So many of us don’t like the story God is writing in our lives. Circumstances that are out of our control often take over our thinking and hold us back. So how do we come to grips with the pieces of our story we wish weren’t there? How do we silence the pain of what’s been done to us and the shame of what we’ve allowed to be done through us?
These are tough questions that my guest today is not afraid to tackle.
Sharon Jaynes is a conference speaker and the author of 25 books (seriously!). She served as vice president and radio cohost of Proverbs 31 Ministries for ten years and is the cofounder of Girlfriends in God, which strives to cross generational, racial, and denominational boundaries to bring the body of Christ together as believers.
This is such a powerful episode. Opening up about her abusive home growing up and challenges throughout her life, Sharon guides us through how we navigate the painful parts of our story to find true healing. I’ve known her newest book, When You Don’t Like Your Story, was coming out for some time now, and I have a long list of people I want to get a copy to!
I believe this episode will be such an encouragement to you, and I look forward to hearing what stands out most to you. You are not alone, friend.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Looking at Hardship Through the Lens of Gratitude [Blog Post by Sharon Jaynes]
Connect with Sharon on Facebook and Instagram!
My Key Takeaways:
Do you really want a new story? Sharon shares the story when Jesus asked the man by the pool of Bethesda, “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:6). Even in the midst of pain, we become comfortable with our patterns of living, both unhealthy and healthy. Healing really begins when we determine that we truly want to push past discomfort and see change in our life.
Forgiveness isn’t easy, but it’s so important. I love when Sharon says, “Forgiving others comes from the pain place; forgiving ourselves comes from the shame place.” Forgiveness isn’t about saying what’s happened to us doesn’t matter. Forgiveness isn’t about pretending we don’t feel shame. It’s about taking the weight of the situation off our own shoulders and giving it over to God instead. It’s not easy, but when we carry the weight ourselves, we can’t move forward in freedom.
The final stage of grief isn’t acceptance; it’s redemption. God is in the business of redeeming brokenness. While we typically think of the standard stages of grief as ending with acceptance, God desires for a transformation that’s so much deeper to take place. Ultimately, it’s a powerful representation of God’s work in us when we can take the hard things in our lives and use them to help others.
About Sharon:
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