The Bluebird Encounter: Finding HOPE in the UnThinkable with Jody Hudson ❖ 278

Forgiveness is life changing. When you wash your hands of that, you become a changed Christian." —Jody Hudson

EPISODE TAKEAWAYS

• The Dashboard Breakthrough: Why religious politeness can be a barrier to healing and how raw, honest prayer opens the door to relational oneness.
• Becoming "Lyme Literate": The importance of seeking experts who possess the testimony and experience to match your specific battle.
• The Bluebird Signal: How to sharpen your spiritual senses to recognize the "Rhema" signs Jesus sends to verify you are not forgotten.

• The Forgiveness Protocol: A daily choice to "wash your hands" of systemic ignorance and reclaim your territory from the enemy.
• The Great Cloud of Witnesses: A perspective shift on how our loved ones continue to partner with our "DNA calling" from their heavenly perspective.

A Breathtaking moment--
Jody shared her raw moment where she gave God an ultimatum. As a spiritual investigative journalist, I’ve found that being "polite" with God often masks the very breakthrough we need.

THE SYMPHONY OF LOVE:
​NAVIGATING THE MYSTERY

As a spiritual investigative journalist, I have spent my life helping seekers navigate the mysteries of the soul. Sometimes, those mysteries are quiet and internal; other times, they are as loud and devastating as a 10-year "medical mystery." My conversation with Jody Hudson was an investigation into what happens when our professional expertise meets a life-altering mission.

SUMMARY

"I don't want to be defined as the grief girl." In this soul-stirring conversation on the Interviewing Jesus Podcast, host Kristen Wambach sits down with author and philanthropist Jody Hudson to investigate the supernatural wisdom that emerges from life’s deepest "medical mysteries." Jody shares the raw, "Payoff-First" reality of walking through a ten-year battle with undiagnosed Lyme disease alongside her daughter, Alex.
As a spiritual investigative journalist, Kristen bridges the gap between Jody’s earthly struggle—including foster care, bankruptcy, and systemic medical gaslighting—and the heavenly grit required to remain Spiritually BRAVE. Listeners will discover the "Monday-morning" logic of forgiveness, the importance of becoming "literate" in your own healing journey, and the profound "parting gift" of hope Alex left behind.
Whether you are navigating a chronic illness, a season of loss, or a fight against a broken system, this episode provides a safe path for the heart and a testimony to the restoration of all things.

God was always with me... he built that strength and that determination and grit."—Jody Hudson

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TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 278
Kristen Wambach (00:01): Welcome, welcome, hello family. How are you doing today? This is Kristen from the Interviewing Jesus Podcast. My mission, our mission together, is to bridge the gap between Heaven and earth. I have spent my life helping seekers navigate the mysteries of the soul and find a safe place and a safe path for the heart. Today, we're not just telling a story of loss; we are investigating the supernatural wisdom that emerges when we stay Spiritually BRAVE. I have a spiritually brave testimony in a body today for you. I am honored to introduce Jody Hudson—an author, speaker, and founder of the Alex Hudson Lyme Foundation.
Kristen Wambach (01:05): With over 18 years of nonprofit leadership, Jody's professional expertise met a life-altering mission when her daughter Alex faced a 10-year medical mystery that was finally diagnosed as Lyme disease. Today, Jody is a highly sought-after motivational speaker who helps others navigate grief and create purpose from pain. Her award-winning memoir, My Promise to Alex, testifies to a mother's grit and a daughter's steadfast faith, proving that even in the deepest mystery, a path of hope is always possible. Welcome, Jody.
Jody Hudson (01:51): Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to meet you and see where the Lord leads us in this conversation.
Kristen Wambach (02:01): Amen. I almost called you Alex.
Jody Hudson (02:03): Very interchangeable. I mean, we were one spirit, truly.
Kristen Wambach (02:09): Yes. Jody, I'd like us to open in prayer with our listening family, because I just sense that Holy Spirit is going to do something absolutely tender and marvelous today. Father God, we just thank you for the opportunity of lifting our voices in unity to declare your goodness. We welcome Holy Spirit just to reach out like angels' wings and touch the heart of the listeners. Bring us together like a family sitting at a table with a cup of coffee, talking about who you are and how you have designed us to be strong, to move forward, and to be a mouthpiece for who you are. Would you like to piggyback on that, Jody?
Jody Hudson (03:28): Dear Heavenly Father, we are honored to be here today sharing our message of hope, transformation, and purpose. For those walking through unimaginable losses, let us be an inspiration that through our words, they too can have that resilience, that grit, and that faith. Let them come to know you even deeper through trials and tribulations. Sometimes we are so broken it’s hard to be present because we’re angry or disappointed, but those are the moments where you meet us most. Let us always give you praise, even in the storms. Amen.
Kristen Wambach (04:26): So listeners, we’re just sitting around the table having coffee and holding hands. Jody, your story actually goes farther back with a profound identity challenge—being born to a single mom, being in the foster care system, and essentially raising yourself. I want to know, how did those early years of survival prepare your spirit for the medical mystery battle you would face decades later? Where did Jesus meet this little girl in foster care?
Jody Hudson (05:19): My gosh, Kristen, yes. We don't know when we are walking through life how God is preparing us for things later on. Being born to a mother who could not take care of me, being adopted into a home fighting alcoholism—I truly had to fend for myself. That resilience carried me through marriage, divorce, and bankruptcy. Through it all, God was building that strength and grit. Little did I know what I was going to face with Alex's journey and eventually losing her. My upbringing prepared me for my hardest challenge: being present when my daughter died.
Kristen Wambach (07:14): Mm-hmm. Could you give us snippets of the unique ways God strengthened you? Sometimes we don't acknowledge the simplest affirmations from our Father.
Jody Hudson (07:45): I grew up in a Roman Catholic environment, building that foundation through sacraments. But it wasn't until Alex became sick around age 19 that we delved deeper into our faith. She started going to non-denominational churches to find new ways to worship. I remember holding her hand and being overcome with emotion, thinking, "Wow, God, you've always had me." I realized we had been living a "passive faith," checking boxes. God wants all of us. He wants the spirit there so we can help others through those daily encounters. We need to be prayer warriors. My daughter showed me how to do that through her own transformation.
Jody Hudson (10:30): There were so many beautiful things she witnessed, especially in her last six months. If it’s okay, I’d love to share her parting gift to me, which propelled where I am today.
Kristen Wambach (11:00): Absolutely.
Jody Hudson (11:01): It was March 24th, 2018. A girlfriend called and felt God nudging her to come pray. There were six of us standing around Alex’s bedside. In that moment, I realized God was telling me I needed to let her go because she was hanging on for me. I told her, "Alex, it is going to be incredibly hard to let you go, but you have done everything here on earth that God asked of you. God is saying, 'Good job, my faithful servant.'"
Jody Hudson (13:29): In that moment, she lifted her head from the pillow, looked at the ceiling, and opened her beautiful eyes with a brilliant smile. She gasped with amazement, then closed her eyes and passed. That was her parting gift. She was saying, "Mom, I’m okay, and you’re going to be okay, too." In that moment, I went from a grieving mother to a testimonial mother. We grieve hard because we love hard, but that’s not the end of the story.
Kristen Wambach (15:30): When my father passed, I saw his spirit leave his body before his breath left him. I saw the beauty Jesus prepares for us. When you tell that story about Alex, she absolutely saw Heaven open up.
Jody Hudson (16:59): It is the goodness of God. A friend of Alex’s, Savannah, who also had Lyme disease, reached out later and said she had a vision of Alex with the most beautiful angel wings. She said the work Alex is doing now is far greater than what she did on earth. I believe we all have a far greater purpose in Heaven.
Kristen Wambach (18:28): The cloud of witnesses continues to partner with us from their heavenly perspective. Jody, you mentioned a fight with the medical industry. Many of our listeners feel like they’re fighting systems—health, legal, or religious—to get a breakthrough.
Jody Hudson (19:46): Oh my gosh, the gaslighting that goes on with chronic illnesses is intense. In 2017, the 40th doctor we saw asked if she had been tested for Lyme disease. I was ignorant then; I asked, "What is Lyme disease?" We had been told for ten years it was in her head, that she had an eating disorder, that I was a "drama mother." We were finally vindicated, but then I had to figure out how to treat it. By the grace of God, we connected with resources through a special on the news. For those in a medical challenge not being heard: you have to be your own advocate.
Kristen Wambach (25:15): You used the word "literate." Can you unpack that? Sometimes we speak to an "expert" who isn't actually literate in what we need.
Jody Hudson (25:51): With Lyme, being "literate" means understanding the whole protocol. It’s not just one round of antibiotics. It’s a bacterial infection with co-infections like Bartonella. You have to work with a doctor who understands you can't throw the kitchen sink at a patient all at once. I spent over $100,000 in one year because insurance doesn't cover much of this. You have to find experts who know how to walk through this complicated illness.
Kristen Wambach (29:52): Powerful. Another word I heard in your story was forgiveness. How did Jesus strengthen you to forgive the ignorance that slapped you in the face?
Jody Hudson (30:27): We could spend hours on forgiveness because it’s a constant, daily choice. I had to forgive the medical community, and I had to forgive her father, who was absent and didn't believe she was sick. I found a book called Fervent by Priscilla Shirer. It taught me to realize the battle wasn't just with people, but with how they were being influenced by the enemy. Forgiving so I could be free was life-changing. It’s liberating. You wash your hands of it and suddenly you’ve lost ten pounds of weight in your heart.
Kristen Wambach (35:51): It is a challenge. Sometimes we try to "suck it up" instead of addressing feelings. Holy Spirit told me once, "I can’t comfort you if you don't address what you're feeling."
Jody Hudson (36:51): Exactly. You have to give people grace. Remember how many times God has forgiven us. Don't sit in the "ugly," look for the beauty. Challenge yourself to find five blessings a day—even just a green light at a stoplight.
Kristen Wambach (39:03): Share a memory of Alex—how God made her so unique.
Jody Hudson (39:31): Alex was the "homeless person whisperer." She had a servant’s heart. She would save her money and buy $100 worth of burgers to distribute at the shelter. She identified with their brokenness. Before she passed, she told me she wanted her clothes and books to go to them. We used her books to start a mobile bookmobile through the foundation.
Kristen Wambach (42:33): Beautiful. Now, what is the secret of the bluebird on the cover of her book?
Jody Hudson (42:53): In December 2017, I was pounding on my car dashboard giving God an ultimatum: "Heal her or take her." I went home and saw a bluebird in the fountain. Alex told me it had been coming every day at 3:00 PM for two months. She said, "It’s how I know God has not forgotten me." Later, she told me, "Mom, just look for the bluebird and you'll know that it's me." To this day, I see them all the time. It’s a sign of hope, joy, and beauty.
Kristen Wambach (46:42): Thank you for sharing such a tender story. How can listeners connect with you and the Alex Hudson Lyme Foundation?
Jody Hudson (47:01): Our website is alexhudsonlymefoundation.org. We provide grants and financial assistance to those struggling with treatment costs. You can also find the link to My Promise to Alex on Amazon there.
Kristen Wambach (48:40): I will have all those links in the show notes. Jody, would you please pray for us again and impart that wisdom and strength?
Jody Hudson (49:05): Dear Heavenly Father, let those feeling lost know through my testimony that you are good. We are not meant to walk this journey alone. Pour into them through Kristen's ministry and podcasts. Let us be bold and loud in praising your name in the good times and the hard. Amen.
Kristen Wambach (50:19): Amen. Listeners, I sense there are going to be a lot of bluebird encounters this week. Open your eyes and expect. When you see that bluebird, remember: it means hope. God is putting a sign of hope in your path. Thank you, Jody, for sharing your hope and wisdom today.
Jody Hudson (51:23): Thank you for having me, Kristen.

SCAN TO LISTEN ON MOBILE DEVICE

The Foundation of Grit

Jody’s story doesn't begin with a diagnosis; it begins with a "fend-for-yourself" childhood in foster care. We often wonder why we walk through early fires, but as a transformation coach, I see the "Monday-morning" logic: God was building the resilience Jody would need to fight for her daughter, Alex.

I went from a grieving mother to a testimonial mother." —Jody Hudson

The Silent Language of Heaven

One of the most tender moments of our chat was the "parting gift" Alex gave Jody. As Alex saw heaven open up—smiling at things the physical eye cannot see—she proved that the kingdom is closer than we think. The bluebird became her signature, a "Rhema mind" activation that continues to show up for Jody today. It reminds us that Jesus is constantly bridging the gap, sending us signs of hope when we are at our most broken.

Connect with Jody Hudson

Home Alex Hudson Lyme Foundation
Instagram Jody Hudson
Jody Hudson LinkedIn
Jody Hudson Facebook Page

2023 Christian Indie Award Winner

“....a symphony of love―one that inspires, empowers, and reminds readers to never give up on life or those we love.” Armen Bacon, author of Griefland: An Intimate Portrait of Love, Loss, and Unlikely Friendship

“...will inspire you, make you cry, laugh, give you hope, and most of all have faith in the eternal love between mother and child.” Ally Hilfiger, author of Bite Me

“Jody's words give voice to the voiceless, patients and caregivers alike, as she heroically shines a light on both their hardships and dreams...” Colonel Nicole Malachowski, USAF (retired), F-15 & F-16 Fighter Pilot

When eleven-year-old Alex Hudson complained that her leg hurt, her mother, Jody, thought it was just growing pains. But for the next ten years, Alex battled with what perplexed doctors deemed a medical mystery. Refusing to let this ambiguous label define her, Alex researched and sought out medical professionals who might help her. After more than forty doctors’ visits and multiple incorrect diagnoses, in May of 2017, Alex finally received the correct diagnosis―Lyme disease. She immediately began aggressive treatment, but would it prove to be too late? Throughout her ever-changing illness, Alex forged ahead and focused on her faith, finding answers, while taking time to serve others. When the physical pain became unbearable, she refused to take medication to ease her suffering. Instead, she chose to keep a clear mind and trust God to guide her as she faced each impossible challenge.

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The Literate Path to Healing

Jody spoke about being "Lyme literate." This is a practical key for anyone fighting a system—medical, legal, or religious. We must seek those who have the experience and the testimony to match our needs. Jody’s advocacy through the Alex Hudson Lyme Foundation is the outcome-focused payoff of her pain. She is not just surviving; she is restoring.

Final Summary

This final summary captures the heart of the episode, integrating your spiritual investigative journalist voice with the Best Seller standard of outcome-focused clarity.
EPISODE SUMMARY: BEYOND THE MEDICAL MYSTERY"I need to be the light." In this powerful episode of the Interviewing Jesus Podcast, host Kristen Wambach investigates the life-altering journey of Jody Hudson, author of My Promise to Alex. Together, they bridge the gap between a harrowing ten-year "medical mystery" and the supernatural wisdom that emerges when we choose to stay Spiritually BRAVE.
Jody provides a raw, "Payoff-First" testimony of her daughter Alex’s battle with Lyme disease—a journey marked by forty doctors, systemic gaslighting, and a final, victorious faith. As a transformation coach and ordained pastor, Kristen helps navigate the "Monday-morning" logic of Jody’s story: how childhood resilience in foster care and the grit of surviving bankruptcy prepared her to lead a global mission of restoration.
Listeners will find a safe path for their own hearts as Jody describes the "parting gift" of hope Alex left behind and the ongoing "bluebird" encounters that verify heaven’s proximity. This is more than a story of loss; it is a masterclass in relational discernment, the power of being "literate" in your calling, and the daily activation of forgiveness.

Coaching Church Activation

Jody shared her raw "dashboard-pounding" moment where she gave God an ultimatum. As a spiritual investigative journalist, I’ve found that religious politeness often acts as a barrier to real breakthrough.

• The Activation: This Monday morning, find a private space. Drop the "theology" and tell the Father exactly where you feel bankrupt or abandoned.
  
• The Outcome: You are trading a "Logos mind" (facts) for a "Rhema mind" (revelation). Write down the first thought that brings a sense of peace.
  

THE SHIFT: SHARPENING YOUR SPIRITUAL SENSES The bluebird was a signal of hope that Alex saw long before Jody did. We often miss the "language of Jesus" because we are looking for a lecture when He is sending a sign.

• The Activation: Set a "Bluebird Alert" on your phone. For five minutes, stop looking at your "to-do" list and look at your "to-see" list.
  
• The Outcome: This is a daily activation to bridge the gap. You are training your spiritual senses to recognize that you are not alone.
  

THE AUTHORITY: BECOMING "LITERATE" IN YOUR CALLING Jody had to become "Lyme literate" to navigate a broken system. If you are fighting a system—medical, legal, or religious—you must possess the grit to become an expert in your own restoration.

• The Activation: Identify one area where you have felt powerless. Seek out one "literate" resource—a book, a coach, or a foundation—that has a proven testimony of success in that area.
  
• The Outcome: You are moving from "What would Jesus do?" to "Who does Jesus say that I AM?" as a restorer of all things.
  

Jesus is never silent—He is simply speaking a language we have to train our senses to hear." —Kristen Wambach

MEET THE AUTHOR AND PODCASTER>>

I am Kristen Wambach, a spiritual investigative journalist and your host here at the Interviewing Jesus Podcast. With over 33 years of leadership experience and 20 years as a transformational coach, my mission is to bridge the gap between heaven and earth, offering you a practical path to supernatural wisdom.
I believe in "Monday-morning" logic—which simply means that if the spiritual truths we discuss don't work in your real, everyday life, we haven't gone deep enough. 

My work is dedicated to providing you with raw stories, prayer, and simple activations that move you beyond doctrine and into a living, breathing relationship with the spirit.
Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur or a seeker yearning for deeper growth, I am here to help you navigate life with heavenly wisdom and step into your authentic, God-inspired calling.
Let’s be Spiritually BRAVE together.