salvation

August 2, 2023 by Tricia Goyer 2 Comments

Just Be Available to God

Just Be Available

If you want God to work in your life, then just be available! Be available AND believe He will move on your behalf. You have to believe this. If you don’t believe in a BIG God with BIG dreams there’s no use being available. When you learn to trust God completely and trust in His dreams, THEN you can also trust Him to lead you down the right path. Let me tell you how I know!

Fifty-two years ago, there was a woman about to give birth. She was young and didn’t know how she could afford a child without her parent’s help. She hadn’t talked to her former boyfriend in months–she didn’t even know how to reach him. How could she tell him she was having his child?

This young woman attended church some, yet her dialogue with God was stilted. How could God let this happen to her? What would her life be like now?

A baby girl was born, and upon holding her child this young lady knew things would be okay. Perhaps this baby was a gift, not a burden as she supposed. So this woman raised her daughter the best she could, and while she wanted to give her child more than she had…

History has a way of repeating itself.

When the daughter became a young woman she found herself in the same situation—living at home, pregnant, scared. The daughter knew she could raise this child. After all, her mom had done it. But what would her life be like? How could God let this happen to her?

If you haven’t guessed already – I was the daughter.

I was born to a single mom, becoming a single mom myself as a teenager. At age seventeen, God gave me a son. My boyfriend was out of the picture, and I faced raising a child alone with little education, no money, and – maybe, according to the world – little hope for my future.

Now if you take this story at face value, I am nothing more than a statistic.

According to government research, most daughters of young mothers go on to be teen mothers themselves. They face lives of hardship, living on welfare for the most part—becoming a burden rather than an asset to society.

Yet, I am not a statistic. And you know why I’m not a statistic? Because God doesn’t do statistics.

Did you hear that?

God doesn’t do statistics. In fact, He likes to blow them out of the water.

You see, God has a history of seeing something that no one else does. Like seeing a king in a shepherd boy named David, seeing an apostle in a young zealot named Paul, and seeing a mighty warrior in a frightened nobody named Gideon.

God has X-ray eyes that see right through any outward characteristics or any national statistics. His X-ray eyes scan down to the heart.

And what did God see? He must have seen something worthwhile. Because . . .

At age 52, I’m a multi-published author of magazine articles, Bible study notes, curriculum, and many books. My book for teenage mothers was nominated for a prestigious award. I’m a national speaker, traveling to share God’s good news.

While in my twenties I helped to launch a Crisis Pregnancy Center, helped start numerous abstinence programs, and launched support groups for Teen Moms.

Just Be Available

Now, if I were not a believer, all these would be things I could really tout. But honestly, I can say that it doesn’t have to do with me at all.

It’s about:

A BIG God with BIG dreams.
A God who has made an agreement with me that is eternal, final, and sealed.
A God who is constantly looking after my safety and success.
A God who is strong in my weakness.
A God who sees the future sees the past and has a perfect plan for me.

Well, I guess the whole truth is that I do have something to do with it. It’s only a little something, but I guess it makes a pretty big difference.

See, God can be all those things in my life, but only if I let Him.

There is one thing I must do . . . and that is Be Available. Of course, I didn’t just wake up one day and say, “Here I am, God – use me.” I didn’t just clear my schedule and wait for God to show up.

Rather, the steps toward my availability were a work in progress. They started on the day I was six months pregnant and accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. I like to look at that as Day One.

In those 34 years from then to now, I’ve learned a lot.

Lesson #1: Sometimes being available means stepping away from the status quo.

For me, that meant moving 1,000 miles away. Seriously, 1,000 miles. You see after I gave my heart to the Lord, I birthed a beautiful son. Not too long later, God gave me an amazing, Christian husband and two more children. Then He asked us to move . . . (in a roundabout way.)

First, God put us into a community of like-minded people. Our friends longed for a simple life away from the hurry and worry in California.

Next, He placed a desire in our hearts to raise our children in a better place – a place called Montana. We’d talked about it with our friends, we’d dreamt about it, and hoped that many someday it would come true.

Then, we decided to pray. My husband and I got on our knees and prayed that IF it was God’s desire He would make it clear. John had just graduated from college, and I was raising three small children under the age of 5.

We knew we’d be leaving our families, leaving our friends, leaving everything we knew. We had no job in Montana, no money to move; in fact, we’d never even been there before! Still, we had a desire. One we couldn’t shake.

At the time, my husband sold computers on commission in a small store. He’d usually sell 1-2 a week. He went to work the next day after our joint-prayer, and sold 11 computers! Enough to pay off our current bills with enough left over to move and live on. It was the confirmation we’d been looking for.

So we did it. We packed up our three kids and moved. Our families thought we were crazy.

They were sure we were joining some commune or something. We saw Kalispell for the first time as we drove in with our stuff. Within the week, we were renting a house. Within three weeks, my husband had a far better job than he had in California. And within six months, we’d purchased our first house. In less than a year, we were plugged into an amazing church and ministering to children in ways we’d always dreamed of.

We serve a BIG God with BIG dreams.

You have to believe this. If you don’t believe in a BIG God with BIG dreams there’s no use being available. But when you trust that fact. Trust God completely. Trust His dreams, THEN you can also trust Him to lead you to the right path.

Seeing God at work and what He did with our lives when we were available made me hungry for more. I wanted to experience God at work like that again.

Henry and Mel Blackaby say, “Watching the activity of God from a distance can never compare with the thrill of being fully involved in the Spirit’s active work.”

You have to want God. Not just want to work for Him or learn about Him, but truly want Him. You have to want to experience Him at work in your life. You have to be hungry for what only He can give—a hope and a future.

Prayer

God, I want to trust you. I want to be available for the big plans you have for me. Lead me to the right path. I am hungry for a hope and a future.

What BIG DREAM is God whispering into your heart? Maybe, like me, you feel God pulling you towards words, towards writing and speaking and sharing His message. If that sounds familiar then maybe you need to join me in the Write That Book club!

Making your writing dreams become a reality is tough. You have ideas but you wonder if any of them are good. You have no idea how to connect with agents and editors, and what in the world is book proposal anyway?

I’m here to help, and I’ve invited some of my friends to help you, too. They are professional agents, editors, authors, and marketing and publicity team members. They’re the best of the best in the Christian publishing industry. Together, we want to help you reach your dreams.

To help you do this, I’ve created Write That Book. This premier group provides education, inspiration, and connection with other writers and experts. Learn all the tricks of the trade while getting your personal questions answered.

Over thirty experts will be available throughout the month to answer your questions. Their decades of experience will be at your fingertips. They not only want to help you, but they also want to get to know you better. After all, your words might just be the ones they’re looking for!

Learn more here:

April 29, 2019 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

How to Invite Others Into Your Healing through Transparency

Years ago, in 2005, I faced one of the hardest struggles of my life. I thought I was doing so well—as a writer, as a mom, and as a wife. One November, I pondered my family and my work, and I thought things couldn’t get any better. I even prayed Psalm 139:23-24:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

God did some searching, and I didn’t like what He found! God showed me areas of my life that needed healing.

It started with an email from an old boyfriend, and my heartbeat jumped to my throat. I’d thought about Steven* from time to time but that moment all the 14-year-old emotions came rushing back. I felt like that young teen again who’d found her “first love.” And as I thought about him I became dissatisfied by my current life. (How horrible is that?!)

Even though I broke off all communication with Steven,* in the coming months I still struggled with my emotions. What I realized is that even though Jesus had given me a new life I was still wrapped up in the old graveclothes. My good friend, Joanna Weaver, gives us a good picture of those graveclothes in her book,

Lazarus Awakening: Finding Your Place in the Heart of God:

I can’t imagine what it must have been like to see Lazarus shuffle out of the darkness of the tomb, wrapped in thin strips of linen according to the custom of the day. His arms and legs were probably wrapped individually, which allowed some movement. But to say the man was restricted would be an understatement.

The stench of death surely lingered around him. Depending on the original sickness, bloody patches may have marked the burial garment here and there, interspersed with yellow-crusted infection. Though a welcome sight to those who loved him, the resurrected Lazarus might also have been a bit frightening to behold.

I wonder what Mary and Martha thought when Jesus said, “Loose him, and let him go” (John 11:44, nkjv). As happy as I’d be to see my brother alive, I wouldn’t want to touch the strips of linen that had clung to his rotting flesh. After all, who knew what lay beneath the bandages? Just how resurrected was he?

Unwinding graveclothes. It’s a dirty job. But someone has to do it. [Tweet that!]

Someone has to do it. And that’s one of the factors of Lazarus’ story that shocks me most. For while Jesus Christ did what only He could do—bring a dead man back to life—He invited those who stood around watching to help with the process.

“Loose him, and let him go.” It’s the same command Christ gives the church today.

Help In Healing

Don’t you love that? Jesus invited others to help Him with the process of healing! In a past post I shared hints for helping others who need healing It’s a great resource for helping others find the healing they need. But now, I want to speak to YOU. Do you have areas in your life where you need healing? Are you tired to the odor of death and stench that seem to cling to you? Do you wonder why the pain and the shame from the past still can cling to you, even though you’re a new creation in Christ? If so, keep reading. And be willing to ask others for help.

Joanna’s words are powerful to me because she was one of the friends who helped me remove my graveclothes. But in order for her to do that, I had to be transparent and show her my mess. I had to confess Steven’s* email and the emotions that I thought were long gone. It wasn’t possible for me to do this in my own strength. I needed help. Here are three ways I invited Joanna—and other friends—in:

3 Ways To Invite Others Into Your Healing

I asked for prayer. Are you struggling? Ask your friend(s) to pray. Find people who you can trust. Let them know your struggles, and count on their prayers to hold you up.
I asked for Scripture passages. After I asked for prayers, I also asked my friends for their favorite Scripture passages. I spend time reading them, meditating on them and praying them myself. My friends pointed me to verses I’d forgotten. And, as I read, God’s word healed me.
I listened to their advice. This was the hardest part, but I listened to the advice of my friends. They shared how they overcame their own struggles in their own lives. They spoke with love, but they didn’t sugarcoat the situation. Sometimes it was hard to be transparent with my struggles and to listen, but my godly friends steered me in the right direction. I’m so thankful for that.

What are you struggling with? Open up and let your friends know. Be transparent and invite others into your healing. And be willing to help those around you to remove their grave clothes and find healing. That’s the way God has designed things. We need each other in so many ways.

Today, spend time praying about the parts of your life that you need to be healed from.

I’m also excited to be an upcoming guest on Joanna Weaver’s new podcast, THE LIVING ROOM! This podcast will be such a blessing and to kick things off, she’s doing a Podcast Launch Giveaway!
(ENDS APRIL 30th @ midnight!)

To find out more and enter visit here:https://joannaweaverbooks.com/TLRgiveaway/

Find healing today. @TriciaGoyer shares 3 ways to invite others into your healing here:

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

June 19, 2015 by Tricia Goyer 1 Comment

When to Share Your Faith … And When To Seal Your Lips

I remember the first time a college professor made fun of my faith. I was taking a history class at a small community college, but the professor spent more time talking about his atheistic beliefs than World Civilizations. He would work jabs against Christianity into every lecture. I’d sit there and squirm. I wanted to say something, anything, to make him see the error in his ways.

Finally, half-way through the semester I got up the nerve to say something to the professor. I raised my hand and made a comment about evidence of God’s hand in history. The professor listened for ten seconds, laughed, and then he continued on with his comments. I was embarrassed, and I never spoke up again. Looking back, that incident impacted me. It made me fearful of sharing my faith. I didn’t want to be embarrassed, and I got used to keeping my thoughts to myself.

It was only years later that I realized that Jesus understood and dealt with the same thing.

In Luke, Chapter 20, we see incident after incident of those who were trying to trap Jesus, to discredit him, and to make Jesus look bad in the eyes of the people. Jesus didn’t spout off volumes of truth, proving them wrong. Verse 8 says, “And Jesus responded, ‘Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things,’” (NLT).

Scared of reaching out to others and sharing Jesus with them? Try out these tips from @TriciaGoyer:

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Jesus knew what I learned—there are some people whose minds will not be changed no matter what we say. They have hard hearts. They listen only to come up with a rebuttal.

As Proverbs 26:4 says, “Don’t answer the foolish arguments of fools, or you will become as foolish as they are” (NLT).

Jesus talks about this again in Matthew 7:6: “Don’t waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you” (NLT).

If you come up against someone like my professor you may want to share your faith, but if that doesn’t work out, don’t let it stop you from reaching out to others who have softer hearts.

When to Share

As a mom of 10 children, one of my greatest desires has been to raise kids who can share their faith. John and I have taken our kids on mission trips. We’ve encouraged them to be shining beacons wherever they are. We’ve taught them how to share their faith by knowing what to look for.

How can they do that? By going through these steps when reaching out to others:

Get them to trust you as a Christian.
Get them curious about Jesus.
Get them to ask questions.
Get them to consider making changes in their own lives.
Invite them to have a personal relationship with Jesus.*

Jesus knew that there were some people who wanted to hurt him, to kill him. Yet He was always on the lookout for those with seeking hearts.

In your own life, know that there will be times when sharing your faith will not be easy or fruitful. There will be times when your words will bounce off hard hearts.

Instead of being discouraged, like Jesus, look for those who trust you, are curious and ask questions. Those are the people worth spending time with. The time you spend with soft-hearted people will hopefully reap eternal rewards!

*These principles are taken from the book I Once Was Lost: What Postmodern Skeptics Taught Us About Their Path to Jesus by Don Everts and Doug Schnapps

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June 13, 2015 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Love & Good Deeds | Hebrews 10:24

Saturday Scripture

Hebrews 10:24

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word and guidance. And thank you for fellow believers to encourage and challenge each other. Help me think of real and practical ways to spur my brothers and sisters toward things that honor you and put them into action this week.

How can you spur others on toward love & good deeds? #Hebrews 10:24 @TriciaGoyer

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June 5, 2015 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Walking with Jesus

One of my favorite things about writing devotions for Mornings with Jesus was sitting down and thinking about my own encounters with Jesus—really taking that time to reflect on my relationship with Him. I began writing or thinking about each devotion by asking myself, “What Scriptures have really impacted my life?” I would write out the Scripture verse, and then jot down experiences I’ve had that are related to that verse. It was a wonderful time of reflection for me as I looked back at the moments in my life and realized how God’s Word has brought understanding and strength to my life, and pushed me to change.

What Scriptures have really impacted your life? @TriciaGoyer

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Some of the devotions came to me through that reflection process. Others were borne out of my own personal quiet time. As I met Jesus in the morning and read His Word, special Scriptures would stand out. I knew God had a plan for me to include those, too.

Since I’m a novelist, I like lots of description … it was hard to keep myself to the shorter word count of a devotion. Writing for Mornings with Jesus has also reminded me to pause as I read God’s Word and think about what one message God’s speaking to me at that moment.

The biggest lesson I learned as I was writing was thankfulness. As I wrote about the Scriptures that meant the most to me—and about the numerous ways Jesus met me in everyday moments—my heart was flooded with gratitude. I realized even more that Jesus has given us the amazing gift of salvation but He didn’t stop there. He gave us Himself to walk beside our every step. My life and my devotional stories are proof of that.

My prayer for every Mornings with Jesus reader is that these devotions stir their hearts to open to our amazing Savior, and that the devotions give them a hunger to build a deeper, personal relationship with Him.

Jesus gave us Himself to walk beside our every step! @TriciaGoyer

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Read the original post at Guideposts.org. Want more devotions? Check out Mornings with Jesus 2015.

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April 3, 2015 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

What’s So Good About Good Friday?

“I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you … that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, [and] that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” 1 Corinthians 15:1,3-4 (NIV)

Today, people all around the world are celebrating Good Friday. Businesses are closed and, in some cases, school is out. Yet, when I was younger I used to wonder what was so “Good” about it. I mean Jesus died a horrible death . . . are we supposed to celebrate that?

As I grew older, I came to realize that the “good” part of Good Friday is what I received out of the deal.

The “good” part of Good Friday is what I received out of the deal! @TriciaGoyer

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Before I accepted Christ at age seventeen, I was empty, lonely, and fearful. I was pregnant and alone. I had no hope for the future.

Today, I have family, friends, and a writing career, but even more than that–I have Christ. He fills me with joy, guides my steps, and strengthens me to live in this confusing world. He has given me hope.

What about you? Have you taken time to think about your life and where you’re headed? Good Friday is a great time to ponder this. Because what happened on this day thousands of years ago can profoundly impact your life, too.

It can hard to celebrate such a somber day—the day your one and only Son died on the cross for me—but I am forever grateful for the love and saving grace I have as result. Thank you for Jesus and his sacrifice for ME! Help me remember that powerful truth each day and not just around the Easter season. I love you, Father God!

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March 28, 2015 by Tricia Goyer 1 Comment

Words to Live By | Micah 6:8

Saturday Scripture

Micah 6:8

He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for your guiding Word—for giving me words to live by. You show me what is good and honoring to you. Help me to be fair, extend mercy, and be humble. May others be able to see your work in my life and be drawn to You.

Words to live by: act justly, love mercy, & walk humbly with God. #micah 6:8 @TriciaGoyer

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February 25, 2015 by Tricia Goyer Leave a Comment

Fifty Shades of Brokenness | No Explanation Needed

50 Shades of Brokenness

No Explanation Needed

1. There is a painful situation. You hurt me.
2. You have made me despairing and desperate.
3. You are making me weary and tired of said circumstance.
4. You are to blame and stand condemned.
5. You must not win, no matter the cost.
6. You exert more pressure, more control. It becomes a battle of the wills.
7. The pain only gets worse, the circumstance more out of control.
8. You become like a wounded animal. Totally unpredictable.
9. At points you appear as though you are giving up. You don’t.
10. You pull out all the stops. You manipulate and shame. Shame on you.
11. Your position hardens. Who are you?
12. Eventually, you are so exhausted, you don’t know how to go on.
13. As you cling to the last shred of your rope, you have an epiphany.
14. There is no other place to turn but God.
15. You let go. Give up.
16. You throw yourself into His hand.
17. You accept your circumstance.
18. You quit blaming, including both God and me.
19. You becomes me.
20. I come to terms with God and understand His sovereignty.
21. I see with clarity for the first time, my self-righteousness and selfishness.
22. I resign not only myself into God’s hands, but you as well.
23. He gently reveals I am more of the problem than I think I am.
24. I come to terms with His premise.
25. I discover there is much more beneath the surface. Woundedness.
26. He pours grace upon me.
27. I discover that the reason for #1 is really not the reason. Not even close.
28. He pours grace upon grace upon me. My soul is dredged.
29. With each level of grace extended, there is more junk discovered.
30. I come to terms with each level of junk, as painful as it is. Deeper dredging.
31. I am embarrassed and ashamed.
32. More grace and more grace. I want to follow this grace-filled Christ.
33. I learn to forgive. Myself, God and you.
34. He extends more grace.
35. I think I can’t go any lower.
36. I can.
37. There is still more grace. I want to follow Him more.
38. I think this can’t go on forever.
39. It does.
40. I wonder how long it will last.
41. … until I see Christ face-to-face.
42. I come to realize that brokenness is not one time event, but a lifelong process.
43. The pain from the original circumstance has been replaced by the mourning of brokenness.
44. The painful memory of the original circumstance, has a weird mix of inexplicable joy.
45. That Christ would love me, despite who I really am, is an amazing thing.
46. I come to terms with my past.
47. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
48. Neither would I wish it on my worst enemy.
49. I have no choice but to extend grace to you in the way it has been extended to me.
50. I am now usable by God in ways I never imagined.

50 shades of brokenness. No explanation needed. @harrywli @triciagoyer

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Harry Li is the Campus Pastor of Mosaic’s Little Rock Campus, joining the church in 2002. Prior to that, he was an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Idaho in Moscow.

Harry has a heart for prayer and is involved with a relational network of pastors who, through a citywide movement of prayer, desire to see spiritual renewal and revival in Central Arkansas. He also consults on diversity and cultural issues in the workplace to a variety of companies and organizations.

Harry and his wife, Melanie, reside in Little Rock and have three daughters, Anna, Katie, and Meredith.

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February 7, 2015 by Tricia Goyer 2 Comments

Generous Giver | James 1:5

Saturday Scripture

James 1:5

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, what a comfort to know that you are all-knowing and will guide me through all life’s trials. I pray for wisdom now, even in the small day-to-day choices. Help me not to make decisions out of selfish desire, but out of obedience and love to You.

Thank goodness we serve a gracious giver! James 1:5 @TriciaGoyer

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What decision do you need to turn over to God today?

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November 17, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 6 Comments

3 Reasons You Need Jesus

Three Reasons You Need Jesus

You can sing Jesus Loves Me, but it’s more than a song. You wonder if life can be different. You wonder if it’s just enough to respect who Jesus was. Do you really need Him?

Yes, and here are three reasons why:

1. Because the Nothing Takes the Emptiness Away

You may have been an unplanned pregnancy. (I was.) You may have grown up with feelings that you aren’t enough. (I did.) Maybe you’ve tried to find happiness from people or things. (Done that, too, and failed.) Maybe you question if striving for happiness will ever bring it into your life. (It won’t.)

Inside there is a void. There’s an empty feeling that tells you things aren’t OK, even if you have a smile plastered to your face. In your mind there is a clanging—like a hammer against a bell. Ringing out the regrets. You’ve done things you hope no one, no one, will find out.

Jesus already knows. The Bible says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He’s seen it ALL, and He still loves you—more than you can ever know.

2. Because You Can’t Do Life Alone

You weren’t made to take a solo journey. You weren’t made to have to try to figure it out all by yourself. Jesus not only wants to be there to give you strength, help, hope, love—He wants to give you Himself. He wants to be your best friend. He believes in you. He believes in the best in you. He doesn’t see you as you are, but who you will be when He gets His hands on you.

3. Because You Long for a Happily-Ever-After

Even though fairytales are things of books, you want to have something to look forward to. You want a love that will last. You want a future you can eagerly anticipate. You want to have someone you can trust forever. You want joy in a world of sadness, and peace in a world of restlessness.

The best part of Jesus being there yesterday, today, and for all eternity is that He’s had time to think of you and plan an amazing life—and eternity—for you.

Psalm 40:5 says, “O LORD my God, you have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.”

Psalm 33:1 says, “But the LORD’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken.”

If you’re ready to 1) allow Jesus into that emptiness, 2) turn over your life into His hands, and 3) place hope in the plans He has for your life and your eternity, then here’s a simple prayer.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, I know that You created me with a need that only You—as my Lord—can fill.

I place my life in your hands.

I believe you lived on earth, died for me, and that your death paid for my sins.

I trust that from this moment, Your shed blood covers over all I’ve done and gives me a clean slate.

By faith I accept what you’ve done as a free gift—a gift I’ll never have to work for or try to make up.

From this moment I turn in my dreams for yours, and I accept your gift of eternity.

I confess you are Lord of my life. Amen.

If you’ve prayed this prayer today, can you let me know? Also, if you know a Christian, personally tell him or her about your decision and ask for help in finding a good Bible-believing church. Also start reading God’s Word for yourself. (Try www.biblegateway.com if you don’t have a Bible at home.)

I’m thrilled about your decision, and I know your life will never be the same!

God doesn’t see you as you are, but who you will be when He gets His hands on you! @TriciaGoyer

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More Resources:

The Reason for God by Timothy Keller

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

New Christian’s Handbook: Everything Believers Need to Know by Max Anders

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October 14, 2014 by Tricia Goyer 5 Comments

Your Heartache, Your Story: Using Your Past Pain to Help Others Find Healing

Your Heartache, Your Story

What is your heartache? Looking back in your life where did you experience the most pain?

What is your story? Have you overcome hardship, loss, abandonment?

Have you been abused?

Did you grow up feeling unloved or unwanted?

Did you search for love in all the wrong places and find yourself making wrong choices to find love?

For years I struggled with many things: not knowing my father growing up, facing teen pregnancy, and forgiving myself for having an abortion. It was hard being transparent and telling the truth.

But as I began to open up to friends, I realized I’d been revealing myself, little by little, in my novels for a very long time.

The themes for my novels have common threads. They center around ordinary people plopped into extraordinary situations, and with the guidance of God these people rise above … and help and save others in the process.

My novels have some level of abandonment by a parent that leads to internal struggles. I never planned this, but looking back it’s in many of my books!

I noticed this as I wrote Book #3 in my Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War Series. One day a light clicked on and suddenly every element of the story came together as it was revealed to me that one of my main characters was abandoned by a parent . . . and WHO he really is.

Tricia Goyer, Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War

I didn’t plan that as I wrote Book #1 A Valley of Betrayal, but it seems as if I did. That one plot twist made the whole story work. I took the whole series to a deeper level than I anticipated. More importantly, that story came deep from my heart.

Hmmm . . . as someone who didn’t meet my biological dad until my late 20s, and who got pregnant and was abandoned by my boyfriend as a teen, I WONDER why I keep writing about this issue?!

This reminds me about something I read this morning from the book Loving God by Chuck Colson:

One Easter morning, as I sat in the chapel at the Delaware State Prison waiting to preach, my mind drifted back in time . . . to scholarships and honors earned, cases argued and won, great decisions made from lofty government offices. My life had been the perfect success story, the great American dream fulfilled.

But all at once I realized that it was not my success God had used to enable me to help those in this prison, or in hundreds others like it. My life of success was not what made this morning so glorious–all my achievements meant nothing in God’s economy. No, the real legacy of my life was my biggest failure–that I was an ex-convict. My greatest humiliation–being sent to prison–was the beginning of God’s greatest use of my life; he chose the one experience in which I could not glory for his glory.

Confronted with this staggering truth, I understood with a jolt that I had been looking at life backward. But now I could see: Only when I lost everything that I thought made Charles Colson a great guy had I found the true self God intended me to be and the true purpose of my life.

It is not what we do that matters, but what a sovereign God chooses to do through us.

3 Steps to Using Your Past Pain to Help Others Find Healing

1. Consider your own heartache. How is this part of your story? Take a few minutes to write down the five hardest moments in your life. How did God show up in your hardship? What can you share about Him with others?

2. See your greatest failure as a great legacy of God’s goodness. How can you use your mistakes as a platform for reaching others? What would you want to tell someone who is going through the same pain. It is from those hurting places that you will be able to touch the souls of others.

3. Consider where you can share about the hope and healing that you found in Jesus Christ. Are you on Facebook? Do you have a blog? Are you in a Bible Study or small group? Do you have a friend who is hurting? When we are willing to crack open our souls, people listen. When we speak out of the hard places in our own lives they are willing to open up their hearts. Write down a few places where you can share your story.

For years I shared about my heartaches, through the pages of my novels. I still do. Yet as God has brought more healing, I share it in many other places too: in small groups, on this blog, and even as I speak.

I’ve realized that there are people out there who need to hear my story. It impacts them by causing them to look at their own lives.

You have a story to share, friend. You can use your past pain to help others. Share how Jesus has transformed you and encourage others to turn to Jesus in the same way.

Embrace your story. Embrace your heartache. You never know how God will use it! @TriciaGoyer

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Prayer

God, thank you for redeeming me from my past and forgiving me. May I not let fear and shame keep me from learning from those mistakes. Instead, help me to find ways to help others who’ve experienced the same things.

More Resources

The Heartache No One Sees: Real Healing for a Woman’s Wounded Heart by Sheila Walsh

Loving God by Chuck Colson

A Valley of Betrayal (Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War, Book 1) by Tricia Goyer

A Shadow of Treason (Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War, Book 2) by Tricia Goyer

A Whisper of Freedom (Chronicles of the Spanish Civil War Series, Book 3) by Tricia Goyer

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