Episode 23: Meet the Board: Becoming Aware of Our Belovedness with Brett Deal
Nov 12, 2024
CW/TW: This episode includes references to some child physical abuse and to overtly Christian language.
How does our story and theology impact our identity? How do the stories we tell ourselves or are reminded of change the way we see ourselves? How much do they keep us from seeing and embracing our inherent belovedness?
In this week’s episode, I speak with Broken to Beloved board member Brett Deal about his own story and journey from brokenness to belovedness. We talk about following the example of Jesus in walking away from situations and relationships, and the significance of understanding our own stories.
When our unexamined stories are carried forward throughout our lives, how can we begin to understand their meaning? What kind of healing can we find when we address deeper wounds that exacerbate current ones?
Healing and wholeness can be found when we find places and people who offer safety, vulnerability, and an opportunity to be heard, believed, and known. We hope you find that here.
If you’d like to donate to support our work at Broken to Beloved, you can give here today.
download Episode Transcript 📄
Quotes 💬
I think so much of what we experience, and maybe this is just me getting older, is we have to understand our own story. We have to understand our own experiences.
Quite often we have current experiences that we don’t realize how closely connected they are. They just sit like a like a wound over an open injury. And so being able to say, hey, I understand that this experience that you just had today hurts, but it’s actually got a much deeper root. And if we can heal that, then you’ll begin to see healing throughout the whole system.
We become so afraid of knowing who we truly are, because quite often, it’s like, you slightly open that door and you’re like, oh my goodness, I’ve got a lot of junk in there, and if I open this door, it’s all going to come spilling out. It doesn’t match the image that I want people to see. And I think that’s that’s where vulnerability takes place.
Episode Resources and Links
- Support Broken to Beloved
- Episode 15 with Chuck DeGroat
- When to Walk Away by Gary Thomas on Bookshop | on Amazon
- Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by L on Bookshop | on Amazon
- What My Bones Know by Stephanie Foo on Bookshop | on Amazon
- Truth and Repair by Judith Herman on Bookshop | on Amazon
Guest Spotlight
Brett serves in Richmond, VA, at Eternity Church. Over the last 20 years, he has pastored churches in America and Africa, teaching and training new pastors, planting churches as well as revitalizing others recovering from spiritually abusive leadership. He serves local congregations, pastors and missionaries who’ve experienced religious trauma. Because of this, Brett is grateful to join Brian to see more people move from broken to beloved.
Church Website | Personal Website | Instagram
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Broken to Beloved is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that works to provide those wounded by spiritual abuse and religious trauma with practical resources moving toward healing and wholeness, and to provide pastors and church leaders with resources to grow in trauma awareness and implement safeguarding practices. Get more information or give a tax-free donation here.
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