- Speaker #0
Hey there, friends, and welcome back to Promise Hill. This is Season 1, Episode 6, The Bruise. Hello, I'm Kimberlee Herman, your host. First things first, thank you for listening and walking this winding road with me. Whether you've been here since Episode 1 or you're just testing the waters, I'm so glad that you're here. This podcast is an unfolding story, so you may want to start with episode one. While this is a soul care podcast, and I'm a Christian counselor, just want to remind you that this does not constitute counseling. This is just entertainment only. In our last episode, Mira discovered the secret room, remember, and rediscovered some old memories in the box. She also saw an envelope with papers that her mom Ruth was not ready to discuss. In this episode, we learn that sometimes life doesn't leave scars that bleed on the outside, but it sure knows how to leave a bruise on your soul. I will meet you on the other side of the story with reflections, live it out action steps, and prayer. Let's listen in.
- Speaker #1
Mira woke up in a start, not knowing why. After a moment, she remembered.
- Speaker #2
Oh the text and my mom's box and all the memories it contained. And who's GL? Something tells me I'm not running from the past anymore. I'm walking straight toward it. I'm not sure I'm ready for this. I'm going to see if Grandma Eden can help me.
- Speaker #1
The morning air hummed with a strange electricity as she made her way down the quiet street to Grandma Eden's. Mira's fingers brushed the worn edge of a photograph inside her purse like a talisman.
- Speaker #3
Flowers bloomed along the sidewalk,
- Speaker #1
perfuming the world with jasmine and lavender. Wind chimes sang like tiny secrets whispering her name. Grandma Eden opened the door before Mira could knock and greeted her with a smile and warmth that touched her soul.
- Speaker #3
Hello, Mira dear. Were your ears burning? Or did your heart just know I've got the kettle on for you?
- Speaker #1
Mira tried to smile, but even her voice trembled.
- Speaker #2
I think my heart knew. It's been a night.
- Speaker #1
Inside, the air was alive with cinnamon and orange peels. Penelope, Eden's cat, announced herself with a cat rub.
- Speaker #2
I was at Mom's house last night.
- Speaker #1
Mira began, fingers tracing the porcelain cup as steam curled upward. Eden gave a soft nod but said nothing, letting the silence stretch safely between them.
- Speaker #2
Two things I'm hoping you can give me some wisdom on. The first thing is that I got this strange text asking if I was Amira last night. I haven't responded. That's not my name, but it feels like it almost should be. What do you think?
- Speaker #3
Very strange indeed. What is holding you back from responding?
- Speaker #2
Too many scams are going on, but it won't leave me.
- Speaker #3
Then I think you know what to do.
- Speaker #2
Okay, you're right. I need to check it out. I will deal with that later. Okay, now for the other thing. When I was going through my mom's box, there was this old photograph of Jackson and me. I haven't seen it in years, and I wasn't ready for what it stirred up.
- Speaker #0
Was Jackson your husband?
- Speaker #1
She passed the photo to Eden. Sunlight caught the edges, turning their smiles into ghosts of summer.
- Speaker #2
He sure was. We were ridiculous. We met in middle school. He put his calculator in the freezer once and told everyone he gave it a brain freeze. I laughed so hard that chocolate milk came out of my nose, all over my jeans, and possibly onto a bystander. The janitor gave me tissues. That was the beginning of everything, and the end came quietly, more like a fading song than a fight. Married at 21, and by 28, it unraveled. It wasn't a dramatic fall. No affair, no betrayal, just the slow erosion of connection. He buried himself in work, I buried myself in silence. We never fought, which somehow made it worse. We both agreed to pretend not to notice the growing distance. We didn't get help. We should have, but we didn't.
- Speaker #1
Eden reached over, placing a steady hand over Mira's.
- Speaker #2
He stayed in River City, where we lived before I moved here. His family cut ties with me after the divorce. They were like my second home during my teen years. And then, nothing. Mutual friends say he's dating again. And I'm... not. Not ready to hear that, let alone date. Not sure I even know how. Ah, the kind of ache that doesn't bleed, but still bruises.
- Speaker #1
Mira blinked hard.
- Speaker #2
I want to move on, I really do. But I don't know how.
- Speaker #1
Eden leaned back and sipped her orange tea, then set the cup down.
- Speaker #3
I know, dear, but I also know you can't rush healing. That's like trying to force a flower to bloom in winter. But you can prepare the soil. That's what healing is, for yourself and for Jackson. Not forgetting the pain or regret, but freeing your own hands to carry hope again.
- Speaker #1
Mira stared into her cup.
- Speaker #2
What if I don't know what that hope looks like?
- Speaker #3
One day when you're ready, I'll tell you my story. I had no hope, only darkness in my life. But hope found me. But let's get you to start dreaming again.
- Speaker #1
Eden's eyes began to twinkle.
- Speaker #3
Not about a person, but about a life. Your life. What makes your soul stretch wide and breathe deep? What stirs you when the world is quiet?
- Speaker #1
Mira's eyes distracted her to the big black book she saw on Eden's table. She was still not ready to ask about it, but she could feel it tugging at her.
- Speaker #2
I don't know, but I do know I'm scared of letting go of Jackson. What if I never find something like that again?
- Speaker #1
Eden smiled softly.
- Speaker #3
You might not, but what if what you find next is something even better? Not because it's bigger, but because you'll be walking into it more whole.
- Speaker #1
Penelope made her presence again with a soft purr and side rub against Mira's leg.
- Speaker #2
You see,
- Speaker #3
dear, wholeness is just for you, without worrying about Jackson. It's about bringing your focus back to the parts of you that need healing, even way before Jackson came into the picture. It's also about becoming aware of your behavior and thoughts so those can change if needed. It sounds like with Jackson, you were a suppressor. You've already started working on that by sharing your feelings with me.
- Speaker #1
Mira felt something settled deep inside her. She didn't have all the answers, but maybe answers weren't the goal.
- Speaker #2
Eden, how do I even begin getting whole?
- Speaker #1
Grandma Eden smiled.
- Speaker #3
Mira, dear, I will drop off something later to help guide you. Take a read. It's a lot to go over, so I want you to have a head start.
- Speaker #2
Okay, thank you, Grandma Eden. I really appreciate you and your kindness to me.
- Speaker #1
She finished her tea, hugged Eden tightly, and headed toward the door.
- Speaker #3
Oh, one last question, dear. Do you attend church somewhere?
- Speaker #2
No, not sure I'm interested in that right now. Do you think church could actually help me?
- Speaker #3
I know it would. When you are ready, dear, we can talk more about church. Enjoy your day, love.
- Speaker #1
Later that afternoon, when Mira went to retrieve her mail from the postbox, she noticed a basket sitting by her door. Eden had quietly stopped by with a note that read,
- Speaker #3
Mira, my dear, here's a little something for you.
- Speaker #1
There was an envelope, a bag of chamomile and jasmine tea she made from her garden, and a mug that said, Breakthrough's coming, mind your curls. Mira chuckled as she read that and touched her dark brown waves. The perfect mug from Eden. Mira made her tea in her mind your curls mug and settled in to read Eden's letter. Mira hoped this was salve for the bruise she carried for Jackson. She was hopeful now that she had steps to follow. But as she opened the envelope, something slipped out. Something Eden hadn't mentioned. A pressed wildflower bookmark attached with twine to a word, Salak.
- Speaker #2
Mira held her breath. Hmm, what does this mean?
- Speaker #1
Just then, a text. Mira read it out loud.
- Speaker #2
Amira, I really need to talk to you and to tell you everything. Tell me what? Now I'm freaking out a little here. I'm really hoping this is a wrong number, but I will take Grandma Eden's advice. Normally, I would just pretend this didn't exist, but today I'm going to respond rather than hide.
- Speaker #1
She started typing.
- Speaker #2
Who is this and what do you need to tell me?
- Speaker #1
Mira had stepped into something today. Not just the pages of an old story, but the beginnings of her own healing with Jackson with another mystery unfolding. The bruise she carried for so long won't heal overnight, but maybe it could begin to fade, one step at a time. And sometimes, when we think we're alone, something unexpected comes to guide us. A letter. A flower. A mug with a new kind of hope. Take it away, Kimberlee
- Speaker #0
Let's walk this chapter home. I love how Mira is addressing the wounds that are revealing their tenderness. She is asking for help and realizes it's time. Do you find yourself feeling stuck and bruised in an area of your life? I bet many of us have bruises we have been ignoring for years. Maybe now is the time to start bringing the salve and tenderly care for them. Perhaps the reflections and action steps today will be the ointment needed to get started. Something we can take away from Eden is how she listened to Mira. She allowed her to speak, didn't rush her, didn't interrupt her, and didn't try to fix her. This is a great reminder when we have friends who just need to verbally process something they're thinking about. It's not our job to try to jump in and fix it. It's our job to create a safe space for them to feel listened to and comfortable sharing where they are. I wanted to share that I have written a breakup recovery guide. You can find it on my website at promisehillpodcast.com. It's a nine-step guide written in mine and Grandma Eden's voice. It's ADHD friendly as well, as far as it offering short lessons that hopefully you find interesting. This is for the woman who just... got out of a relationship and is feeling really, really down and depressed because of it. Or for the woman who is starting to notice a pattern with the men that she dates that the breakup recovery part is just very difficult. All right, let's walk over to the Promise Hill water fountain and have a seat to discuss three reflections from this story. Reflection number one, healing doesn't mean forgetting. It means making peace with what happened. Healing is a process of coming to terms with our past without being chained to it. It's not erasing the hurt, but learning to live with it in a way that no longer controls us. Hear it and hold it. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147 verse 3. Learning to live with pain is not our goal. We will have memories of hard times, but our goal is to remove the emotion from the event. Now there are different ways to accomplish this. One of the healing tools I use is called inner healing. It's when we go into prayer and submit the pain to Jesus. He then takes the pain and exchanges peace for it. It can get a little bit more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it. There are many other ways to heal as well. A lot of secular tools. I'm just thankful that we can start with Jesus. Reflection number two, grief and hope. can sit at the same table. One doesn't cancel out the other. It is possible to grieve what was lost while still holding on to the hope for what is to come. The presence of pain doesn't mean we've lost the ability to hope. But we must remember to keep our hope in Jesus. Hear it and hold it. Weeping may start for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30 verse 5. Grieving is a process and takes time to walk through. I'm sure most of you know about the five stages of grief. While this was originally for the person who was dying, it made sense for these stages to be universal. These stages are not linear but can ebb and flow. They are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. While walking through it, you can still have hope that a better day is coming and that hope starts with you. Keeping your hope in Jesus that he will carry you through the pain. Reflection number three, God never wastes pain. He repurposes it for growth. Our pain isn't meaningless. God uses it to shape us, refine us, and deepen our faith. What we once thought was wasted hurt is now a tool for our transformation. Hear it and hold it. Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1 verses 2 through 4. While this verse is telling us that no matter what our trials, we are to have faith in God. This will grow us as we press into faith and not have doubts about God's help. Let's sit and breathe here. A few slow breaths to take in what we just learned. Healing is making peace with what happened. Grief and hope can sit at the same table, and God repurposes pain for growth. Let that settle in for a moment. Now, let's take a walk down Main Street for our action steps. Number one, create a new morning ritual. where you speak truth over yourself instead of replaying old memories. Try it tomorrow. An example is using scripture to step into, such as, I am beautifully and wonderfully made. And this becomes even more powerful when you can look in the mirror into your eyes and say this over yourself. Number two, write a letter to the version of you who loved and lost that love. If you're in a breakup. Thank her for surviving. This is especially great for a person who went through a divorce or a challenging breakup. This one brings so much compassion to parts of yourself that walk through heartache. This is about showing love to those parts of you that are hurting rather than criticizing them and living in the what-ifs or I should-haves. Stay away from those. In my work as a counselor, I work with fractured soul parts. The secular world calls this type of work internal family systems. And there's a Christian ministry called Heart Sync that also works with parts. God showed me this way of how he wants me to work with soul parts. And that will unfold over time as we get to know each other. But I wanted to give clarification to what parts were in my world. All right, our last action step. Make a playlist of songs that reflect healing, rising, and new beginnings. Call it your moving up soundtrack. I have some songs on my playlist that I just love. They're encouraging and supportive. All right, it's time for prayer. Father God, for the ones listening who carry quiet bruises, memories that sting, names that still ache, and love that feels half-written, I lift them up to you now. You see the unseen grief, the stories that never felt like they ended, and the hearts afraid to begin again. You know what was lost and what still longs to be found. Lord, for every listener holding an old photograph in their soul, for every memory that's both sacred and sore, I ask for peace. Not the kind that pretends everything is fine, but the peace that settles deep and quiet, knowing you are near. Give us courage to forgive, not just others, but for ourselves. Give us hope, not in what was, but in what could be because of who you are. And remind us, God, that no matter what chapter we're in, it's not the end of the story. We are still being written, and you, gentle author of our lives, know exactly how to unfold what's next. In Jesus' holy name, amen. Thank you, friends, for listening. I do hope you find encouragement in this podcast. As always, if you're struggling or dealing with severe emotions or trauma, please find a trained professional to walk beside you. Until next time, friends, may you find peace in the presence and hope on the hilltop. This is Kimberlee Herman cheering you on from Promise Hill.
