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I’ve often heard it said, “If we can just get back to Eden, to that perfect place before Adam and Eve messed it up, everything would be great again.” God created a beautiful world, formed a man, planted a garden, and placed him in it. The garden was lush, vibrant, fertile, and ripe with an abundance of provision. 

It was the appointed place of God’s choosing to put the first man and the first woman. And it WAS beautiful and had everything that they needed for life and relationship. But the truth is, Eden wasn’t perfect. 

Adam was called to work the garden—which meant it needed tending to. Were weeds a problem? Pests? We don’t know. But those of you who garden know it’s hard work to take care of one! 

There was potential for sin in the garden—because humans with free will were in it.  

There was a cunning serpent there, too. And if you’ve read Genesis 3, you know the damage he caused.

Our Search for Beauty

I’m not trying to paint a negative landscape. I think it’s good news that Eden wasn’t perfect. Why? Because Eden isn’t what we’re after. Humans have an incredible and deep desire for beauty. We create it, paint it, photograph it, share it, and preserve it. God created an amazing world for us to enjoy, and he put appreciation for beauty in us. But we often worship it. And that’s a problem.  

A few years ago, our family moved. We found a quiet street with a pond that had a country feel and was conveniently close to town. But the house needed some updating—especially the kitchen. I dreamed, planned, and designed a beautiful and flawless new space. I was especially excited about the countertops: a dreamy, soft white quartz with light beige marbling.  

The professionals we hired got right to work, and in record time, the masterpiece was complete. But days later, I was sitting at the island and noticed a black speck in my white countertop. I was so frustrated by this flaw! I called the installers, and they offered to replace the entire countertop because the speck couldn’t be removed. I said okay, but a moment later, something struck me. (Hello, Holy Spirit). “No, let’s keep it.” Now, every time I notice the speck, I remember how God used it to show me that I’d gotten off track. I thought a perfect kitchen would fulfill something in me that it never could. And God was so gracious to remind me that it wasn’t meant to. 

We’re not chasing beautiful and flawless places or things. We’re chasing connection. We’re longing to get back to the original flourishing relationship we had with God. We want to walk in the cool of our imperfect garden with our perfect Father! So, what’s the good news? We get to! The gate God shut in Eden is now wide open through the blood of Jesus and we’re invited back into relationship with him. 

God is here. God is now. 

The Chosen Conference is almost here. Let’s go into this week with the expectation that God will plant seeds of new relationships and help us grow them into deep friendships. Let’s laugh, cry, eat too much, and enjoy the beauty of the Chosen experience. 

Reflect:

More importantly, let’s focus on tending the garden of our heart, work the soil, and invite God to restore the barren and desert places of our souls (Isaiah 51:3). Let’s chase after God in our current perfectly imperfect Edens—having full confidence that nothing can separate us from him ever again. How are you nurturing a renewed relationship with the God of creation?

In 2019, my husband and I watched the news in horror, seeing so many children caught in the border crisis, without homes. I thought we should move to Texas or Mexico and do something.

We had two incomes. No biological children. Flexible jobs. Tons of love to give. Let’s go. It sounded logical to me, but my husband’s level head prevailed. His simple comment, “Why don’t we help the kids in our own city?” led us to foster care.

It was a big change to our lifestyle. A world traveler, I had been to 35 countries before marriage, and my husband and I had spent three years sailing from Florida to the Caribbean. But, we were open to this very different type of adventure— becoming foster parents to vulnerable children.

We agreed to start with one infant. That seemed doable. But then, we got a call asking if we could accept two toddlers. We said “no.” It felt like more than we could manage—and toddlers are spicy. God has a sense of humor though. Those two “toddlers” are now our oldest children.

Overnight, we became their advocates for medication and medical records, for visits with family members, which were challenging, but necessary. We advocated for the kids’ educational needs and the future they deserved—whether that included us or not.

In less than three years, we went from zero to four children, all under age eight. Eventually, we adopted the two oldest, a boy and girl, and then adopted another child, and we are currently fostering another. The unknowns, potential for pain, and logical reasoning often stand in the way of our parenting path, but the “yes” in our hearts is bigger than our fear. We realize what we could have missed! We could have missed seeing the redemption that comes from sitting side by side with a biological family. We could have missed watching these hopeful little kiddos grow into kind, thoughtful, and resilient kids. We could have missed the outpouring of love and support from our foster care community.

I wish you could meet my brave, resilient, happy kiddos. They have stared down so much pain and loss at such young ages. They have beaten the odds of being “in the system” and are thriving.


WHAT I WISH WE WOULD HAVE KNOWN EARLIER

1. The foster care licensing process is not hard. There is paperwork and tasks to perform, but depending on how quickly you respond to questions and phone calls, it can take a few weeks to a few months to receive a license. Once approved, your home is licensed for two years.

2. You have choices. When the Department of Social Services contacts you with placement requests, you can determine how many children, their ages, and the level of care you are able to provide.

3. We are not special. We did not have a “special calling” from God, nor did we feel especially equipped. But we are parents willing to love kids like they are our own, even if they are not ours forever.


TOP 3 THINGS NOT TO SAY TO A FOSTER PARENT (AND WHAT TO SAY INSTEAD).

DON’T SAY:
“I could never do that. It would be too hard to give them back.”

INSTEAD SAY:
“I bet it is really hard to say goodbye. Is there a way I can support you?

DON’T SAY:
“I am too busy with my real kids.”

INSTEAD SAY:
“My life feels really full right now. Are there ways I can help without becoming a foster parent?”

DON’T SAY:
“What happened to their real parents?”

INSTEAD SAY:
“I am so grateful they have you to stand in the gap for them during this tough season.”


If you are interested in getting involved or learning more about Fostering Hope, please attend one of our interest meetings.

It never ceases to amaze us how God shows up year after year at Chosen! Just when we think there is no possible way it could get better, another year proves us wrong. Our team does an incredible job with worship, programming, and creating an atmosphere to connect with God. But make no mistake! All that the team does is just that—creating a space and time for you to connect with the maker of heaven and earth.

Our hope is that your time with the Lord over the past few days gave you a glimpse of Eden—a beautiful place of intimacy with your Creator. The best news: he has so much more to share with you! We encourage you to pray daily that God would walk with you and show you all he has for you. That you would see people the way he sees them. That you would love and live in stride with him. He wants to fill you with awe and wonder, wisdom, and discernment, and a joy-filled, vibrant life! Surround yourself with a sisterhood who will cheer you on as you grow in your faith with the Lord.

“O God, you are my GodI earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for youmy whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itselfhow I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to youyour strong right hand holds me securely.”

Psalms 63:1-8 (NLT)

We hope you will join us at Chosen 2024. We can’t wait to hear how God has been at work in your life. We know there is still so much to come!

Josh & Lisa

In this interview, we hope to give you a glimpse of a woman who is all about doing the work to continue to grow in the Lord and further his Kingdom, wherever he sends her.

WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS?
The biggest challenges were pastoring in NYC through the pandemic (and everything else surrounding it), transitioning the church we had planted there, and moving our family into a new season. I could literally write a whole book here!

WHAT WAS THE FIRST SISTERHOOD EVENT YOU ATTENDED?
My first Sisterhood event was the One Night in May of 2022. I came because Jenna Surratt is absolute FIRE, and I’d run with her anywhere. Also, she invited me, and I saw fruit all over her life—so hello, I want to grow like she does. I had already connected with some women, but I loved worshipping with a company of women who want and are committed to more.

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU FEEL LONELY OR DISCONNECTED?
When I’m feeling lonely or disconnected, I do the opposite of what I feel. Instead of isolating and going inside of myself, I reach out for help, prayer, and connection. With my small circle of trusted people, I tell them the truth of where I’m at. Sisterhood has helped me continually step outside of myself. Making a commitment to gather and show up weekly, whether I feel like it or not, squashes selfishness and pride, and I’m here for it.

Paul & Andi Andrew

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN TO SAY “YES” OR “NO” TO OPPORTUNITIES?
When you say “yes” to one thing, you’re automatically saying “no” to another. When I go to speak somewhere, I’m saying “yes” to pouring out and sowing seed in a place that God is leading me to go, and I’m saying “no” to family time. There is a cost/benefit to everything that we do, and we need to run to God, ask for his discernment, and know our core value systems.

One time after preaching, Lisa Bevere said to me, “Andi, you’re going to need to know your 'yes.' Don’t speak at conferences for people but with them. The difference is scattering seed versus sowing it.” Not every opportunity is a God opportunity, and we need to learn to recognize the difference.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR WORKING MOMS? HOW DO YOU JUGGLE CAREER AND FAMILY?
For me, it’s not a juggle as much as it’s a rhythm that changes with each season. As our kids change, we have to adapt. One season, you’ll be doing hip hop and the next, you’re doing a waltz. Find your “rhythm” of grace and go with it. I’ve been full-time, part-time, and a stay-at-home mom in different seasons. When the grace lifts, pay attention, and ask God what needs to shift. Change your dance moves accordingly.

TELL US ABOUT A TIME OF TRIUMPH AND A TIME OF FAILURE.
I’m going to start with failure. Honestly, some of my greatest regrets are not dealing with the rage I had when my eldest three children were young. I parented out of so much anger and control, not realizing how deep the pain from my past was. It followed me and was unleashed on those I loved.

Now on to triumph... I’d say doing the work to heal is a huge triumph. Refusing to remain the same. And a fleshy, fun triumph? Being on the Today Show for my last book, Friendship-It’s Complicated. It was just so much fun!

WHICH BOOK WAS THE HARDEST TO WRITE?
I would say the first one, She Is Free. Stepping out that first time was such a vulnerable experience. Don’t get me wrong, each one feels a bit scary to release because the moment it’s out there, guts and all, it’s open to public scrutiny. Yet, the reason I write is to create pathways to Jesus that I’ve already walked on, whether people love it, hate it, or ignore it. The truth is, writing and releasing each book feels like birthing a baby. The gestational period is unique, private, internal, intimate, exhausting, and I eat a lot of snacks along the way. Once it’s out there, there’s no turning back. You get to watch where it goes, and hopefully how it helps and changes lives.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR CURRENT PROJECTS?
I’m really excited about my next book coming out in March 2024. I love the journey God had to take me on personally to be able to have anything at all to share with the world.

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD AND WHERE YOU GREW UP.
Now, this is a whole book! After a lot of hippies got saved in the Jesus Revolution, a discipleship movement was needed for the great harvest that had just come in. God was radically moving. Some of those “discipleship movements” were solid and deep, while others went astray, becoming controlling and twisted, destroying, and deceiving those in its wake. My parents, whom I honor and adore with everything I am, have a beautiful story of redemption to tell here. They were radically saved in California but sucked into a “church” aka “cult” in Washington State offering “discipleship” that ultimately took years of their life.

The doctrine was deceptive, heretical even, as it preached “another gospel” (Gal. 1:6–9). The leader manipulated questions and answers from his followers to create his own “truth,” and showed his disappointment when they didn’t see things his way, convincing them they needed to try harder to get to his level of understanding. It kept them feeding out of his hand, instead of going to God or the Word for themselves. The men’s authority in their families was usurped by the leader, and the women were controlled. Some were even abused. My father was a shell of a man, unable to be present to us. My mother was broken and deceived, in need of The Healer.

I felt like I had a front row seat to destruction, yet remained on the periphery, refusing to fully engage. Instead, I willingly destroyed my own life looking for love and acceptance everywhere but God and the church—until I was wrecked by God’s love in 1997.

HOW DID GROWING UP WITHIN A CULT IMPACT YOUR VIEW OF GOD?
I had discernment from a young age and rejected the teachings of the leader. I always felt something was “off.” Some of my earliest memories were of deep fear in my gut when he’d walk into a room. Others told me to trust him, but I simply couldn’t. At one point, he told my mother he hated me because I did my own thing. This was the first of many triggers that brought about the beginning of the end for my parents staying there. The leader saying that he hated me poked the Mama Bear. The deception began lifting. My mom told me she cried out to God, literally screaming in her car until she lost her voice, “GET US OUT!” Not long after that, my parents led our family out of all we ever knew.

I didn’t realize until years into following Jesus, how skewed some of my views of God were. I believed he was always angry with me, or on the tipping point, and that one misstep would ruin my life. I had no concept of grace. I also believed that the church was a club that you were either “in” or “out” of based on performance and obedience to the leader. Yikes! Once I realized that my obedience is to God because of his love for me and my love for him, it changed everything. I love the Church and am passionate about the Bride of Christ. The enemy tried to take me and my family out. He tried to get us to hate the Church and turn our backs on Jesus, but he utterly failed.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU LEARNED FROM THAT EXPERIENCE?
I learned how God can restore. I watched my parents overcome, rise up, choose Jesus and one another, at a time when our lives could so easily have been in ruins. They humbled themselves, made difficult choices, and did the work. It brought healing to our family. Honestly, they are my heroes.

Instead of desolation, our family continues to grow and flourish. Like the Chosen key scripture says, “But I am like a flourishing olive tree in the house of God; I trust in God’s faithful love forever and ever.” Psalm 52:8 (CSB)

Also, I have learned how the devil deceives, perverts, and twists the truth. I have a fierce and holy anger about that. God’s Holy Truth matters in the days we’re living in. If we don’t know the Word for ourselves, the enemy will twist what we think we know. If he used and distorted the Word of God with Jesus in the desert, he’ll pervert it with us, too. To truly flourish in life, we must know it for ourselves!

WHAT LIES ABOUT YOURSELF DO YOU STRUGGLE NOT TO BELIEVE? HOW DO YOU COMBAT THEM?
That I’m a “has been” and my best days are behind me. I combat them by surrounding myself with loving friends who are truth tellers. I run to the secret place and read the Word. Out loud, in prayer I “cancel” my agreement with the lie and ask God to replace it with the truth. I continually do the work to be disciplined, to drown out the lies with the truth. What I dwell on (lies or truth) I will dwell in. What I ruminate or meditate on, I will walk in.

Dear Sisterhood,

Wild flowers are my favorite because they are raw and real and can’t be tamed. They are uncontrollably beautiful! They grow together where God planted them, exactly as he intended. Individually, they are unique and stunning, but together, they make a spectacular landscape only the true Gardener could grow.

Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. Luke 12:27 (NIV)

God wants us to be like the wild flowers, secure in our identities, growing together in a way that reflects his glory and attracts people to him. Unfortunately, in many cases, our original design has been devoured by the enemy. We have been attacked by life circumstances, defiled by our own doing, burned by the church or other women, polluted by the world, riddled with shame, and scattered to places of isolation.

BUT GOD, THE GREAT RESTORER...

He removes our guilt and shame, transforming our stony, stubborn hearts.

He gives us his Spirit, gently instructing us to follow his ways, because they are best.

He restores us, cleanses our impurities, uproots the weeds, and plants new resilient crops that will bring a plentiful harvest. We will lack no good thing.

“This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When I cleanse you from your sins, I will repopulate your cities, and the ruins will be rebuilt. The fields that used to lie empty and desolate in plain view of everyone will again be farmed. And when I bring you back, people will say, ‘This former wasteland is now like the Garden of Eden!’” Ezekiel 36:33-35 (NLT)

This is what the Lord is doing. Sisterhood is here to help cultivate good soil around our hearts, so God can restore and grow something more beautiful than we could have ever imagined. Won’t you join us?

Blessings & All My Love,

Jenna Surratt

Sisterhood Pastor

First of all, I have to say that one of my favorite things is when people stop me in the halls of our church or in a long line while shopping to share what God did in and through them during Chosen. I mean, that is what this is all about. So, thank you for sharing your stories of healing, baptism, and life change.

Now, I want to share a little about how God spoke to us about our theme for this year: Eden. Our goal is never to put God in some tidy box. When we start planning, I get a little nervous if I am being honest. I don’t want us to choose a word that feels small or a theme that feels contrived, just to sound unique or interesting.

So, I asked God for his direction and searched Pinterest for creative inspiration. I know that might sound strange, and some might say, “Didn’t you pick up your Bible and search for scripture?” Well. No, I didn’t. Don’t judge me. Maybe I am not as spiritual as some of you...LOL. Honestly, I find that method to be a little overwhelming. God speaks to everyone differently, and I feel most inspired by God through creation and creativity. Can anyone else relate?

On Pinterest, I was drawn to images of clay pots, stone walls, and soft, natural colors—and almost every image included an olive jar or an olive tree. I thought, Hmm, there is something here that is speaking to me.

When I was in Israel a few years ago and saw the ancient olive trees in the Garden of Gethsemane, I was drawn to their unique beauty, their small silvery leaves, and old, gnarled trunks. There was something special about them, but what exactly? I decided to do a little research.

I learned that an olive tree can be 1,000 years old and still produce fruit. It can handle drought, freezing temperatures, and even fire. It might be cut down, but its roots can still grow. Olive trees are extraordinarily resilient! I was speechless. I could totally relate to this tree, the way it came back and withstood so much. And it had so many uses: its oil was used for light, fuel, food, and for healing and anointing.

I shared this with our team, and in combination with what God had spoken to them about resilience, abundance, and the flourishing of creation, it led us to EDEN. We feel like God wants to remind us of the garden of our faith, to grow deeper roots so that whatever we face, even when we feel nearly destroyed, we, like the olive tree, can be resilient and flourish.

I recognized the rush of anxiety and the ratcheting of my pulse, though nothing stressful was happening. I was relaxing in an Adirondack chair with two close friends, under the copper beech trees of the university green in Newport, Rhode Island. We’d finished grad school the previous year, but all-things Covid had caused us to miss out on in-person time together. Visiting as alums now, we only went to the lectures and author readings we wanted to—my kind of brain candy. There was no pressure.

A familiar wave of heat burst across my neck and chest. Preventing the cancer from returning outweighed the medication’s side effects, but I still had to manage them. Movement helped. I shot to my feet, paced randomly. Then, I caught sight of the nearby spiral maze of steppingstones. The university called it the Labyrinth.

The Labyrinth was about 30 ft. in diameter and at its spiraling center was an engraved stone. What was on it? Stepping onto the path, I asked God to help calm me. When the doctor had told me I had breast cancer, it was as if a clock had started to tick. Surgery had removed the cancer, something I was beyond thankful for, but I wanted my normal life back, to make up for lost time. I felt like I was standing still, and yet watching my dreams recede from me, retreating into the shadows—all while everyone else continued moving forward with their lives, leaving me behind.

Following the outer perimeter of the labyrinth as it curved to the left, I made my way at a pace that wasn’t exactly meditative. On a switchback, I came a stone’s-width away from the center. But then, the path veered away again, leading me with it, and a wave of frustration, much stronger than it should have been, spread through me. This was supposed to be an ancient form of wordless, meditative prayer! I was tempted to cross the barrier of steppingstones and take a shortcut to the center—to get there faster. Instead, I made myself slow down and follow the path, and as I walked, my breaths deepened and eased.

Eventually, the winding path did open into the center. Looking down, I saw the stone plaque engraved with this verse: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."

Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)

It came to me then that God hadn’t set me on a dead- end path—that although life sometimes felt like it was filled with switchbacks that took me in the opposite direction of where I wanted to go, God was always leading me toward the center—to him. I will get there if I just trust him with the path.

ReflectWhen have you felt like God wasn’t leading you where you wanted to go, but it proved to be the best path for you?

We can inherit many things from our families. For me that includes resilience and a love of home, even when that home is far from perfect.

My parents, the same as their parents, started off working in fields for farm owners at very early ages. As young adults in the early 1900s, they bought their own property and continued farming and selling vegetables in the Charleston City Market. Neither of them completed third grade, but my mother always said she had God’s wisdom to guide her.

I grew up in church and at the age of twelve accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. But I soon realized that outside of our James Island community, the social atmosphere was a lot worse than I imagined. Being an African American at a white majority college in 1973 caused me to learn what 1 Peter 3:9 was talking about. I left after a year and enlisted in the Army.

There is no place like Charleston though. I returned after serving for two years, missing my family and Charleston’s rich history of black culture, great flower gardens (especially Magnolia) and beautiful beaches. I inherited my mother’s business: Virginia’s Vegetable Stand, and with each year that went by, I continued to keep 1 Peter 3:9 at the forefront. The social atmosphere became better, but not as good as it is today. I remember my mother praying for people who mistreated her because they felt she

was less than they were, that she didn’t have the education they possessed. She would tell me, “kill them with kindness.” Repaying evil with blessing is engraved in my family heritage, and prayer was the basis of our family’s faith and walk with God.

God was always at the head of whatever my parents planned or wanted for us. My mother was a true missionary, giving her unsold goods to families in need or sending over a cooked dinner for a family. My parents taught all ten of us, it is better to give than to receive because God will give you what he has for you.

Being a native Charlestonian, I have seen so many changes in my lifetime. Charlestonians (all races) have come from separate schools and churches, not living, or even traveling through certain neighborhoods, to living next to each other, learning in the same classrooms, and worshipping God together. I never knew why it was like that before, but I am so glad it is not like that now.

My mother used to also tell us “Just live.” Each day, I try to do that. I see God’s blessing and changes in Charleston for the better. And one day, God will transform and redeem the entire world—all the places we love most.

ReflectIn what ways can you repay evil and insults with blessings?

I am a gardener—a weekend warrior. Plants are not just a pastime; they are a passion. I love to spend every available minute during the weekend tending to a never-ending list of yard projects: staking the clematis, repotting the fan palms, and pruning the climbing rose.

Am I a good gardener? That depends. Through my years of experience, I have observed a pattern of success and failure that can be attributed to one thing: the soil. If I have taken care to nurture my plant beds and potting mix, then I can be confident that the plants will develop and flourish. Adding compost and fertilizer make a huge difference. However, when I’ve not taken the time to feed the soil, it isn’t long before I notice the plants are not only failing to thrive, but they are also sometimes in decay. The soil is where the nutrients are, and it’s what sustains the plants during hard times like drought and flood.

TAKING TIME TO TEND

I have often wondered if my walk with Christ could be compared with how I tend my soil. I look back at times in my life when I have not given Jesus the attention he deserves and where I have let the distractions of this fast-paced life outweigh the significance of a personal relationship with our Creator. It’s not that he is far from me; it’s that I have chosen to be far from him. The results? Not pretty. John 15:5 says, in part, that apart from him, we can do nothing. Time spent apart from Jesus is hectic and often feels upside down. Like the way it feels walking through an unkept garden, overgrown with weeds, and vines, and thorns.

Instead, in John 4:8, the Bible tells us to draw near to God and he will draw near to us. Time on my front porch, surrounded by purple orchids and the lush green leaves of monstera, allows me to breathe in God’s goodness, to relax and soak in some of the beautiful things of this world that he created. It reminds me of just how powerful, creative, and loving he is. There on the porch, I don’t just read his Word, but rather, take time to study what he is saying. It gives me perspective on his mercies and teachings.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you... and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.”

Jeremiah 29:13–14 (NIV)

This verse is food for my soul. It refreshes and challenges me. I am a work in progress. There is work on my part, yet to be done. But by tending to this precious relationship with Jesus and recommitting myself to him daily, he will not only nurture my soil, but my soul.

In November 2015, I entered a rehab facility, full of shame about my not-so-secret-anymore addiction to alcohol. I had hit rock bottom.

Talk about feeling like being in the shadow of death! As a wife, mother, and pastor, I never would have imagined this disaster of a life. It was unbearable, and I felt hopeless, out of control, and overwhelmed in the mess I had created. The shame of it all felt like a life sentence with no way out.

Can you relate to a time in your life you felt this way? Have you ever felt so far gone that you questioned if God could really turn your mess around for good? (Romans 8:28) Have you ever felt like you were drowning in guilt and shame because of something you did, a failure, or something that happened to you that was out of your control and not even your fault?

We have probably all experienced the emotion of shame that tells us, I am bad, deeply flawed, broken beyond repair. I’ve come to realize there is a deep pain in our hearts that comes with shame. Shame is said to be the most powerful of all emotions because it is inward and attacks the essence of who we believe God created us to be. We were made in his image, so the enemy’s strategy is to attack our identity, distort the way we view ourselves, and prevent us from walking in the power and authority

we possess as God’s creation.

Have you ever looked at shame as an attack on who God created you to be?

A song that I love to worship to when attacks of shame come knocking on the door of my mind is “Edens” by Amanda Cook. The lyrics eloquently articulate the ebb and flow of shame and pain, while encouraging me that God is with me through the valleys of life. He is with me when shame tries to consume me. He is with me when I’m drowning in anxiety. He is there wiping my tears, reminding me of his great love and plan to redeem all I thought was wasted.

God wastes nothing! Where weeds have tried to choke out life, he creates NEW gardens. My friend, I’m celebrating over seven years of sobriety. God has healed my heart, my marriage and family and has truly created Edens out of the wasteland in my life. The beautiful thing about the redemptive power of Jesus is that he will do it for you as well.

Let’s not give shame the last word!

Let’s acknowledge what has held us back from being our best selves because we’ve hidden in shame. Let’s call it what it is and give it to God who so desperately wants to heal it.

He wants to do a new thing! Can’t you see it? (Isaiah 43:18-19). God wants to create new pathways in your mind and in the areas of your heart where nothing could grow in the past. Let’s get to work and do our part to work on tending to the garden of our heart. Let’s deal with our emotions before they deal with us.

Begin the daily practice of checking in with your heart through self-examination and asking God to reveal what he wants to heal. Get honest about how you are doing emotionally. Talk about what you are feeling with God, in prayer, and with other sisters around you.

I promise you, the work to learn to address the soil of our hearts is worth it. Shame loses its power when you speak and bring it out of hiding. You are stronger and more powerful than you think. I am praying and believing for you that God would create Edens in what you have previously seen as wasteland.

We are in this together. God will reframe our shame with purpose and redeem all we thought was lost. Are you ready to get to work so we can help God set others free? Let’s do this!

XO,
Irene Rollins

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