We often think of healing as armour — a way of fortifying ourselves to withstand pain, anxiety, and sorrow. Yet for many of us, pain has become a familiar companion, something our bodies and souls have long adapted to. The unfamiliar guest is joy. Happiness can feel almost threatening because it asks us to trust, to open, to receive.

I recognise this in my own journey. Trauma taught me to expect loss, to anticipate disappointment, and to brace for rejection. In some ways, I learned to survive sorrow more easily than to rest in joy. Joy requires vulnerability. It asks me to believe that goodness will not be ripped away. It invites me to accept that beauty can remain without being broken.

This is why healing is not just about patching up wounds but about preparing the heart to receive. Like soil softened after a long drought, healing tills the ground so seeds of joy may finally take root.

Healing teaches me to say yes to laughter without fearing it will vanish, yes to peace without questioning its permanence, and yes to love without doubting my worthiness. It is the courage to hold joy gently in open hands rather than gripping it tight in fear of losing it.

🌿 Prayer:

Lord Jesus, teach me to be as open to joy as I once was to sorrow. Break the lie that happiness is fleeting and unsafe. Heal me so that I may not only endure pain but also fully embrace joy, love, and hope. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

May you know today that you are not only surviving — you are becoming a vessel strong enough to hold joy, beauty, and peace without apology. You are worthy of happiness that lasts.