Hey there, Warrior!
In Season One of the Heal Podcast, one of the last episodes we published was with Anmol Clairmont, where she boldly shared about how God worked around her PCOS to provide her with a beautiful baby girl, all after having used someone to prophesy the entire event. If you loved that episode like I did, then I know you’re going to love this one, too. Anmol mentioned in her interview that her mom had a story of healing, but I had no idea the depths of this story.
Thankfully, Grace Manchala, Anmol’s mother, came on the show to share her story with all of us! After becoming a victim to sexual abuse when she was six or seven years old, enduring multiple instances of abuse and assault as time went on, and then becoming a victim of rape as a teenager, Grace found herself in her 20s isolated by a trafficker and alone as a single mom in India. Driven to despair, she almost committed suicide. Miraculously, God spoke to her that both she and her daughter belonged to him, and that their lives were not their own.
The psychological, emotional, and physical stress and abuse Grace endured led to all kinds of health problems. At an early age, her immune system became compromised from the stress, leading her to be sick all the time. Then she developed chronic headaches that became full-blown migraines. Eventually, all the stress became fibromyalgia, with unexplainable pain all over her body. After experiencing chest pains that intensified to the point where she could barely breathe, Grace finally visited a doctor, who told her that without rest and help, she would leave her daughter an orphan within six months.
Even after that wakeup call, Grace’s road to recovery was long. It started with emotional and spiritual healing as she was accepted into a DTS program with YWAM. As God began to undo years of lies and shame, Grace partnered with him by obeying where he led her to repent and change. Through this process of conviction and obedience, God continued to heal Grace emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically.
I love this conversation because Grace’s story shows how interconnected we are as humans. We are embodied beings, and the state of our minds and spirits are intertwined with the state of our bodies. In addition to sharing her unique healing journey with us, Grace also shares how she found further healing from fibromyalgia and migraines through a miraculous instance of deliverance when a pastor prayed with her at a conference. She shares with us what it looks like to persevere in prayer for healing and to continue to ask God, like Jesus talks about in Matthew 7:7.
This episode is so multifaceted that I know God will have a nugget for each of you to gain from the conversation. I hope you enjoy the incredible redemption in Grace’s testimony as much as I did! If you want to hear more about her story and all the parts we briefly touched on in this conversation, check out her book. Then don’t forget to head to Glory for Ashes to see how God has turned Grace’s greatest wounds into his greatest weapons as she fights against human trafficking.
In addition, I know this episode might be triggering for some people, especially if you have been a victim of sexual abuse or assault. Grace also was finishing her Master’s degree in Counseling when we recorded this episode, so she is fully qualified both experientially as well as professionally to help you through your struggle. If this episode brings up hurt that you’d like help navigating from a Christian perspective and from someone who knows what it’s like, please reach out to Grace on her contact page.
Listen to learn more about:
· A woman’s testimony who has let God transform her from victim to victor
· How sexual abuse and other kinds of trauma can play out in our bodies through physical pain, and how Grace found holistic healing for her mind, body, and soul.
· When and how we can persevere in prayer until God heals us
Listen now:
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Favorite Quote from the episode:
"One particular incident that I write in my book, that violent sexual assault, the rape that happened when I was fourteen years old, that was a Saturday night. Sunday morning, I had to put on white clothes and go to church and worship God, and I'm having this splitting headache. I'm sitting in the church asking God, 'Is this really you, who allowed me to be raped last night and here I'm sitting Sunday morning and worshipping you, when you did not protect me last night?' The whole aspect of trusting God was breaking in front of me. I was not able to understand the love of God in those situations at that time."
Links from our conversation:
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For freedom,
Tera