Meet Yvette, mother of six and dedicated Christian. You would never know by looking on the outside---especially considering Yvette serves as a leader in a few ministries at the church she regularly attends--that Yvette struggled with deep seeded anger and bitterness for years.
Those who serve in leadership positions at their churches often have a fear of being ‘found out’ that they struggle with areas of sin (anger, bitterness, etc.) so they don’t reach out for help. As a ministry dedicated to caring for God's hurting children, The Balm of Gilead Ministries (TBOGM) is a group of Christian counseling professionals committed to helping the body of Christ break free from sin and bondage through the light and life of God’s holy word.
Yvette learned about The Balm of Gilead Ministries through one of the co-leaders of a Women’s Bible Study she attended. She had even referred some of the women under her leadership to counseling at TBOGM but she never considered counseling herself; after all, she had been a Christian her entire life and even served in leadership. Yvette told us, “One day the Lord said, ‘What about you?’ I remember laughing. And He said if you want to lead well, and lead from your heart, you need healing.”
Shortly after that Yvette saw an Instagram post asking, “Do you want to be made well?”
“The post struck my heart. I felt as if that was God Himself talking to me. I was so tired of being angry and not really knowing why. So, I left a comment doubting that I would get a response. Thankfully I did, and so my healing journey began.” Yvette shares.
Yvette was raised with the mindset that family issues are to stay within the family and not to accept help from the government, counselors, church or anyone else. “We don’t share our family business with the world.” Yvette remembers. She is thankful the Lord made a way for her to go through biblical counseling. Fearful about facing her past and writing her life’s story, God used it mightily to help her recognize things she had never realized. “Each week reading the book Hurting Hearts Restored and the assigned book of the Bible devotion, God would weave everything together; even to the point that the scripture I would be reading would correlate to what I was experiencing in my personal life at the time. I was eager to hear from the Lord, hungry for His word. Everything I knew about God became a reality for me. It was no longer just head knowledge but heart knowledge. He does love me with an everlasting love.” Yvette recounts.
Yvette signed up for counseling because of issues she had with her mom, but quickly learned that there were issues associated with her father. Yvette stated, “I learned about our different roles as man and women in a new and enlightening way. My eyes were open to see why things were the way they were growing up. By the time we got to the point of me processing the issues regarding my mom, my heart was filled with compassion for her because my eyes were open to the truth. I never realized my dad unintentionally taught us that love was conditional. I always felt like I had to strive and excel in order to receive his love.”
The ‘conditional love’ conveyed by Yvette’s earthly father affected her thinking regarding the love of her heavenly Father and her relationship with Christ and, although difficult at times, the work she did through The Balm of Gilead Ministries, God’s word and the help of the Holy Spirit, has brought her to realize the full unconditional love of God. Yvette shares,“The Lord has done a great work in my heart; I have learned to set healthy boundaries, I am free of co-dependences, and I lead from a healthy place, not a place based on performance or acceptance from others. I didn’t know God the way I do now. I am filled with so much joy and gratitude. I have learned to grieve the losses in my life and how to function properly. I have been forever changed!”
Through the power of God’s word and the help of the counselors at The Balm of Gilead Ministries, Yvette’s life has been changed. She now allows her husband to be the leader of their home and the Lord has equipped her to be a better mother to her children.“I wrote a letter to each one of my children asking forgiveness and their reactions were powerful. I have been able to help my teenage daughter process through hurts she has experienced or is experiencing, and I’ve learned to be a better listener to my son who now opens up to me more.” Yvette says.
Yvette now has the tools to better, more lovingly, minister to the women at her church who are under her leadership. Her life verse is Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” She chose this verse because no matter what is thrown her way, she knows Christ can give her the strength to endure. She states, “The Lord is my true Counselor and He continues to speak to me through His word every day.”
Jesus Christ is the Balm of Gilead—He heals the wounds of God’s children.
Jeremiah 8:22
The Balm of Gilead Ministries is a Christian Counseling Ministry (TBOGM) dedicated to ministering to God's hurting children. As a group of committed, Christian counseling professionals and ministry servants, those at TBOGM have a burden and passion to see the Living God of the universe break the chains of bondage and set the captives free, one heart at a time. The Balm of Gilead Ministries is a non-profit 501(c)3 corporation; your contribution is tax deductible.