Anxiety twisted and turned in the pit of my stomach just minutes before I walked on stage. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and silently prayed for peace and confirmation from the Lord about what I was about to do.

I was teetering between two very different thoughts. The first was how exciting it was going to be to share God’s miraculous story of how He saved me and my marriage. The second was what in the world am I thinking in telling people about the skeletons that lay ever so neatly in the closet my past?

At that moment I didn’t feel very brave.

“Lord, I need you, please help me” I whispered.

I suddenly felt a warm blanket of peace cover my body from head to toe. Although the butterflies in my stomach were in full fight or flight mode, the peace I felt was unmatched.

So, I took my courage in both hands, walked up the stairs to the stage and began telling my story.

It’s been three years since that day when I shared my story for the first time and I’m amazed at what God’s done. I’ve spoken to countless women whose lives have been dramatically impacted which is the reason I continue sharing.

Whether you have an audience of one or an audience of three hundred, sharing your story makes no difference. What’s important is that you share.

Four Reasons to Share Your Story

Authenticity breeds connection with others. The moment we discover someone is suffering just like us, walls are broken down and something extraordinary happens. I call it the “oh-you-too” phenomenon.  We discover that we’re not alone. Division dissipates and we realize we’re all connected. I can’t tell you the countless women who’ve reached out to me with their own stories of heartbreak. Connection is truly a gift that’s given and received when authentically sharing your story.

Healing takes place. Like connection, healing is also truly a gift that’s given and received when we share. Acknowledging our story with another allows for healing on both sides. We heal as others heal and it’s beautiful. It brings hope in the midst of doubt. Light in the midst of darkness.

Our story is a weapon.  Revelation 12:11 (NLT) “And they defeated him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony.” Our story holds power and impacts the world. Satan is defeated, lives are changed, and darkness has to flee. When we share, others are empowered to share their own story and it’s like a domino effect. Shame is displaced, and grace is revealed. Know that Satan does not want you to share your story because he knows it will defeat Him, just like the Word says.

Our story holds power and impacts the world. The enemy is defeated, lives are changed and darkness has to flee. Share on X

I need Jesus. Every time I share, I am reminded of my need for a Savior. Every one of us has scars. Every one of us has failed. Failure is the very reason Jesus came to earth and died on the cross! We’re hopeless on our own, friends. We need Him!

When we share our story, it sheds light on the creator of our souls and the miraculous, saving grace of Jesus Christ. Share on X

I don’t know what God did in the lives of others that day I bravely shared my story. I’ll probably never know, but I’m so glad that I followed the call.

Dear friend, you must remember sharing our story has nothing to do with us and everything to do with Jesus Christ. He is the one who makes us brave and propels us to share.

So, what are you waiting for?

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Shannon is fun-loving and authentic. She loves big and fierce, and at the top of that love list is Jesus, her husband John and her two daughters, Alex and Averee. She’s a woman who has been rescued and restored and knows how to fight for her marriage and family. Shannon empowers women to rise up through their circumstances in order to their God-given calling. When she’s not writing, you can typically find her watching movie trailers, reading the latest mystery/drama bestseller, or simply sipping on coffee from a chipped mug. Although a book is in her future, you can currently read her blog and her story at www.shannongeurin.com.

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Catch Up On Previous Made for Brave Stories…Here

Sisters, we are called to walk the way of hope instead of the way of defeat.  We must claim more than our title of “Daughter of the King.” We must step up and also claim our position.

And we must claim these together. As a sisterhood; a sisterhood of brave women who stand strong in the promises of who God is and who we are.

• We all are Made for Brave.
• We are made to live for something authentic and brave.
• In living brave, we silence the past, transform the future, and take a front row seat to God’s wild and uncontainable love!

So, I’m inviting you to join this Made for Brave Sisterhood, each Monday as we share our stories and allow God to bring hope and healing. Let’s commit to being authentic and brave, one step at a time, side by side, holding each other up and nudging each other toward our true selves. And let’s claim the victory waiting on the other side of brave; for ourselves and our sisterhood.

Let’s celebrate our tears and our struggles as we peel away the layers of fear to reveal the beauty of brave.

Let’s risk everything that brave requires for everything that brave has to offer…

Becoming who we were created to be!

In living brave, we silence the past, transform the future, and take a front row seat to God’s wild and uncontainable love! #MadeforBrave #Hope Share on X

Do you have a Made for Brave story to share? Get the writing guidelines and submit your stories HERE!

Download Your Made for Brave Manifesto in the Soul-Hope Cafe!