, you know, Melissa brings up an interesting you have an interesting comment, being born again again. You know, of course, we know that you're you're so when you're saved, you're one once saved, always saved. Right? Yeah. But a lot of us, walk away from the Lord and, really become, I think I've mentioned this term before, practic practicing atheist.
Melissa Sharp:Yeah.
Kimberly Faith:You know, where god is not the lord of our life. And, you know, so whether they were born again to begin with or whether they were born again Right. Well, you know, after you came into their life, hope, as long as they know that that that when they die, they're gonna go meet Jesus. That's the most important thing. And what a beautiful, beautiful thing that you you played a part in their eternity.
Kimberly Faith:Yeah. That's that's incredible. And I'm sure that they're aware, very aware that, of how precious that is. And isn't it amazing how God can change the hearts
Melissa Sharp:of people just like overnight? And and and hope has healed. Just her mere presence in our family has healed so many wounds. Wow. So many relationships.
Melissa Sharp:When when hope is just I I I'm just so blessed to be to be her mom, but she she just her vibrant personality and her love, her absolute love. My my mom alone, Hope, can attest to that. She has gone through she has had strokes and aneurysms and just all these other oh, yes.
Kimberly Faith:Oh my.
Melissa Sharp:And then my stepdad died, a couple years ago and she says that, that if she hadn't had hope, she would just given up. She just said, that's just it, Lord. Just take me. Really? Yeah.
Melissa Sharp:But but but being alive for hope was the one that that caused that brought her the most joy out of anything in her life was having hope as a granddaughter.
Kimberly Faith:Wow. That's pretty powerful, Hope. Yeah.
Hope Ingram:Why did you pretty much tie up the hip?
Kimberly Faith:And so did did you choose the name Hope? Yes.
Melissa Sharp:Yes. She was given another name, Caris Juanita. I was not a fan, not a fan. So we named her whole family.
Kimberly Faith:And why did you pick that name?
Melissa Sharp:Because I I had I had hoped and prayed for a child and she was what I had hoped. She was evidence of the hope and God God's faithfulness in my life. Now we you know, it's so funny because, she's she's gone obviously. You know, she got married in January. She lives she lives in Georgia and you can just ask people.
Melissa Sharp:When I start talking about her, I just I just start crying. You know, it's because, you know, in in Psalm 13:6, David said, I will sing the Lord's praise for God has been good to me. That's her. And every time I I talk about her, I think about her, I start crying just randomly because God's so good to me.
Kimberly Faith:You you did you say you do too? Yes. I hate being away from my mom. Yeah. Well, I can see that you all have a very strong bond.
Kimberly Faith:And, you know, we in the last podcast, we talked about how hard things, hard times, how trouble forges a strength in us. And, like, when you're going through you're pushing through the next mile that that mile where the pain, you know, it's still there, but you you've overcome it. I feel like your description of of caring for hope the first 2 or 3 years of her life is, what a bond. I mean, even though maybe Hope you weren't necessarily, cognitively aware of that this care, you know, at some point, you you understood that bond at whatever age that was. Right?
Kimberly Faith:Kinda like the time you became aware that you needed to accept Jesus as your lord and savior. Right? Yeah. It's like and you glomped onto that and now you have this amazing relationship. And, you know, Melissa, you had been you you shared something earlier before we got on the on the podcast about, some of the attachment order does the attachment issues.
Kimberly Faith:Could you tell our listeners about that a little bit? Yeah. So the
Melissa Sharp:fur, the first two years of her life, she she did not wanna be held. She did not wanna be comforted. She just was not I I and I loved her so much and I just wanted to hold her. That's and as a mom, that's hard, you know, when your child does it. But it's just Was
Kimberly Faith:that something related to the to the math?
Melissa Sharp:Yes. Yes. And it she was just very overstimulated and she just she just and it seemed like a light bulb went off, you know, after that 2 years but I I remember the time in church and I I I usually held her but we were I I have her down, beside me and I had my my right hand, I remember this, lifted up and pray in praise and worship and my other hand was down by my side and I felt her little tiny hand. I know it may seem real nice and she held my hand. We always said make this joke that I I say you have to come home because I wanna hold your little hands because I love to hold her little hands.
Melissa Sharp:I just hold them all the time. But when her hand reached up, I just looked down and I just started crying. And it just seemed like after that and then she got more loving and more loving and now she's Tina. She still sits on my lap and
Hope Ingram:I'm gonna let she go. Oh,
Melissa Sharp:I'm gonna cry. No. She doesn't. It's it's we, yeah. She's and she's the most loving, loving child you absolutely ever meet in your life.
Melissa Sharp:And you know what, Kim? I would not be the Christian I am today without this little girl. Wow. She she made me strive to be better for her and just to, she just and she it was just such a a a show of evidence of the faithfulness of God in my life to answer my prayer in that way, you know, even though it was hard. Yeah.
Melissa Sharp:We're better for the hardships. Right?
Kimberly Faith:Yeah. You know what? That your story reminds me of hope is I I I like to tell people and tell myself when I'm when I'm loving people who don't respond, you know, that love is never wasted when it comes from God. It's never wasted. It never goes honey.
Kimberly Faith:Never goes away, because we're not doing it for a result, we're doing it for the because we love the Lord. And, you know, I think about the investment of love that you put into hope for those 2 years where she did not respond. Where she was, you know, assuming so overstimulated by what happened to you in vitro that you probably couldn't stand to be touched early because of the the effect of the drugs on your system. But how that now you have this bond because of the love that was poured from God Mhmm. Out of you into her.
Kimberly Faith:We don't even understand that. No. We don't. We can't wrap our mind around the love of God and aren't you glad we can't wrap our mind around God? Aren't you glad that we have a God we can truly worship because he is who he says he is.
Kimberly Faith:He is the I am. And doesn't give up on us. He doesn't give up on us. He loves us as far as the east is from the west. He and we can't we can't wrap our mind around his love.
Kimberly Faith:And isn't that a fabulous Yes.
Melissa Sharp:And you you know what I love about it too is get is his great love is just it allows her story to be redeemed. You know, because her beginning, it could it could have her life could have gone in such another direction Yeah. But God.
Kimberly Faith:Yes. I mean, I represent kids. Well, I represent families, foster families who try to adopt and children who are born addicted to drugs and and unfortunately, if the system doesn't get them soon enough, we see them just, you know, these foster families love on them and and give them everything, give them Jesus. And these kids are just so, their brain is just not able to comprehend love because they've been neglected for so many years and it's, and I'm not saying God can't do miracles. He certainly can.
Kimberly Faith:But it's such an uphill battle and then they end up going back to the person who abused them as adults. And there's only a few instances of these types of things that I've heard of, but just one is bad not. Yes. You know? But you were mercifully, you're you know, I guess, captured out of the system by Melissa, and, you know, what a what a miracle.
Melissa Sharp:They yeah. They went on to have another baby too again, and that baby was taken. And he is now 16 or 17. He's with a he's with a family in Arkansas that adopted him and he he wasn't as lucky as hope. He he's he's got some some long lasting problems.
Melissa Sharp:Not not to the point where he'd never be able to function or to live alone, but he definitely, you know, that's just that's just the way it goes, you know. And but luckily, he's got a a Christian family that loves him and and love can overcome a lot.
Kimberly Faith:Yes. And it's it's, you know, again, it's the scourge of sin. I love what Jesus taught us in the beatitudes. He said, you know, after he said, blessed are the poor in spirit, he said, blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. And, you know, what is what is the object of our mourning?
Kimberly Faith:It should be that we hate sin because sin causes all of the horrific things that destroy lives. And when we mourn, not just other people's sin, but our own sin Yeah. The sin that crucified Jesus. You know? We are able to draw close to him and and funnel his love because we're not snuggling up to the rot and filth that crucified him.
Kimberly Faith:You know? And I hate to be so direct, but we need
Melissa Sharp:to be direct. Yeah. We we we we have to be.
Kimberly Faith:What you went through as a as a very innocent child, as an in you know, child in the womb and a child after you were born, that's ugly. That's horrific. And it's because of selfishness. It's because of self centeredness. It's because of, you know, just this out of control, self centered person or persons.
Kimberly Faith:Right? And and love is selflessness and you've got to experience both of those extremes and you have come out on the other side and are a picture of all that God wants for every person, beauty, grace, kindness, hope, you know, love Forgiveness. Forgiveness. You know,
Melissa Sharp:I will tell you, I I was very angry the first years of what
Kimberly Faith:I was imagine you were.
Melissa Sharp:And I'm I'm gonna be brutally honest. And I I could have just I just dreamed of doing things I probably shouldn't have. But
Kimberly Faith:But don't admit the mommy error.
Melissa Sharp:I know. But I I I feel but I harbored such hate in my heart for both of them. I was so angry, Kim.
Kimberly Faith:I imagine. Oh my gosh. Because you're suffering for this whole thing with her.
Melissa Sharp:Yeah. And they're fighting me in court Yes. To go, he's funding her lawyer bills to fund me. And I'm just like, what is the deal? I am trying to protect this child.
Melissa Sharp:Right. And you only want her back for selfish reasons. Mhmm. And I was angry. And I tell you what, and I I will share this story with you.
Melissa Sharp:It's right before we got to adopt her. And I knew I had to get rid of it. I knew it. The holy spirit was convicting me and she I've had a particularly hard night for her and I left her with with with my mom and I went for a run and I ran hard, very, very hard as fast as I could. And I was on a gravel road, and I remember just nicking a rock, and I went down, Kim.
Melissa Sharp:And I went down so hard, I slid, just tore this up, tore I had, holes in my pants. My knees were bloody, and I sat there in a ball and I cried. And I said, Lord, I can't do this anymore. And I remember the holy spirit, I felt it and I heard him say in my spirit, that's right. You can't stop.
Melissa Sharp:Stop it. Wow. You know, you need to forgive and you need to go on. And I remember sitting there on that gravel road with the sun shining down on me, and I cried and I cried. And then I got up and I started laughing and I the joy had been restored.
Melissa Sharp:And I went home and, I remember we had some people working on the house and and I was just laughing and just so joyful. And I had by this time, the the dirt was in the blood and it was and they were like, are you okay? And I'm like, never been better. I'm good. Oh, wow.
Melissa Sharp:But I just remember that day that that was a turning point. And so for that listener out there, if you're saying to yourself, man, I don't know if I can forgive. Let me tell you what. You have to because unforgiveness only hurts you. Right.
Melissa Sharp:They didn't care. They they could care less if I had forgiven them. And if hope and I had not forgiven them, we couldn't stand here and talk about the love of Jesus because That's right. Jesus forgives us and so we have
Kimberly Faith:to forgive each other. Right. And and, again, I I don't know if my little analogy about 44 trillion makes sense. I
Melissa Sharp:love it. Yeah.
Kimberly Faith:But it's it's so true. I mean, we have been been given more forgiveness than we can ever give away in our entire life. And, you know, and we to un to to not forgive is to drink the poison that's
Melissa Sharp:gonna kill you. That's exactly right.
Kimberly Faith:And and, you know, the old saying, if you if you don't forgive, it's like you're drinking poison and expecting to kill the person
Melissa Sharp:you're drinking. It only hurts you.
Kimberly Faith:It only hurts you. And, your story is I mean, for you, it's a story of hope and forgiveness.
Melissa Sharp:Oh, yes.
Kimberly Faith:Right? Yes. And for you, it's it's a story of of an amazing life gift. Right? And, also forgiveness.
Kimberly Faith:And, what a wonderful story. Well, Hope, I'll ask you this question. What do you wanna be known for?
Hope Ingram:I wanna be known for definitely being compassionate for people and trying to help people
Kimberly Faith:for sure. Yeah. And of course the greatest help is to give them the keys of the kingdom. Right? Yeah.
Kimberly Faith:And, the gift of salvation and and the gospel and but you have, you you just I'm just sitting here looking at you and I just you let people see your soul, and that's amazing. I can see your soul and, that your soul belongs to Jesus, and that's amazing. So thank you so much for joining us. And, Melissa, thanks for joining us again on on the podcast and, for sharing your story. And, boy, I just know I I guess we're gonna have to make an agreement on the air so everybody knows it's true.
Kimberly Faith:You're gonna come back and see me again, right, and tell me all the things you're doing. Okay. Well, that's that's a promise I'm gonna make you keep. So you've been listening to the truth and love, podcast with our guests, Melissa Sharp and Hope Ingram. And I just pray that this story has given you hope and, that no matter what you're going through, that, God is always bigger than the storm.
Kimberly Faith:He's always bigger than the problem. He, he is above the storm, but he is willing to get in the ditch with you and help you out of it, if you'll let him. And so we pray that this podcast was a blessing and have a an amazing blessed rest of your week.
Melissa Sharp:That's right. You can't stop. Stop it. You know, you need to forgive and you need to go on. And I remember sitting there on that gravel road with the sun shining down on me and I cried and I cried and then I got up and I started laughing and I the joy had been restored.
Melissa Sharp:Mhmm. And I went home and, I remember we had some people working on the house and and I was just laughing and just so joyful when I had by this time, the the dirt was in the blood, and it was they were like, are you okay? And I'm like, never been better. I'm good. Oh, wow.
Melissa Sharp:But I just remember that day. That that was a turning point. And so for that listener out there, if you're saying to yourself, man, I don't know if I can forgive. Let me tell you what, you have to because unforgiveness only hurts you. Right.
Melissa Sharp:They didn't care. They they could care less if I had forgiven them. And if hope and I had not forgiven them, we couldn't stand here and talk about the love of Jesus because That's right. Jesus forgives us and so we
Kimberly Faith:have to forgive each other. Right. And and, again, I I don't know if my little analogy about 44 trillion makes sense.
Melissa Sharp:I love it. Yeah.
Kimberly Faith:But it's it's so true. I mean, we have been given more forgiveness than we can ever give away in our entire life. And, you know, and we to un to to not forgive is to drink the poison that's gonna kill
Melissa Sharp:you. That's exactly right.
Kimberly Faith:And and, you know, the old saying, if you you don't forgive, it's like you're drinking poison and expecting to kill the person
Melissa Sharp:you forgive. It only hurts you.
Kimberly Faith:It only hurts you. And, your story is I mean, for you, it's a story of hope and forgiveness. Oh, yes. Right? Yes.
Kimberly Faith:And for you, it's it's a story of of an amazing life gift. Right? And, also forgiveness. And, what a wonderful story. Well, Hope, I'll ask you this question.
Kimberly Faith:What do you wanna be known for?
Hope Ingram:I wanna be known for definitely being compassionate for people and trying to help people for sure.
Kimberly Faith:Yeah. And of course the greatest help is to give them the keys of the kingdom. Right? Yeah. And, the gift of salvation and and the gospel and but you have, you you just I'm just sitting here looking at you and I just you let people see your soul, and that's amazing.
Kimberly Faith:I can see your soul and, that your soul belongs to Jesus, and that's amazing. So thank you so much for joining us. And, Melissa, thanks for joining us again on on the podcast and, for sharing your story. And, boy, I just know I I guess we're gonna have to make an agreement on the air so everybody knows it's true. You're gonna come back and see me again, right, and tell me all the things you're doing.
Kimberly Faith:Okay. Well, that's that's a promise I'm gonna make you keep. So you've been listening to the truth and love, podcast with our guests, Melissa Sharp and Hope Ingram. And I just pray that this story has given you hope and, that no matter what you're going through, that, God is always bigger than the storm. He's always bigger than the problem.
Kimberly Faith:He, he is above the storm, but he is willing to get in the ditch with you and help you out of it, if you'll let him. And so we pray that this podcast was a blessing, and have a an amazing blessed rest of your week. Hallelujah.
Jacob Paul:You've been listening to the Truth in Love podcast with your host, Kimberly Faith. To discover more answers to the big questions in life, visit us atgofaithstrong.com.