EP 65 - Shauna Niequist: Embracing the Unknown, Healing from Hurt, and Staying Curious

The Paula Faris 'Faith & Calling' Podcast

If you’re in a season of chaos, change or loss, this week’s episode is a must-listen. Shauna Niequist is here and she’s offering up a spark of hope and an extra dose of courage for anyone needing a reminder that even when everything seems lost – peace and goodness are still possible. And who of us couldn’t use that reminder right now?

Shauna is the New York Times bestselling author of Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet, Bread & Wine, Savor and Present Over Perfect. Her trademark writing is honest, gentle and loving, and her latest book, “I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet”, is no exception.

In this episode Paula and Shauna unpack the heart of the book, which was written during a season of major upheaval for Shauna. They discuss what happened when four years ago Shauna’s life in suburban Chicago was flipped upside down, leading her family of four to move to New York City. In making a midlife move and leaving behind the life she had always imagined, Shauna recalls being forced to learn how to “stop romanticizing what was and start embracing what is.” Hear why they made the move, why she says she now realizes it was actually long overdue and how she opened herself up to discover new ways of living when the old ways stopped working.

Shauna says one of the hardest changes she was faced with in moving was leaving the church she had always been a part of. She opens up to Paula about the painful process that involved forgiving and apologizing and offers up her empathy and wisdom for those in strained situations who are lacking closure but continue to seek it. Hear why she says “it’s ok to not understand it all at once” and how she learned to embrace “the long road back to healing.”

Paula and Shauna also discuss how change is simply unavoidable, the importance of taking care of your health in each season and why, through it all, there’s power and magic in simply saying, “I don’t know… I guess I haven’t learned that yet.”

Check out Shauna’s new book: “I Guess I Haven’t Learned That Yet”

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