Promise Hill--Where Stories Heal and Hope is Redeemed | The Bruise

Description

In this episode of Promise Hill, Mira finds herself revisiting the past in a way she didn’t expect—and maybe didn’t want. But through a quiet conversation, a bit of tea, something begins to stir. Healing isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s prompted by a photograph, a porch light, and a flower bookmark. If you’ve ever felt the ache of moving on but are not sure how, this one’s for you.

Topics covered: grief from a breakup, hope when its hard, growing through hard seasons.

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Transcription

Speaker #0
Hey there friends, and welcome back to Promise Hill. First things first, thank you so much for listening, sharing, and walking this winding road with us. Whether you've been here since episode one, or you're just pulling off the highway to see what the fuss is all about, I'm so glad that you're here. Today is season one, episode seven, The Bruise. Because sometimes life doesn't leave scars that bleed on the outside, but it sure knows how to leave a bruise on your soul. So settle in, grab your favorite drink, and let's step into the story. Here's the bruise. Let's listen in.
Speaker #1
The road back to Promise Hill felt familiar, yet today carried a quiet shift. As Mira drove under soft sunlight, her thoughts wavered between memories and the hope of a new beginning. She'd left her mother's house, wondering about the unopened envelope and the weight of Ruth's fearful yet resolved eyes. For the first time in ages, she felt like she was heading towards something, not away. Turning onto the quiet street to Grandma Eden's cottage, Mira clutched a photograph in her lap, unsure if she'd meant to come or if her heart simply led her. Eden's porch light glowed in daylight as jasmine and lavender scented the breeze and wind chimes sang in the warm spring air. Grandma Eden opened the door before Mira could knock and greeted her with a smile and warmth that touched her soul.
Speaker #2
Hello, Mira dear. Were your ears burning or did your heart just know I've got the kettle on for you?
Speaker #3
Thank you, Grandma Eden, for being so welcoming.
Speaker #1
Inside, the kitchen smelled like orange peels and cinnamon. Mira settled into the same chair she always did, watching Eden pour two cups of steaming hot tea with her practiced gentleness. Penelope made her entrance and said hello to Mira with the cat rub she did so well.
Speaker #3
I was just at my mom's house. We talked. It went better than I expected.
Speaker #1
Eden gave a soft nod but said nothing, letting the silence stretch safely between them.
Speaker #3
But... But there was something that happened. There was this old photograph of me and Jackson. I haven't seen it in years, and I wasn't ready for what it stirred up.
Speaker #2
Was Jackson your husband?
Speaker #1
Mira nodded and handed Eden the photo.
Speaker #3
Here we are standing in front of the Pucker's ice cream stand. You know the one at the pier of Whispering Trees Lake, right? Look how happy I am. We were impossibly young and sunburned.
Speaker #1
The sight of it had stolen her breath.
Speaker #3
We met in middle school. He was the class clown, forever getting sent into the hallway for making sound effects during math quizzes. One day, he had put his calculator in the freezer at lunch and announced he was giving it a brain freeze. I laughed so hard. Chocolate milk spilled all over my jeans. That was the beginning. We dated on and off all through college. engaged by 22, married by 23, and by 28, it was 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 #3
He stayed in River City, where we lived before I moved here.
Speaker #1
Mira went on tearing up.
Speaker #3
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. Not sure I even know how.
Speaker #2
Ah, the kind of ache that doesn't bleed but still bruises.
Speaker #1
Mira blinked hard.
Speaker #3
I want to move on. I really do. But I don't know how.
Speaker #1
Aiden leaned back and sipped her green tea, then set the cup down.
Speaker #2
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 forgiveness 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 a cup.
Speaker #3
What if I don't know what that hope looks like?
Speaker #2
Then it's time to dream again.
Speaker #1
Aiden's eyes began to twinkle.
Speaker #2
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 flicked to the big black book she saw on Eden's table. She still was not ready to ask about it. Then she exhaled slowly, the kind of breath that releases something held too tightly.
Speaker #3
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 #2
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. Mira felt something settle deep inside her. She didn't have all the answers. But maybe answers weren't the goal. Maybe healing was the journey of making peace with the pieces.
Speaker #3
How do I even begin getting whole?
Speaker #1
Grandma Eden smiled.
Speaker #2
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 #1
She finished her tea, hugged Eden tightly, and headed toward the door. And as she drove down the street back to her home, The photograph of she and Jackson was no longer on the passenger seat. It was tucked gently in the glove box. Still part of her story, but not the end of it. Later that afternoon, when Mira went to retrieve her mail from the post box, she noticed a basket sitting by her door. Eden had quietly stopped by with a note.
Speaker #2
Mira, my dear, here's a little something for you.
Speaker #1
There was an envelope, a box 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, Salah. Mira held her breath. What was this? Mira had stepped into something today. Not just the pages of an old story, but the beginnings of her own healing with Jackson. 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
I love how Mira is addressing the wounds that are revealing their tenderness. She's asking for help and realizes it's time. Do you find yourself feeling stuck and bruised with an area in 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 is our job to create a safe space for them to feel listened to and comfortable sharing where they are. I have five reflections for you today. 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. Boy, am I speaking to the choir. There's something challenging that I've been walking through, and this is a good reminder as I'm speaking it out loud, so I know exactly what this feels like. Hear it and hold it. Psalm 147 verse 3. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. 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. 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 way more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it. I also use a form of something called internal family systems that God himself taught me for real. I'll go into that story at another time. Brain spotting and emotional freedom technique are two other tools that I use. Some other practitioners use EMDR, root cause therapy, and somatic release. There are many other ways to heal as well, and 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. Goodness, it is possible to grieve what was lost while still holding on to hope for what is to come. The presence of pain doesn't mean we've lost the ability to hope. I'm going to repeat that. The presence of pain doesn't mean we've lost the ability to hope. But we must remember to keep our hope in Jesus. We don't know what the future brings, and we don't want to create a false prophecy. And a false prophecy is when we assume we know the future and act like that's what's happening. Hear it and hold it. Psalm 30 verse 5. Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Grieving is a process that 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 and do 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 because that's what he says he will do, right? Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want for anything. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul, right? He restores my soul. There's so many difficult, hard things that happen, devastating things that happen in our lives. And we can choose to remain in that devastation or that grief for years, holding on to bitterness and resentment, getting stuck in the five stages of grief. Or we can choose to partner with the Lord. Allow him to work in your heart. Get the help needed to get unstuck, to look for hope, and to relieve yourself from the bitterness and the anger. It is possible. See it all the time. Hear it and hold it. James 1, 2 through 4. 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. 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. Reflection number four. You are allowed to outgrow versions of yourself that were shaped by heartbreak. Heartbreak doesn't define us, it re-finds us. We can transform the versions of ourselves formed in pain and step into the healed person God always intended us to be. Friends, it is so important if you were in a relationship that ended through breaking up, through divorce, through death. Instead of holding on to heartbreak and grief, it's important to step through that to get to the other side for transformation. And the only way that can happen is for you to make that step. And I know you're saying, well, how do I do that? You reach out for help. You reach out for counselors. You reach out for support groups, grief groups. You reach out for healing. And you look at the areas that you feel stuck in. As we go through heartbreak, there's many, many, many issues that can come up from early childhood, from other heartbreaks that need to be mended and healed. Look for a minister that uses inner healing and deliverance. That really is so powerful because you have God right there with you walking through it. You can look for someone that is trained in Sozo through Bethel or reforming Restoring the foundations is another wonderful ministry. Okay, number five. Letting go isn't weakness. It's wisdom. Trusting God with your future is an act of courage. Letting go is not about giving up, but about trusting God with the unknown. It takes courage to release control and surrender to his plan. If you're anything like me, this one's hard. We want to know what's coming. We want to know that things are going to be okay and that his plan is as good as our plan. But it's so important that we surrender because when we surrender, we get out of God's way. When we're in his way, my goodness, he's like, okay, all right, Kimberly, you think you got this? Go ahead. And I don't got this. So I encourage you to surrender. And it's just prayer. Father, I surrender this situation to you. I want. your help, your perspective, your healing, and then let him go to work. Okay, hear it and hold it. Jeremiah 29, 11. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Goodness, those words are good to hold on to, right? A hope and a future. There's been many times in my life where I have been holding on so tightly to something that I wanted to see breakthrough in or change in. I wanted it on my timeline, but I surrendered. I decided to just give it to Jesus. I pictured myself literally putting the issue in his hand. It certainly felt good to release that burden. I was able to pray into the situation when I asked God for his perspective. I encourage you to try this. It really does help. All right, I have five action steps for you guys. Number one, create a new morning ritual. Okay, so before I explain what that means, if you're feeling stuck in life, you're in a mundane kind of situation, you go to get up, go to work, or you get up and take care of the kids, try something new to get out of getting in a rut or to get out of a rut, you need to do something new. So 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 I want you to look at yourself in the mirror as you say that. Set off your day with something easy and truthful because that comes from the Bible. Number two, write a letter, an encouraging letter, to the version of you who loved and lost that love. Thank her for surviving. This is especially helpful for the person who went through a divorce, a challenging breakup, or a spouse who passed away. 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. Oh man, what if I did that differently or I should have done this? I know, you know what I'm talking about. Let's stay away from those because they're not helpful. You will notice the more you listen to me, the more you'll hear me talk about parts. We all have parts that make us who we are. Some parts hold grief, some parts hold dark memories, Some parts hold trauma. It's important that we give attention to our parts so that we can love ourselves fully. In my work as a counselor, I work with what I call fractured soul parts. The secular world calls this type of work internal family systems. There is a Christian ministry called HeartSync that also works with parts. So God showed me his way of how he wants me to work with parts, and that will unfold a little bit later, but I wanted to give clarification to what parts were. All right. Next action step number three, plant something small, like a seed, of course, as a living symbol of being planted, not buried. I love this one. I'm reminded every day of this living symbol. We actually planted a teeny tiny small little aloe vera plant. Goodness, 10 years ago, 11 years ago. Now I believe we have like eight because they procreate on their own. So as they procreated over the years, I've given them away to so many people, but I've kept eight. And so it's just that living symbol of life growing and continuing on. Number four, schedule one life-giving activity each week. Something that feeds your soul with no obligation. It can be reading a devotional, listening to scripture, watching an episode of The Chosen, lighting a candle as you spend time with God. But this goes back to getting unstuck. We can get into this rut of just our days look the same day to day. So break it up a little bit and do something a little bit different as you spend more time with the Lord. Number five, make a playlist of songs that reflect healing, rising up and new beginnings. Your moving up soundtrack. I have some songs on my playlist that I just love. They are encouraging and supportive. Okay. It's that time for prayer. I'm so happy to be praying for you. 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. Today, like Mira, we take a step toward healing. Not all the way, not yet, but enough to say yes to your presence in the process. Help us to not rush what needs gentleness. Teach us that healing doesn't always arrive with fanfare. It often tiptoes in with tea and wildflowers, notes left on the doorstep, and moments of unexpected grace. 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 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're still. being written. And you, gentle author of our lives, know exactly how to unfold what's next. In Jesus's holy name, amen. 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.

Description

Topics covered: grief from a breakup, hope when its hard, growing through hard seasons.

Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Transcription

Speaker #0
Hey there friends, and welcome back to Promise Hill. First things first, thank you so much for listening, sharing, and walking this winding road with us. Whether you've been here since episode one, or you're just pulling off the highway to see what the fuss is all about, I'm so glad that you're here. Today is season one, episode seven, The Bruise. Because sometimes life doesn't leave scars that bleed on the outside, but it sure knows how to leave a bruise on your soul. So settle in, grab your favorite drink, and let's step into the story. Here's the bruise. Let's listen in.
Speaker #1
The road back to Promise Hill felt familiar, yet today carried a quiet shift. As Mira drove under soft sunlight, her thoughts wavered between memories and the hope of a new beginning. She'd left her mother's house, wondering about the unopened envelope and the weight of Ruth's fearful yet resolved eyes. For the first time in ages, she felt like she was heading towards something, not away. Turning onto the quiet street to Grandma Eden's cottage, Mira clutched a photograph in her lap, unsure if she'd meant to come or if her heart simply led her. Eden's porch light glowed in daylight as jasmine and lavender scented the breeze and wind chimes sang in the warm spring air. Grandma Eden opened the door before Mira could knock and greeted her with a smile and warmth that touched her soul.
Speaker #2
Hello, Mira dear. Were your ears burning or did your heart just know I've got the kettle on for you?
Speaker #3
Thank you, Grandma Eden, for being so welcoming.
Speaker #1
Inside, the kitchen smelled like orange peels and cinnamon. Mira settled into the same chair she always did, watching Eden pour two cups of steaming hot tea with her practiced gentleness. Penelope made her entrance and said hello to Mira with the cat rub she did so well.
Speaker #3
I was just at my mom's house. We talked. It went better than I expected.
Speaker #1
Eden gave a soft nod but said nothing, letting the silence stretch safely between them.
Speaker #3
But... But there was something that happened. There was this old photograph of me and Jackson. I haven't seen it in years, and I wasn't ready for what it stirred up.
Speaker #2
Was Jackson your husband?
Speaker #1
Mira nodded and handed Eden the photo.
Speaker #3
Here we are standing in front of the Pucker's ice cream stand. You know the one at the pier of Whispering Trees Lake, right? Look how happy I am. We were impossibly young and sunburned.
Speaker #1
The sight of it had stolen her breath.
Speaker #3
We met in middle school. He was the class clown, forever getting sent into the hallway for making sound effects during math quizzes. One day, he had put his calculator in the freezer at lunch and announced he was giving it a brain freeze. I laughed so hard. Chocolate milk spilled all over my jeans. That was the beginning. We dated on and off all through college. engaged by 22, married by 23, and by 28, it was 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 #3
He stayed in River City, where we lived before I moved here.
Speaker #1
Mira went on tearing up.
Speaker #3
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. Not sure I even know how.
Speaker #2
Ah, the kind of ache that doesn't bleed but still bruises.
Speaker #1
Mira blinked hard.
Speaker #3
I want to move on. I really do. But I don't know how.
Speaker #1
Aiden leaned back and sipped her green tea, then set the cup down.
Speaker #2
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 forgiveness 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 a cup.
Speaker #3
What if I don't know what that hope looks like?
Speaker #2
Then it's time to dream again.
Speaker #1
Aiden's eyes began to twinkle.
Speaker #2
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 flicked to the big black book she saw on Eden's table. She still was not ready to ask about it. Then she exhaled slowly, the kind of breath that releases something held too tightly.
Speaker #3
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 #2
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. Mira felt something settle deep inside her. She didn't have all the answers. But maybe answers weren't the goal. Maybe healing was the journey of making peace with the pieces.
Speaker #3
How do I even begin getting whole?
Speaker #1
Grandma Eden smiled.
Speaker #2
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 #1
She finished her tea, hugged Eden tightly, and headed toward the door. And as she drove down the street back to her home, The photograph of she and Jackson was no longer on the passenger seat. It was tucked gently in the glove box. Still part of her story, but not the end of it. Later that afternoon, when Mira went to retrieve her mail from the post box, she noticed a basket sitting by her door. Eden had quietly stopped by with a note.
Speaker #2
Mira, my dear, here's a little something for you.
Speaker #1
There was an envelope, a box 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, Salah. Mira held her breath. What was this? Mira had stepped into something today. Not just the pages of an old story, but the beginnings of her own healing with Jackson. 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
I love how Mira is addressing the wounds that are revealing their tenderness. She's asking for help and realizes it's time. Do you find yourself feeling stuck and bruised with an area in 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 is our job to create a safe space for them to feel listened to and comfortable sharing where they are. I have five reflections for you today. 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. Boy, am I speaking to the choir. There's something challenging that I've been walking through, and this is a good reminder as I'm speaking it out loud, so I know exactly what this feels like. Hear it and hold it. Psalm 147 verse 3. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. 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. 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 way more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it. I also use a form of something called internal family systems that God himself taught me for real. I'll go into that story at another time. Brain spotting and emotional freedom technique are two other tools that I use. Some other practitioners use EMDR, root cause therapy, and somatic release. There are many other ways to heal as well, and 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. Goodness, it is possible to grieve what was lost while still holding on to hope for what is to come. The presence of pain doesn't mean we've lost the ability to hope. I'm going to repeat that. The presence of pain doesn't mean we've lost the ability to hope. But we must remember to keep our hope in Jesus. We don't know what the future brings, and we don't want to create a false prophecy. And a false prophecy is when we assume we know the future and act like that's what's happening. Hear it and hold it. Psalm 30 verse 5. Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Grieving is a process that 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 and do 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 because that's what he says he will do, right? Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want for anything. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul, right? He restores my soul. There's so many difficult, hard things that happen, devastating things that happen in our lives. And we can choose to remain in that devastation or that grief for years, holding on to bitterness and resentment, getting stuck in the five stages of grief. Or we can choose to partner with the Lord. Allow him to work in your heart. Get the help needed to get unstuck, to look for hope, and to relieve yourself from the bitterness and the anger. It is possible. See it all the time. Hear it and hold it. James 1, 2 through 4. 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. 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. Reflection number four. You are allowed to outgrow versions of yourself that were shaped by heartbreak. Heartbreak doesn't define us, it re-finds us. We can transform the versions of ourselves formed in pain and step into the healed person God always intended us to be. Friends, it is so important if you were in a relationship that ended through breaking up, through divorce, through death. Instead of holding on to heartbreak and grief, it's important to step through that to get to the other side for transformation. And the only way that can happen is for you to make that step. And I know you're saying, well, how do I do that? You reach out for help. You reach out for counselors. You reach out for support groups, grief groups. You reach out for healing. And you look at the areas that you feel stuck in. As we go through heartbreak, there's many, many, many issues that can come up from early childhood, from other heartbreaks that need to be mended and healed. Look for a minister that uses inner healing and deliverance. That really is so powerful because you have God right there with you walking through it. You can look for someone that is trained in Sozo through Bethel or reforming Restoring the foundations is another wonderful ministry. Okay, number five. Letting go isn't weakness. It's wisdom. Trusting God with your future is an act of courage. Letting go is not about giving up, but about trusting God with the unknown. It takes courage to release control and surrender to his plan. If you're anything like me, this one's hard. We want to know what's coming. We want to know that things are going to be okay and that his plan is as good as our plan. But it's so important that we surrender because when we surrender, we get out of God's way. When we're in his way, my goodness, he's like, okay, all right, Kimberly, you think you got this? Go ahead. And I don't got this. So I encourage you to surrender. And it's just prayer. Father, I surrender this situation to you. I want. your help, your perspective, your healing, and then let him go to work. Okay, hear it and hold it. Jeremiah 29, 11. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Goodness, those words are good to hold on to, right? A hope and a future. There's been many times in my life where I have been holding on so tightly to something that I wanted to see breakthrough in or change in. I wanted it on my timeline, but I surrendered. I decided to just give it to Jesus. I pictured myself literally putting the issue in his hand. It certainly felt good to release that burden. I was able to pray into the situation when I asked God for his perspective. I encourage you to try this. It really does help. All right, I have five action steps for you guys. Number one, create a new morning ritual. Okay, so before I explain what that means, if you're feeling stuck in life, you're in a mundane kind of situation, you go to get up, go to work, or you get up and take care of the kids, try something new to get out of getting in a rut or to get out of a rut, you need to do something new. So 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 I want you to look at yourself in the mirror as you say that. Set off your day with something easy and truthful because that comes from the Bible. Number two, write a letter, an encouraging letter, to the version of you who loved and lost that love. Thank her for surviving. This is especially helpful for the person who went through a divorce, a challenging breakup, or a spouse who passed away. 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. Oh man, what if I did that differently or I should have done this? I know, you know what I'm talking about. Let's stay away from those because they're not helpful. You will notice the more you listen to me, the more you'll hear me talk about parts. We all have parts that make us who we are. Some parts hold grief, some parts hold dark memories, Some parts hold trauma. It's important that we give attention to our parts so that we can love ourselves fully. In my work as a counselor, I work with what I call fractured soul parts. The secular world calls this type of work internal family systems. There is a Christian ministry called HeartSync that also works with parts. So God showed me his way of how he wants me to work with parts, and that will unfold a little bit later, but I wanted to give clarification to what parts were. All right. Next action step number three, plant something small, like a seed, of course, as a living symbol of being planted, not buried. I love this one. I'm reminded every day of this living symbol. We actually planted a teeny tiny small little aloe vera plant. Goodness, 10 years ago, 11 years ago. Now I believe we have like eight because they procreate on their own. So as they procreated over the years, I've given them away to so many people, but I've kept eight. And so it's just that living symbol of life growing and continuing on. Number four, schedule one life-giving activity each week. Something that feeds your soul with no obligation. It can be reading a devotional, listening to scripture, watching an episode of The Chosen, lighting a candle as you spend time with God. But this goes back to getting unstuck. We can get into this rut of just our days look the same day to day. So break it up a little bit and do something a little bit different as you spend more time with the Lord. Number five, make a playlist of songs that reflect healing, rising up and new beginnings. Your moving up soundtrack. I have some songs on my playlist that I just love. They are encouraging and supportive. Okay. It's that time for prayer. I'm so happy to be praying for you. 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. Today, like Mira, we take a step toward healing. Not all the way, not yet, but enough to say yes to your presence in the process. Help us to not rush what needs gentleness. Teach us that healing doesn't always arrive with fanfare. It often tiptoes in with tea and wildflowers, notes left on the doorstep, and moments of unexpected grace. 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 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're still. being written. And you, gentle author of our lives, know exactly how to unfold what's next. In Jesus's holy name, amen. 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.

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