Find Purpose in Pain: Integrate - Invest - Integrate, Episode 7

This podcast episode explores the idea of finding purpose in pain through the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis. It emphasizes how God can use our suffering for a greater purpose and highlights the importance of resilience and forgiveness. The host shares a personal journey of healing and offers a practice called the three I's (instruct, invest, integrate) to help listeners reflect on their own hardships and find meaning in them. The episode concludes by encouraging gratitude and integrating these insights into daily life. Welcome to Through Deep Waters, the podcast delving into Isaiah 43.2. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up. The flames will not consume you. Join us as we explore the profound message of resilience, faith and hope. Found in the depths of Isaiah's words. Discover how we can navigate life's challenges. Emerging stronger and unwavering through the deep waters. So listener, pour yourself a cup of your favorite brew. Sink into a comfy chair and tune in as we begin the journey together. Hello and welcome back to Through Deep Waters. We are actually starting something new that we will intertwine with our episodes, our normal episodes that feature guests who have navigated deep waters. This new thing is called Brief Insights. And we hope that they will be quick, energetic and hopefully impactful for you. I'm your host, Monique Myers. And I'll be talking today with you about a topic that's very close and near and dear to my heart. Finding purpose in pain. We're going to be exploring how experiences of hardships and suffering can actually lead to deep personal growth, spiritual transformations and even the discovery of your purpose. So I'm really happy you're here today. But before we dive into that, I want to take a look at a very powerful story of redemption that you can find in the book of Genesis. If you really want to go look for it, it is it is it's over a few chapters in Genesis. It's Genesis 37 to 50. And it's the story of Joseph. We all know Joseph. We've heard about Joseph in the Technicolor Dreamcoat. But we really want to dive into this topic because the story of Joseph really exemplifies finding your purpose in pain. Despite facing betrayals and slavery and false truths being spoken about him, imprisonment, Joseph remains steadfast in his faith and also in his integrity. So in Genesis 50, chapter 50, verse 20, Joseph kind of wraps this all up. And I'm not going to take a deep dive into the story because I think we all know the story and the places where he was hurt and felt just forgotten by his own family. He in Genesis 50, verse 20, he reflects on his experiences and he's standing there in front of his brothers who have now come to him and they need his help. And he said to him, you intended to harm me. And I just have to pause in that for a moment because this is so very important to to pause because he isn't just letting them out free. Right. He is telling his brothers, you intended harm. But God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position. So God brings us all through the pain to a position so I could save the lives of many people. Each of us have been brought on this journey to take the things that have happened and allow God to work it for good. So the story illustrates how God can use our pain and our suffering for a greater purpose. And we need to lean into that. So Joseph's story, this journey offers us hope and it offers us encouragement for anyone who has ever experienced or is currently experiencing any kind of trauma, especially generational trauma, which is something that I like to speak on. His story illustrates how the power of resilience in the face of extreme adversity. And it also highlights the concept of finding purpose within your pain. So instead of perpetuating the cycle of dysfunction, Joseph chose to forgive and to reconcile. And he paved the way for healing and restoration within his family. Now, let's take a minute to explore how we can apply the lessons from Joseph's journey to our very own lives. One way to begin this journey of self-discovery and healing that I have found is my three I's. So instruct, invest, and integrate. It's a guiding practice for finding purpose in the pain. It's reflecting on your past experiences and your hardships and then identifying the lessons that you've learned and discerning how those experiences have actually contributed to your growth and your spiritual transformation. So when I first started my journey to healing, and I waited a really long time to start my journey to healing, it was a daily practice for me. I had to sit down and truly reflect on these pieces, instruct, invest, and integrate. Now I'm able to do it just once a week or as I need it. Whenever I feel those triggers trying to keep creeping back in. So I want to walk you through the exercise together. So first, instruct. Find a quiet space where you won't be disturbed during this exercise. Set the mood, create a calming atmosphere for yourself, and get comfortable. Just take deep breaths and center yourself, calm your mind. And really focus yourself in. You're instructing yourself to bring yourself to a state of peace. Now you need to invest the time in reflecting on the past hardships that you've experienced. Think back on the moments of your life when you experienced hardships. Allow yourself to recall these experiences without putting any judgment or self-criticism or shame on those moments. For me, growing up in an environment marred by trauma and dysfunction, it's understandable how those wounds that were inflicted on me by my young and very inexperienced parents still continue to deeply affect me today. My parents were dealing with struggles of their own unresolved pain. My father's coping mechanism of losing his mother at the age of 19, just eight short months before I was born, was turning to alcohol and other vices. And we have a history of substance abuse and addiction in our family. And so this became a very easy way for him to soothe his pain that he was experiencing. My mother perpetuated the cycle of abuse that she herself had endured when she was faced with having a baby at the young age of 18, me. She had to drop out of the local community college where she was studying nursing. All of her dreams of her future had changed and shifted. It became a time where people were angry and I just lived in constant fear and the desire to flee. I would always think, if I would just make my mom happy, then she would love me. If I would act in a certain way that she really wanted me to act, then maybe she wouldn't hurt me. I would have to find places to hide from her in moments of rage and anger. And I carried those wounds into adulthood without healing them. And the first part of my adulthood life was a little difficult because I carried those wounds with me. But through it all, I always knew that I had a relationship with God. Even though I knew that I had a father in heaven who loved me without any question, I would always question, why me? Why me? There were times when I lost sight of my purpose and I just would feel like I was a burden. And the script that runs through your head every day for the first 18 years of your life is very difficult to erase and record a new script. So, identifying the lessons that I've learned from these experiences and exploring how they have contributed to my own personal growth and development is very important. And it's very important for you to pause and do that as well. Considering how your experiences have shaped your values and your priorities and also your goals. And within this investment phase, it's also essential to acknowledge the impact that those experiences had on your life. My hardships have undoubtedly left scars that get picked at every once in a while. It has shaped the way that I view the relationships that I have with other people. My husband, my friends, my family, my own children. And it has influenced the path that I've taken. And sometimes I'm not always very proud of the path or the way that I've taken the path. But I always know that I can come back and restart. And amidst the darkness, there's always an opportunity for you to discover insights and wisdom. So, despite the intentions of harm, whether they were on purpose or just because of a situation that was out of control, from the people that are around you, there's always a profound truth that is discovered in Genesis 50-20. You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. While it may be difficult to see the good in the midst of the adversity that you might be facing, this verse speaks to a higher purpose that is at work. My experiences, no matter how painful they are, do have the potential to serve a greater good. Through investing time in reflection, I've been able to uncover that there is a silver lining amidst the storms of my past. Perhaps it's the resilience that I cultivated through adversity. Or maybe it's the empathy that was born out of suffering. Maybe it's the strength that I found in overcoming obstacles or the wisdom that was gained from navigating through dark times. Whatever the insights might be, they serve as a guiding light on my journey toward healing and growth. Resilience, empathy, strength, and wisdom are all gifts that I've been given. I can choose to use them to make things better and to help the people who are around me. Or I can choose to stay bitter and angry about how life should have been different for me or how things should have worked out in a better way. But friends, if life had been different, I wouldn't be the person that I am today. And I really, truly love the person I am today. So finally, integrating those spiritual transformations that you see and finding meaning and purpose from your reflections that you were looking at. Express gratitude for the challenges that you've faced and the changes that you've been able to make. Consider how you can integrate these insights into your daily life. My own journey can pave the way for my own spiritual transformation. It can be an example to others who have walked a similar path. Simply by embracing the lessons that I have learned from my own past, I can break free from the cycle of abuse and the pain while also creating a much brighter future for myself and the generations in my family to come and the people that God has put into my life. Just remember, it's not our work though. It's God's work through the power of the Holy Spirit that has allowed these things to happen within me and within each of you. This work is ongoing and it's never ending. I have to work at it every single day. I have to set my day with the intention to show up as a happy, loving woman. As you continue on your journey of self-discovery and healing, you have to trust that God's guidance and grace will lead you forward. So that's all for today's episode of Through Deep Water's Brisk Insights. Thank you for joining me on this journey of finding purpose in your pain. Remember, instruct, invest, and integrate. There is hope for healing and transformation. Until the next time, take care and God bless. As we conclude our journey today, listeners of Through Deep Waters, let us hold on to the powerful message that was inspired by Isaiah 43-2. I'm Monique and this is Martha. And we are your hosts as we go through deep waters together. Remember adventurers, that amidst life's trials and uncertainties, we can trust that God has a plan and purpose for our future. In the deep waters, we are called to have unwavering confidence knowing that we have been equipped. It's all we need to succeed.