I sat across from my therapist, perched on the burnt orange couch that had become very familiar to me. I’m pretty sure a permanent Anna Rose-sized indentation was starting to form on the cushion. It was a steamy, scorching August afternoon—the hottest day of the year, actually—and as we processed some things together, she asked me one of her usual questions. 

“As you go back and explore this experience, what does your younger self need? Some wisdom? Protection? A companion on this journey?”

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and reflected on her question. I imagined this younger version of myself standing alone, looking out at the information and experiences we were processing. When I checked in with that inner child, there was just one form of wisdom, protection, and companionship she wanted or needed.

I opened my eyes and remarked, “She really just wants Jesus beside her, holding her hand.”

Upon sharing this, my lovely therapist’s eyes welled up with tears. “She just needs Jesus,” she repeated, jotting down a note in her spiral-bound notebook. 

“That brings tears to my eyes,” she commented. A single tear escaped her lower eyelid and dripped down her face. She reached for a tissue and laughed a little as she said, “I’m sorry, this is your session, but I’m human, too.” 

In this exchange—which warmed my heart—I knew the Lord was at work. I knew He had brought me into her office on that exact day and had used my processing, my inner child’s needs, and my response about Jesus for a purpose. It instantly snapped something into perspective in my brain, a core truth that I deeply believed, taking center stage in my mind.

Our healing journey isn’t just about or for us. It can heal and encourage the people around us—even professionals like doctors, nurses, therapists, psychiatrists, etc. And if we take a step back to look at the bigger picture, our healing is actually meant to strengthen and build up others. The renewal and new life we experience in our healing—emotionally, physically, mentally, or otherwise—is all a testimony of the Gospel. Death to life. Pain to promise-fulfilled. Heartbreak to bustling, restored hope. 

Our healing is not just about us. Getting well isn’t a solo expedition God wants to do in a secret corner of our lives, never to be shared or recounted. He’s using your life, brokenness, and sickness as an opportunity and vessel for His divine, powerful love. The way He’s restoring you, stitching your heart and body back together, bit by bit? He wants others to experience that, too, and he very well may be using your beautiful, one-of-a-kind story to give them hope that it could be real for their life. 

As we pursue wholeness and wellness, may we never forget that it’s about something much bigger than us. Our individual healing and growth aren’t just about us. It’s about spreading hope and light and truth, otherwise known as the Gospel. Our journey toward wholeness is a noble venture, but may we always remember who ultimately holds it all together and what our #1 calling is. The restoration and hope of Heaven is beautiful, and I pray we’ll all see more glimpses of His glory as He uses our stories in ways we can’t even imagine. xo