God doesn’t waste anything. Every adverse childhood experience can be redeemed for eternal good.  As Shequan Palmer shares how God directed her young adult life, it is clear that He was in every step, guiding her toward His purposes. She now helps others experience the dignity and beauty God created in them, giving them hope for tomorrow.

In the eyes of many, Shequan Palmer should have been a statistic. On the adverse childhood experiences scale, she registered at nine out of ten. She witnessed and experienced terrible physical violence, was sexually abused, and her mother was murdered when Shequan was five years old. When she became pregnant at age 16, she turned to God, even though she had no knowledge of Him and His ways.  He heard her cry. A new life began.

Trauma can turn our worlds upside down.  We can experience acute, chronic, or complex trauma that affects our daily functioning.  The effects of trauma show up at work, in families, and in relationships. We were not built with the ability to absorb it.  We can experience healing through trauma treatment, and in trusted grace-filled environments that create relational safety. Our God is a healer, even in the most broken places of our lives.

The pathway to healing after infidelity isn’t an easy one.  Nor is it quick.  But when the offender and the offended are both willing to surrender the process to God, healing can happen.  Humility, obedience, forgiveness, and repentance are all a part of it.  Having a support system is also important.  Sarah courageously shares what happened in her marriage after infidelity, and also tells how God redeemed their story for the good of many.

When Sarah’s husband disclosed his infidelity, she went into shock.  Her body, mind, and heart went into trauma response. Amidst the crisis, she lived moment by moment, day by day, leaning into God and trusted friends like never before. Along the way, she learned helpful tools that strengthened and sustained her. God was at work, preparing her for the redemption of her life.

Infidelity is perhaps the most destructive betrayal that can happen within a marriage.  It sends a message to the offended one that they are unworthy of honor and respect. It brings shame and deep hurt. God’s design for oneness is attacked. Our God is greater than the most destructive sin, and in Him there is hope.  

Healing from severe trauma doesn’t happen overnight.  It is a process.  All things are possible with God, yet it takes time. Lisa shares how God met her to slowly replace the lies of shame that came as a result of her experience of domestic abuse, with His truth.  She began to understand that this painful part of her story didn’t define her.  Her identity was and is in Christ and what He says is true about her.  

Domestic abuse often remains hidden because of the pain of the experience and the shame that often accompanies it.  Lisa shares her story of being married to an abusive husband who nearly crushed her by his cruelty.  God powerfully met her in the pain and brought hope and change.

Healing from any kind of trauma takes time, but is possible.  Claire Atenian, LMFT, shares her expertise on betrayal trauma, in this re-release of any early well-received episode.  She offers suggestions on where to find help, and gives encouragement for that healing.  

Relational trauma affects our minds and bodies more than we might understand at first.  Research has proven how greatly trauma impacts a person.  Trauma can also produce shame.  In this re-release of an early podcast episode, Claire Atenian, LMFT, shares her expertise in Betrayal Trauma. She gives helpful information on identifying this type of trauma.  

When the unexpected happens and a pastor is divorced, who is he?  Is he disqualified from ministry?  Or is he still a beloved child of God who can serve others?  Doug Glynn, pastor of Hope Covenant Church, shares the journey of how God’s grace restored him, freeing him to live out of who he is in Christ.  

Hiding and pretending to be more spiritually mature than I am doesn’t help me grow.  When I can be honest about where I’m at, I don’t have to perform.  I can begin to grow in intimacy with God.  Doug Glynn, pastor of Hope Covenant Church in Chandler, AZ, shares how he first came to understand and experience the freedom of God’s grace.  

Jesus died and rose again to give us new life. Our identity is no longer what we have done, or what was done to us.  Our identity is in Christ.  The old is gone, the new has come. Though we still sin, God calls us saints, because He made us holy and righteous through Christ.  Trusting that this is true frees us to stand in confidence of what He has accomplished for us. 

Easter is the ultimate victory for Christians.  When Jesus rose from the dead, it proved He was who says He was, and He did what He said He would do.  In the resurrection, He conquered sin and death.  He won the victory over His enemy, the devil.  He broke the power of sin. The Holy Spirit then birthed in believers a new heart and a new spirit.  Because of the gifts that are ours in Christ through the resurrection, we can live in freedom and peace.

Jesus’s death on the cross is not a mere historical fact.  It was God’s plan to bring hope to the world.  The gifts of the cross:  forgiveness, propitiation, atonement, redemption, love, and grace, were given by God so that we might know Him and live in the power and beauty of those gifts.  Receiving these gifts lifts us from shame.

Shame prevents believers from standing on the firm foundation given to us in Christ. As we submit to the truth in God’s Word and allow others to remind us of our true identity, we can cast off the lies of shame. We can embrace what Jesus has accomplished for us. Spiritual growth increases, and God’s intention for our lives comes to fruition.

God is not surprised by our shame stories.  He understands the dynamics of shame far beyond what we can comprehend.  In our desire to mature as believers, Bruce McNicol, founder and past president of the ministry Trueface, shares how facing shame and trusting God with our shame stories can help us grow and experience God on a deeper level.  Doing so frees us to love and honor others in the way God designed us to love.

It’s difficult to surrender to a God you don’t trust.  Shame can hinder our ability to obey God from the heart, because shame and unbelief go hand in hand.  Without faith, we won’t grow. We won’t mature as believers.  As we come to experience the love of God and believe His value in us, we can take risks to surrender our hearts before Him.

Sometimes God’s Word can seem intimidating.  We may want to avoid reading or studying it because of past experiences.  God is not hindered by this challenge.  Finding a safe place to come to know God through His Word can relieve some of the cautiousness.  And He is able to meet us right where we are, no matter the seeming obstacles in our path.  He gave us His Word because He wants us to know Him.  

God’s Word reveals God’s heart.  It shows us who He is and who we are.  He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  God is not a distant being, but One who moves toward us in love.  He gives us His Word to enable us to trust His character and intention.  The more we study it and meditate on it, the more we feel at rest in His presence.