Expose & Share Our Hurts & Pains

Any type of trauma is catastrophic, but in this culture, we have been made to believe that exposing our hurts, our vulnerabilities, weaken us, weakens who we are. American scholar, author, and public speaker Brene Brown says, "Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity." She goes on to debunk beliefs that vulnerability is a weakness or that trust comes before vulnerability. On the contrary, it is our vulnerability that we gain strength from. It is when we seek help, when we expose and share our hurts and pains that healing begins. 

Of course, not everyone has to be privy to your pain. You need a trusted and reliable source who has your best interest at heart. You take the power away from the victimizer when you speak your truth, share your hurt, and reveal your pain. Robin Roberts, American television broadcaster and news anchor often repeats a saying from her mother, "Make your mess your message."

In some ways many of us have been victimized or harmed by the actions of someone else and too often we live with it in silence. Whether it is physical harm, lies, or circumstances, each has its side effects, including - but not limited to - anxiety, panic, depression, PTSD, and dissociative identity disorder. 

How do you find joy when living (or existing) in the pain of the past? How do you reclaim your self-worth? Where can you find relief from the inner voice that calls you "unworthy and tarnished"? You have to confront it.

Please enjoy today’s devotion, an excerpt from my new book, "Caught in the Undertow: God’s Rescue for Anxiety Panic and Depression." To order your copy, please visit my website: https://www.mamiejohnsonministries.org