Every time I sit with someone in prayer through a place of deep trauma, I notice a pattern.
A holy one.
A hopeful one.
Their calling is often waiting on the other side of their pain.
Again and again, when a woman invites Jesus into the darkest places of her story, something breathtaking happens:
The very area where the enemy tried to break her becomes the place where God wants to use her most powerfully.
Her trauma didn’t disqualify her.
And once Jesus heals the wound, that painful chapter often becomes the birthplace of her purpose. (I share some examples in the book: “God, Show Me More of You” )
Let me show you even what I mean…
1. Trauma Deepens Compassion — Then God Sends Us to the Hurting
People who’ve walked through darkness and trusting Jesus through it carry a tenderness others don’t.
Their hearts become safe places.
Their presence holds weight.
Joseph experienced betrayal, injustice, false accusation, and imprisonment.
But once God healed and positioned him, he became the very one who saved multitudes— and forgave the brothers who wounded him.
His trauma shaped his compassion.
His healing shaped his calling.
2. Trauma Can Forge Spiritual Authority — Then God Sends Us Back to the Territory We Overcame
When someone walks through pain with Jesus, they don’t just survive—they gain authority – in the exact place they once struggled.
Moses is a perfect example.
He fled Egypt as a failure and a fugitive.
Decades later, God sent him right back to confront the very system he ran from.
The place of trauma became the place of assignment.
3. Our Story Becomes a Testimony — God Turns Our Wounds Into Roadmaps
Once healing comes, by seeking the Lord through it, our story becomes like a lantern for others on similar dark roads.
Think of Paul, whose life was radically turned around.
He went from persecuting Christians to becoming one of the most powerful voices in the New Testament.
His transformed story became his greatest message of grace.
God wastes nothing—especially not the places we thought disqualified us.
In my own story, I went through deep depression and near suicide over 20 years ago. After an encounter with Jesus at 3am, I began to radically heal over a couple weeks time. Today, I walk others through similar journeys!
4. The Enemy’s Attack Often Reveals Our Area of Calling
The enemy fights what he fears.
If he tried to silence your voice…
you are likely meant to speak with power.
If he attacked your identity…
you are probably called to restore identity in others.
If he attacked your relationships…
you may carry a calling for connection, healing, or community.
Peter experienced deep fear, shame, and denial.
But Jesus restored him, and the man who once cowered became the bold preacher at Pentecost.
The attack on his courage revealed his assignment to strengthen others.
5. Trauma Can Become a Doorway — Your Brokenness Becomes a Platform for Glory
Jesus doesn’t erase your story.
He redeems it.
The wound becomes wisdom.
The struggle becomes strength.
The pain becomes ministry.
Hannah, in her anguish and barrenness, cried out to God.
Through her tears came Samuel—a prophet destined to shape a nation.
Her tears watered the soil of her calling.
6. We Often Discover Our Calling in the Exact Place We Felt Most Disqualified
The enemy whispers:
“You’re too broken.”
“You’re too much.”
“You’re not enough.”
But Jesus steps into the story and whispers:
“This is where My glory will shine brightest.”
The Gerasene demoniac—once tormented and rejected—became the first evangelist to his entire region.
Jesus sent him back to the very place of his pain…
and revival began there.
So Here’s the Truth to Tuck Into Your Heart Today
Your calling may be waiting right on the other side of the very place you feel most broken.
God doesn’t waste a wound.
He doesn’t overlook a tear.
He is the Redeemer who turns graves into gardens, ashes into beauty, trauma into testimony.
The enemy’s fiercest attack often points directly to your greatest assignment.
And when Jesus restores your heart, your former place of pain becomes a platform for His glory.
Take heart, friend.
Your story isn’t over.
Merri Ellen 🙂
Meet with a trained coach to walk with you.
Join other hungry women seeking the Lord together.
Enjoy the books: “God, Show Me What You See” or “God, Show Me More of You“
Following and Trusting : Encountering God Out of the Box 
Leave a comment