Episode 15 – “Telling Your Story Without Losing Yourself”

Episode 15 – “Telling Your Story Without Losing Yourself” 

Primary Scriptures for this episode (feel free to pause and look them up): 

• Psalm 139:1–5, 16 – God knows your story from beginning to end.
• Revelation 12:11 – Overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.
• Psalm 62:8 – Pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.
• Luke 8:43–48 – The woman with the issue of blood tells her whole truth.
• Genesis 50:20 – “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”

Description:
Your story is powerful—but you don’t owe every detail to everyone. In this episode, you’ll learn how to discern when, how, and with whom to share your trauma story in ways that are truthful and boundaried. Using the image of circles of safety (God, close people, community, public), Rev. Stormyee walks you through a gentle framework for testimony that protects your heart instead of re‑traumatizing it. You’ll leave with language, categories, and permission to pace yourself.

In the next episode, we’ll lean into creativity as healing—writing, music, art, and other forms of expression as ways to process your story with God and regulate your body, even if you don’t consider yourself “artistic.”

Until then, may you feel held by the One who knows your whole story and loves you completely in the middle of it.

With fierce love and unshakeable faith,
I’m Rev. Stormyee, and this is Wholeness.
 

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:25

Welcome to wholeness with Reverend Stormy Edmondson, a space for healing, faith, and kingdom purpose. I'm Reverend Stormy Edmondson, ordained minister, Christian Life Coach, and your companion on the journey from trauma to triumph. Here we talk about the real themes. Healing from pain, renewing the mind, building holy boundaries, growing in faith, and walking boldly in the calling God has placed on your life. Whether you're in a season of survival, restoration, or thriving, this is your reminder that God sees you, God is with you, and your story is not over. So take a deep breath, settle your heart, and listen for what the Lord wants to speak to you today. You are welcome here. You are seen, and you are being restored here. God knows your story from beginning to end. Revelation twelve verse eleven Overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of our testimony. Psalm sixty two verse eight. Pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Luke chapter eight verses forty three forty eight. The woman with the issue of blood tells her whole truth. Genesis chapter fifty, verse twenty. In episode fourteen, we talked about rhythms of healing. Simple daily practices that can help hold you when life feels chaotic. Before that, we explored joy, setbacks, shame, identity, and purpose. Today we're going to talk about something both powerful and vulnerable. Your story. How and when you tell it, and how to do that in ways that honor your healing. We're going to explore why telling your story can be healing and also re-traumatizing if it's rushed. How to discern who deserves to hear what. A gentle framework for sharing your testimony without abandoning your boundaries. If you've ever wondered, how much should I share with who? And how do I not fall apart when I talk about it? This episode is for you. Let's pray. Jesus, you know every detail of our stories, what others see, what they don't, and even what we've tried to forget. Would you guide us today as we think about how to speak about our past? Help us find freedom in truth telling and wisdom and boundaries. Amen. Let's take a deep breath in. Your story is sacred, and we are gonna treat it that way. Segment one why story matters and why it hurts. Telling your story can be powerful because it names reality. This happened instead of maybe I made it up. It breaks isolation. It allows others to see God's presence in your journey. It can transform shame. What once felt unspeakable becomes something you can hold and not hide. In Revelation chapter 12, verse 11, it says, believers overcame by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony. Your story joined to Jesus' story has spiritual weight. But storytelling can also be painful or even re-traumatizing when you share too much too quickly with unsafe people. You feel pressured to make your story inspiring before you're ready. You're asked to testify in ways that gloss over the harm. You relive the details in a way that your nervous system isn't prepared for. So we hold both. The story is powerful, but the story needs timing, pacing, and safety. Segment two, God as the keeper of your story. Psalm 139 says, God has searched you and knows you. He knows when you sit and when you rise. That means you're not telling God anything he doesn't already know. You're never too much for him. He holds the parts of your story that feels scattered, confusing, or lost. Psalm 62, verse 8 invites us to pour out your hearts to him. For God is our refuge. God is your first safe listener. He's not impatient with repetition. He's not shocked by details. He's not taking notes for judgment. He is present for comfort, clarity, and truth. Before you tell your story to others, it can be deeply healing to tell it to him, honestly, in your own words and at your own pace. Segment three, the woman who told her whole truth. In Luke chapter 8, verses 43 to 48, a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years pushes through the crowd to touch Jesus' cloak. She is immediately healed. Jesus notices and asks, Who touched me? Eventually she realizes that she can't stay hidden. The scripture says Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. She tells her story. The why, her suffering, her desperation, the how what Jesus did. Notice she comes trembling, telling the truth can be scary. She tells it in the presence of all the people, a very vulnerable moment. Jesus' response is daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace. He affirms her, names her daughter, and speaks peace over her. Your story may not be told in front of all the people like hers. Sometimes it's one-on-one, sometimes written, sometimes shared in small groups. But the heart of Jesus is the same. He invites your truth. He affirms your faith in reaching out. He desires your peace, not your reshaming. Listen as if Jesus is speaking to the part of you that is afraid of telling your story or feels overexposed from having told it too often. I know the fear that rises when you imagine people knowing what you've lived through. I know the times you tried to share and were met with disbelief, minimization or spiritual cliches. I also know the silence you've kept, carrying heavy secrets all alone. I'm not asking you to tell everyone everything. I'm inviting you to walk with me and choosing who, who, what, who, and when. Your story is not a product for others to consume. It is a sacred part of you. You're allowed to keep some parts between you and me. You are allowed to share some parts with a few trusted people. And in time, if I lead you, you may share pieces more publicly. But never at the expense of your safety and dignity. I will not use you and leave you empty. I will walk with you as you stored your story. Take a breath. You have permission to be selective. Think of your story like a series of circles. One, your innermost circle. You and God, maybe one professional. Here you can be as detailed and as raw as you want. This includes prayer, journaling, and trauma-inforced therapy. No performance, no pressure to tidy the story. Two, inner circle, a few trusted people, close friends, mentors, or spiritual leaders, who have shown themselves safe. You share more depth, but still at your own pace. You watch how they hold your story over time. Three, your middle circle, community and groups. Support groups, small groups, some church contacts, you may share themes and portions, but not every detail. You choose what feels honoring and what still needs privacy. You share from your scars, but not your open wounds. You highlight core truths in God's faithfulness without exposing yourself in ways that destabilize your healing. You're not obligated to move out to every circle. Some seasons are for inner circles only. Some stories are never meant for the public square. Wisdom asks us Is this person or setting safe enough for this level of detail? What part of my story am I ready to share today? What boundaries do I need to keep my heart from being overwhelmed? Segment six a simple framework for your testimony. When you feel led to share, even in a small way, it can help to have a general structure. You might think in three parts. One, what happened, honest but not necessarily graphic detail. Examples could be I grew up in a home that was very chaotic and unsafe. I experienced abuse from someone who should have protected me and spent years in survival mode. Two, how it affected me, the internal impact. Examples could be I carried deep shame, anxiety, and distress. My body stayed on high alert. I struggled to believe God was good or that I was lovable. Three, where God is meeting me now. Not a neat bow, but a real snapshot. Examples could be God's been gently showing me that He saw everything. I'm learning to listen to my body and set boundaries. I'm not finished. I'm not where I was. You do not have to claim you're completely healed if you're not. Pretend you don't still struggle. Highlight your trauma more than your dignity. You're allowed to say, I'm still in process. But here's what God is teaching me so far. Segment seven, reflection questions and homework. Here are some questions you can sit with this week. Where have I felt pressured, by myself or others, to share more of my story than I was ready to? Who in my life has proven to be safe with small pieces of my story. What parts of my story feel too tender for public sharing right now? That's okay. For homework, choose one. Option one, story circle mapping. Draw three or four circles, inner and outer. In the innermost, write God, me, therapist, in the next write the names of one to three safe people. In the next, write any group spaces, and ask Jesus, where are you inviting me to share a little more? Where are you inviting me to hold back for now? Option two. One-page story with God. Write a one-page version of your story, but write it to God. This is what happened. This is how it affected me. This is what I need from you now. This version is just for you and him. Option three. Two-minute testimony practice. Imagine someone says asking, What has God been doing in your life? Practice answering in one to two minutes, focusing on a simple description of your struggle, one way God is meeting you now. No pressure to share all the trauma, just a real bite-sized testimony. Closing and preview. Friends, your story is not something God uses and discards. It's part of the way He walks with you. In time may walk through you to help others, but always with your dignity intact. You're allowed to pace yourself with what you're allowed to say. That's enough for today. You're allowed to share your testimony as someone who's still healing and not a finished product. Let's take a moment to pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you that you know every chapter of our stories, including the ones we wish didn't exist. Thank you that you never weaponize our pain against us. For every listener who feels exposed, pressured, or silenced, I ask, bring healing where sharing went badly in the past. Provide truly safe listeners in this season. Give them wisdom about what to share with whom and when. Teach them that their story is sacred, that honesty is powerful, and that it's okay to still be in process. Lord, let their testimony when it's time to reflect both the reality of their pain and the reality of your presence. In your holy name, Lord Jesus. We pray. Amen. In this next episode, we will lean into creativity as healing. Writing, music, art, and other forms of expression as ways to process your story with God and regulate your body, even if you don't consider yourself artistic. Until then, may you feel held by the one who knows your whole story and loves you completely in the middle of it with fierce love and unshakable faith. I'm Reverend Stormy, and this is wholeness.