Our Guest: Lisa Saruga
Lisa Saruga is a licensed professional counselor, EMDR trauma therapist, speaker, and author. She’s certified as a legal and ethical specialist by the American School Counselor Association. Lisa’s advocacy extends to legislative efforts for survivor justice and her impactful contributions as a writer, notably in Carolyn B. Stone’s Ethics and Law: School Counseling Principles. Her debut book, The Trauma Tree, signifies a new chapter in her commitment to empowering others, marking her as a prominent voice in the field. Find her at LisaSaruga.com.
Key Thoughts and Scriptures:
Lamentations 3:22-23 NIV Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
- God doesn’t cause the tragedies or injustices we face. Those are the bitter fruit of a sinful fallen world.
- But in His sovereignty and steadfast love, He promises to keep us, to sustain us, and to see us through.
“When you go through a trial, the sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which your head can rest.” – Charles Spurgeon
- Even in the darkest valleys, we can rest knowing that God is faithful. His mercy is unending and His love never lets us go.
- Lisa’s worst fear during a violent attack was that she wasn’t sure how to get to Heaven.
- A lot of people when they’re in trauma, convince themselves it was no big deal and don’t talk about it.
- Many people would reject God after a traumatic event, but Lisa turned to the Lord at that time.
- In the midst of those seasons, she wrestled with her identity and even her credibility as a witness for Christ.
- Bad things happen to all of us.
John 16:33 NIV …In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
- After her divorce, Lisa asked God every day, “Please be the father of our home. I can’t do this alone.”
Lisa wept when she got a call to do ministry. It felt like God saying, “You are still usable. And you’re still mine.”
- It was powerful for her to have that justification that “Yes, I can still be a credible witness for God.”
- God’s so faithful to let you know He always accepts us.
- You can find purpose in singlehood. Being happy and serving God, because a lot of singles feel like they don’t fit in anywhere.
- Lisa told God, “You know, I don’t ever plan to get married again. I wouldn’t trust myself to choose a man, but sometimes it’s kind of lonely. If you want me to get married again, you’re going to have to choose him.”
1 Corinthians 13 NIV …Love is patient, love is kind….
- For many years, Lisa buried the trauma of her assault and never really dealt with it, even though she was working in the field of counseling.
- But God wanted to do a deeper work of healing in her.
- “God, I’m done with this. This is yours.”
Psalm 27:13 NIV I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
- The problem is we don’t get closure in this lifetime. That’s not something that we’re guaranteed.
- And justice doesn’t always look like what we think it should look like.
God revealed to Lisa, “It doesn’t say I will give you closure in the land of the living. It says, I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. And that’s vastly different.”
- She realized that she was seeing the goodness of God in the land of the living.
- And she started thanking God for those things that she could be grateful for and focused on living in that goodness.
- While Lisa wanted the vengeance of God on her attacker, God convicted her. That was not what God was thinking.
- Even you are not too far gone for God.
John 3:16 NKJV For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
- “You’re doing the hard work and it feels like you’re only making a chip in the wall at a time, but look at what I’ve been doing on the other side of the wall.”
- The ultimate healing moment for Lisa was to know that God never forgot.
- God opened doors for her and now she’s making a significant difference in the lives of others. That couldn’t have happened without her healing.
- Healing is possible, even when the world doesn’t offer a happy ending.
- God doesn’t forget a thing. And He does far more than we ever could.
- Brokenness can lead to blessings.
- Because our mess becomes His message.
- God can use anything in our life.
- Don’t use the word survivor to people who have experienced sexual violence. Because a lot of people don’t survive.
- But today, Lisa is a survivor. She has healed and knows it’s possible. And that it’s possible for others too.
The Woman at the Well
- A lot of people can identify with a woman at the well, because she had been divorced.
- Despite the fact that she had been married five times and was living with a man, God used her to be His witness.
- He told her who He was and she went and told her whole town.
- Just like He knew her story, God knows everything about us.
- And she spread the word of Jesus. Lisa wants to be that kind of witness for Jesus.
- No matter what pain or difficulty you face, you can hold onto the assurance that God’s goodness will break through even here in this earthly life.
- And God is right there with us, even weeping with us when those things happen.
- Jesus is our pathway to healing.
2 Corinthians 1:4 NIV Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
Links:
- LisaSaruga.com
- X link for Lisa
- Lisa’s Instagram
- Facebook link for Lisa
- Youtube link for Lisa
- The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases (lyric video)
Books:
- Carolyn B. Stone’s Ethics and Law: School Counseling Principles
- The Trauma Tree by Lisa Saruga
- Lisa’s books on Amazon
- Finding God’s Blessings in Brokenness by Charles Stanley
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