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Published on:

8th Jun 2026

(Bonus Episode) When God Make the Yes Easy-But the Process Hard

💛 Episode Summary:

In this bonus episode, I'm stepping away from our usual format to share something personal — a surprise I have been holding close to my heart. If you have ever felt God nudging you toward something that felt too hard, too vulnerable, or just too much for the season you were in, this short episode is for you. Sometimes the most meaningful yes comes right in the middle of our hardest no.

🌿 In This Episode:

— The personal announcement I have been waiting to share with you

— What it looked like to say yes to God during a hard season

— How this project connects to everything this podcast is about

— A special invitation just for you

📖 Scripture:

Proverbs 3:5-6 — "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

🎶 Song Featured:

"The Light Through the Window" — original music created for Joy in Suffering: Where Faith Meets the Hard Places

Listen here: https://suno.com/s/SZAw3sWPQ2JNggiP

✨ Word of the Month: Faithfulness

Faithfulness is not just a word we use to describe God — though He is faithful beyond what we can comprehend. It is also the quiet, steady choice we make to keep showing up, keep trusting, and keep saying yes to Him even when the process is hard. This month we are sitting with faithfulness — His toward us, and ours toward Him.

💭 Reflection Question:

Is there something God has been asking you to say yes to that you have been putting off? What would it look like to trust Him with just one small step today?

🔗 Resources Mentioned:

The Courage to Say Yes — Collaboration Book

I am so excited to share that I am a contributing author in this brand new book releasing June 18th!

Want a personally signed copy with a handwritten inscription just for you?

Simply reply to any of my emails at encouragement@melissajwinters.com and I will get one to you!

🎧 Listen & Subscribe:

If this episode encouraged you, be sure to follow the podcast so you don't miss what's coming next.

💛 Your story isn't over.

God can bring purpose to your pain

And somehow… even here… joy still remains.

Transcript
Melissa (:

What if the scariest moment of your life was also the one that changed everything?

Friend, I have something personal.

Melissa (:

What if the scariest moment of your life was actually the one that changed everything? Friend, I have something personal and exciting to share with you today. And I couldn't wait any longer.

Welcome to a very special surprise bonus episode of Joy and Suffering where faith meets the hard places. I am Melissa, and today I am stepping away from our regular format because I have news that is close to my heart, and I wanted you, my listeners, to be the very first to hear it. I am a published contributing author in a brand new anthology.

th,:

But to tell you what it was like to write it. When I was asked to contribute, I knew almost immediately which story I needed to tell. It was not an easy one. It came from one of the hardest seasons of my life. A season marked by fear, uncertainty, physical pain, and a faith that was tested in ways I never

Could have anticipated. Sitting down to write it was emotional in a way I did not expect. There were moments I had to step away. There were moments I cried because putting your most broken season into words and handing it to the world takes courage. And honestly, it took me trusting God with the process.

Melissa (:

every step of the way. What surprised me most was how healing it felt. Like the writing itself was part of my journey. I kept coming back to this verse.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs chapter three verses five through six. That verse is woven all through this chapter because it was woven all through that season of my life. I did not understand what God was doing in that season. I just had to trust him anyway.

What I can tell you without giving the story away is that this chapter is about what it feels like to be in a place where hope seems impossible.

Where your life looks nothing like you thought it would, and where you are waiting and suffering and wondering if God sees you at all. And it is about what happens when you take a leap of faith anyway, when you choose to trust even when you cannot see, and what God does in those quiet, unexpected moments when you finally stop.

trying to hold everything together and control it all yourself. I'll be sharing more about who this book is for on the release live stream June 18th and I would love for you to be there. I will link how you can watch the live stream in these show notes as soon as I get it. Before I close today,

Melissa (:

Before I close today, I want to share something extra special. I wrote an original song specifically for this episode called The Light Through the Window. It captures everything this chapter is about the darkness, the surrender, and God's arms catching you right when you need it most. I hope it ministers to your heart today.

Melissa (:

One more thing. I will be offering personally signed copies of the courage to say yes that will be available for you to purchase if you would like to. They will have a handwritten inscription just for you. If you would like to purchase one because you are part of this community, there is something special about holding a book in your hands that was written.

With your hard season in mind. Make sure you're on my email list so you don't miss it. The link is in the show notes. And if you want to grab a copy right away, you can go now to Amazon. That link will also be waiting for you in the show notes.

Thank you for being here. Thank you for being part of this community. This ministry exists because of women like you who keep showing up, who keep believing, and who keep choosing joy even in the suffering. You are not alone, and I pray this chapter finds you it's way into the hands of every woman who needs it. Until next time.

I am Melissa and this is joy and suffering where faith meets the hard places, where hearts and suffering discover the joy that remains.

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About the Podcast

Joy in Suffering
A Christian Podcast for women navigating chronic illness, grief and hard seasons
Are you a Christian woman living with chronic illness, chronic pain, or deep grief — wondering where God is in the middle of your suffering?
Welcome to Joy in Suffering: a Christian podcast for women navigating chronic illness, grief, anxiety, stress, and the quiet heartbreak of lost dreams.
Hosted by Melissa Winters, who has lived with chronic illness since she was one year old, this podcast offers gentle, faith-filled conversations rooted in honest stories, Scripture, song, and hope that actually sustains you through the hard places.
Each episode creates space to wrestle honestly with suffering while remembering that God is present, loving, and still working — through stories, Scripture, and song.
Whether you're navigating chronic illness, walking through grief, struggling with anxiety and fear, grieving the life you thought you'd have, or simply exhausted from a season that won't let up — you'll find honest conversations, compassionate encouragement, and biblical hope designed to help you discover that joy is not the absence of pain. It is the presence of Christ within it.
What you'll find here:
1) Faith and hope for Christian women with chronic illness and chronic pain
2) Biblical encouragement for grief, loss, and hard seasons
3) Honest conversations about suffering, doubt, and holding onto God
4) Scripture-centered hope for anxiety, fear, and uncertainty
Stories of real women finding joy and purpose in the middle of limitations
5) Gentle encouragement for women who feel unseen, forgotten, or alone
If you've ever asked:
-Why does God feel so distant in my suffering?
-How do I find joy when nothing in my life is changing?
-Is it okay to struggle and still call myself a woman of faith?
-How do I hold onto hope when healing hasn't come?
-Does my life still have purpose even with chronic illness or grief?
You're in the right place.
This podcast is for Christian women who are tired of pretending they're okay — women who want real, Scripture-rooted encouragement that meets them right where they are, not after the storm passes.
New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Follow the show so you never miss an episode, and join Melissa on Instagram and Facebook at @melissawinters1974 for encouragement between episodes.
Your story isn’t over
Christ can bring purpose to your pain
and even here-Joy still remains

About your host

Profile picture for Melissa Winters

Melissa Winters

Melissa Winters is the creator and host of Joy in Suffering, a Christian podcast that encourages women navigating chronic illness, grief, and life’s hardest seasons. Having lived with chronic illness her entire life, Melissa understands the deep losses, questions, and unexpected detours suffering can bring. Through honest conversations, Scripture, and song, she points women to the unchanging hope found in Jesus Christ. Her prayer is that every woman who listens leaves feeling encouraged, strengthened in her faith, and reminded that Christ is with her—even in the hardest places.