Joy While You Heal: Moving from Survivor Stress Mode to Beloved Rest Mode
#177

August 25, 2025
00:00 18:11
Listen on Your Favorite App

Have you ever felt like you’re stuck in survivor mode — just trying to get through the day, pushing past your own needs, and wondering if joy will ever really come?
So many women believe they must wait until they’re “healed enough” or “whole enough” before joy is possible. But friend, joy isn’t the end result of healing. Joy is part of the healing.

In this episode, you’ll discover how neuroscience and Scripture show us that even the smallest joys — a laugh, a sweet moment, or something as simple as a s’more by the fire — can begin to rewire your heart from survival into belovedness.

I’ll share a tender personal story of how God used a summer evening with my kids to show me it’s never too late for joy, and how choosing joy — even in the middle of tears — is a sacred step of healing.

Key Takeaways:


Why small joys help rewire your brain out of survival mode
 How “false safety mechanisms” from trauma silence your desires — and how to break free
 Why Jesus invites you to taste joy even before you’re fully healed
 A personal story of how a simple summer night with my boys became a moment of healing joy
 A practical soul care practice to take one small joy step this week

Breath Prayer:

Inhale: Those who sow in tears
Exhale: will reap with shouts of joy

Scripture:
“Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.” Psalm 126:6

Join NEW Wellness Course: Breathe Joy with Jesus: Creating Happy Healthy Habits with God's Promises
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Take the FREE Soul Care Quiz at soulcarequiz.com
Get your free personal wellness assessment and learn which area of wellness you need most.

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@thebonniegray

Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

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Meet Your Host
Bonnie Gray is the author of Finding Spiritual Whitespace and Whispers of Rest. An inspirational speaker and retreat leader, she has touched thousands of lives through storytelling, visual arts, nature, prayer and meditation. Bonnie’s writing is featured at Relevant Magazine, (in)courage, and Christianity Today. She lives in California with her husband and their two sons.
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