Elena had become very good at functioning. What she did not know was whether she had actually begun healing.
Eighteen months after the end of a long marriage, Elena's life looked stable again.
She went to work. She answered texts. She served at church. She remembered birthdays, paid bills, helped family, and usually gave the same answer when someone asked how she was doing:
There were parts of that answer that were true. She was getting through her days. She had rebuilt routines. She was no longer living in the first shock of what had happened.
But she also knew how quickly she changed the subject when someone asked a deeper question. She knew how full her calendar had become. And she knew how quiet the house felt when there was finally nothing left to do.
One Sunday afternoon, Elena sat in her car after church long after everyone else had driven away.
It began with Elena becoming willing to stop long enough to tell the truth about where she was.
Part of Elena wanted a plan. She wanted to know how long healing would take, what she would have to revisit, and whether opening the past would make everything hurt again.
But Stage One asks for something smaller and more courageous: begin.
Before Elena could recognize healing, she needed a different picture of what she was actually seeking.
Elena's first work was not explaining everything. It was simply noticing what had been carried quietly for a long time.
For months, Elena had judged these emotions as proof that she should be “farther along.” Stage One gave her permission to do something different.
That evening Elena opened her Bible, but she did not know what to pray.
So she started with one honest sentence:
She did not hear a dramatic answer. She did not suddenly understand everything that had happened. Instead, she stayed quiet long enough to read what Scripture said about the heart of God.
Elena wrote one line in her journal:
Stage One did not ask Elena to uncover every wound. It helped her establish a safe foundation for the journey ahead.
Elena's goal for the week was not to analyze her entire life. It was to practice awareness in the presence of God.
If I truly believed God was safe and trustworthy, what part of my story would I be willing to bring to Him first?
That was movement. Not dramatic. Not complete. But honest—and real.
Elena did not have to hide her pain, have all the answers, or heal herself. Christ already knew her story. Her first step was simply to bring her heart honestly before Him.
Heavenly Father, I bring You my story just as it is. Give me courage to be honest without rushing, and help me trust that I do not have to face every part of this journey at once. Meet me in the places that still hurt. Show me what my heart has been carrying, and guide me one faithful step at a time. Thank You that I am not walking toward You from a distance. I am learning to walk with You. Amen.
The Healing Journey™ continues...