Part of growing older—and being human—is learning how to recognize and manage our emotions in a healthy way. Our emotions have the power to help us grow, but they can also hold us back, especially when we’ve been hurt by others in the past.

Elizabeth Bristol joins Darlene Brock and Julie Bender on this week’s podcast episode to share how she overcame her past emotional hurt. Elizabeth dealt with heartache and traumatic situations, including rape and drug use. After years of feeling stagnant in her pain, God prompted her to write down her story. It was only after she faced the pain of her past head-on and sat with it that she was finally able to recognize the loss and believe God for hope and healing.

If you’ve been struggling with the hurt, or shame, or guilt from things that have happened in your past, we want to encourage you today that it’s not too late to heal. It won’t be easy, but it will allow you to shed the hurt and embrace life moving forward.

Elizabeth Bristol is a passionate author, speaker, and educator. She has spent her life learning how to overcome the pain of emotional abuse and neglect through Christ-centered care. Writing about her struggles with self-esteem and her experiences as a people-pleaser and victim of abuse, Elizabeth shares her journey into a relationship with God who helped her break free from the lies that were running rampant in her head—lies like “You’re doing it wrong.”

God met Elizabeth where she was and began to show her how He loves her unconditionally, no matter what she’s done. Now she’s on a mission to help others believe that God loves them unconditionally, too.

You can follow Elizabeth on Instagram @authorelizabeth.b.bristol, on Facebook @ElizabethBristolAuthor, and on her website, elizabethbbristol.com

“Now I aim to forgive on a regular basis, because I like the freedom that comes with it.” —Elizabeth Bristol

—Purchase Elizabeth’s book, “Mary Me: One Woman’s Incredible Adventure with God”

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