When relentless hurt invades our lives, it’s hard to find joy. With this in mind, the focus for Week 6 of the “Joy to The Soul Summer” series is restoration.

Thankfully, Forgiven and Restored, a newly released book by my friend Jelise Ballon, walks us through the pathway to healing.

When the unthinkable comes, faith-walking may be a bit optimistic at first. It may feel more like a crawl as we wrestle with a full blown crisis.

And yet, with tenacity of spirit, Jelise shares how her faith in Christ triumphed through the traumas of childhood molestation and marital infidelity.

Of course, forgiveness was key.

“But forgiveness without truth is like writing words in the sand — it will not withstand even the smallest waves of grief.” – Jelise Ballon

Eventually, God’s truth was written on the fragile pieces of her heart and a verse from Scripture became her heart’s cry:

In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. (Psalm 118:5-8 NLT)

Jelise’s emotionally raw and well-told redemptive story allows us to sense the intensity of her distress and her deliverance. It also invites us to consider how our own stories unfold.

Each chapter of Forgiven and Restored ends with a prayer, inviting readers to bring their struggles before God and experience the healing power of His Presence.

Reading this book reminded me, the “smallest waves of grief” can bring a painful reality to wash over us at any time.

What do you do in such moments?

What happens when a past fear resurfaces with its usual paralysis or paranoia?

Jelise’s story reveals if we’re open to God’s grace and truth, we can experience the biggest wave of all — His love. As His love swelled in her heart, His healing and freedom became her new reality. She writes,

“God has the power to repair what is damaged, and heal what is wounded. He will fill the gaps left by others’ choices. God is for me, and He is for you. When we can’t trust people, we can always trust God.”

Owning our undoing is a common struggle. However, Forgiven and Restored allows readers to see an uncommon resolve to press on in God’s grace.

The process of healing from painful experiences is complicated. However, at some point, the process requires a willingness to dive into the difficulty and heal, or we stay stuck in the dysfunction and hurt.

Jelise took the dive and discovered a powerful truth:

“Restoring relationships is a messy business because our relationships are not lived out in silos. We carry our experiences from one relationship into the next – good and bad– creating a complicated web of connection we may not even realize.”

I’m doing a web check in my life. If you are too, I recommend adding Forgiven and Restored to your reading list.
Join Jelise’s online Bible Study on neitherheightnordepth.com!

Meet the Author:

Jelise Ballon is an educator, writer and speaker. She has been leading Bible and small group studies for youth and adults for over 20 years and serves as the head of Women’s Ministry at Compass Community Church in Winchester, VA.

She is the author of the book Forgiven and Restored, which was released in July 2019. Her writing has also been featured on The Today Show, Her View From Home, Motherly, Inspire More, and others. She lives with her husband and three children in the Shenandoah Valley. You can read more at her blog: www.neitherheightnordepth.com, or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

GIVEAWAY!🎁 Share your thoughts in the comment section below and you’ll be entered into a drawing for a free copy of Forgiven and Restored! Eligible comments must be entered by Sunday, August 04, 2019 at 8:00 p.m. EST. The winner will be announced on next week’s post.

Read more posts from the “Joy to The Soul Summer” series here.