Brave Love in Life's Hardest Moments with Lisa Leonard Ep 58

Constantly Under Construction with Donna Harris

Friends, you’re going to love getting to know my guest, Lisa Leonard. If you’ve struggled in your relationship or if you feel like you are emptied of all your ability to continue to keep people happy, this is the episode for you. Lisa is an amazing woman who’s story will give you new insight on self-care. I got the chance to read her upcoming book, Brave Love, where she shares that even from childhood, she was willing to step back and let others be happy at the expense of knowing herself. Lisa shared her struggle of constantly caring for others in an unhealthy, unbalanced way - this people-pleasing method was surprisingly a tactic of control her environment to keep things stable in her life but ultimately Lisa found that she was neglecting loving herself (and others) in a healthy way. In our time together, we dive deeper into how it was nearly divorce from her husband that brought Lisa closer to God and back to a truly honest space in her marriage where she could love and be loved.

Here's some Lessons Learned and Unlearned in this episode:

Are you missing space and quiet in your life right now? Lisa shared that space was what really allowed her to heal. When she was emptied of her strength, she needed quiet and rest to avoid the knee-jerk reactions of her old habits of soothing away discomfort. It’s busyness and noise that fills the quiet space and discourages us to be mindful when it comes to reconnecting to God. If you’re missing out on illuminating moments that bring you closer to how you really feel, I encourage you to seek space in you life.

Lisa was fighting a two part battle. She fought for herself and for her marriage. She stressed that it wasn’t quick and it wasn’t easy. The Undoing of the way we used to think is so incredibly hard. Especially when you aren’t used to giving yourself the permission to heal. And especially when you are doing it alongside of your spouse. But this retraining of thinking and doing is necessary for lasting change and it’s worth it for a flourishing life. Pray for God to give you clarity in these moments. Ask for God to give you space. And when you are provided with that time and quiet, soak it in, don’t fill it up with distractions. Use it for what it’s for: self-discovery, leaning into the painful parts, and clinging to God for his strength and guidance.

I’m totally in love with Lisa’s heart and her ability to become more whole from brokenness. Her family’s story of vulnerability and faith are such an encouragement.

Links:

Lisa's Website - preorder Brave Love today!

Follow Lisa on Instagram

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