It was an honor to conduct my first interview on No Pain Wasted. Several months ago, I found myself reaching out to a former colleague in the middle of the night. Buried underneath what seemed to me to be a life-crushing pile of trauma-infused rubble, I hoped this woman might take pity on me— selfish, self-centered addict that I am. Little did I know that Shelia had just lost her son, Chad. And, little else did I know that she had, years before, lost her daughter, Amy.
As she explained why she was up at 3AM— a reason that was so different from and so similar to my own reason for being up at that hour— my self-pity dissipated, and I fought the urge to hate myself. I couldn’t justify any sort of low-brow coping mechanisms in that moment. I had to acknowledge her hurt. More importantly, I had to acknowledge her faith and the strength that stemmed from her most important relationship: the one she held with God.
We kept in touch— through my active addiction and through my recovery— and talked about life and love and God and how, indeed, no pain is wasted.
Here, Shelia tells a little of her story.
Please pardon any technical oddities or the abrupt ending. I am learning this whole podcast thing.
In the Midst of the Storm, There He Is!