Press THIS LINK if you want to text The Hopeful Perspective to share your questions, comments, and/or blessings how the podcast is impacting you!

Welcome back to the Hopeful Perspective Podcast after my unexpected hiatus. Today's deeply personal episode marks the beginning of an honest conversation about living with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and how it fundamentally altered my life, ministry, and relationships.
Seven years ago, I underwent what was supposed to be a routine five-hour procedure to remove a walnut-sized tumor from my brain stem. That surgery stretched to eleven hours when the neurosurgeon's drill malfunctioned, plunging into my vision center. Days later, I contracted a rare staphylococcal meningitis infection requiring a second emergency brain surgery and months of IV antibiotics. These physical challenges, though immense, were just the beginning.
The most profound changes happened within my personality and cognitive abilities. My voice inflections flattened, my laugh and smile changed, and emotional regulation became difficult. Communication problems meant I often sounded angry when I wasn't, creating tension during family interactions. After a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment one year post-surgery, I learned devastating news: my brain stamina had reduced to one-third of its previous capacity, my cognitive function was permanently impaired, and maintaining employment would be impossible.
These changes forced me to confront profound questions about identity, purpose, and calling. How do you redefine yourself when everything you've built your life upon – ministry, communication abilities, personality – suddenly changes? For me, faith became the only solid ground in this earthquake of identity.
If you're struggling through your own life-altering circumstances, I pray this candid glimpse into my journey offers perspective and hope. Remember to subscribe and leave a review if this message resonates with you. Your support helps us reach others who need to hear that hope remains even in life's darkest moments.

Support the show

Are you inspired by what you hear today? Jason deeply appreciates his listeners taking their time to listening, downloading, and sharing The Hopeful Perspective Podcast. Please help me spread 'hope' to others by writing a review for the podcast making it reachable for all who need to be inspired, encouraged, and changed by hoping once again. Further, understand that downloading the podcast is a surefire way to help increase the algorithm thus the reach of The Hopeful Perspective, even if you delete the episode after listening so as to not affect your data storage. I have also provided a (Support the Show) link DIRECTLY ABOVE THIS PARAGRAPH to click on for those who have shared with me they are "all in" and feel called to financially support the mission and vision of The Hopeful Perspective. A special thank you to those who have made this humble step to financially support the podcast. Without you, there is no US!
Jason Hopkins can also be reached on Facebook as well as Instagram and Threads (jayhop9953). You can also follow 'The Hopeful Perspective' FB page; where you can find more information as well as learn about upcoming news and episodes on the The Hopeful Perspective Podcast.