Emotions & Feelings

Emotions aren’t the enemy. For years, I believed mine made me weak—that hiding them was strength, that silence was holiness. But what I learned is that burying feelings isn’t strength at all. It’s control. And that control nearly broke me.In this episode of Back Porch, I push back on the idea that “the devil wants you focused on your feelings, God wants you focused on His truth.” Because feelings and truth aren’t enemies—they’re dance partners. Feelings are the signals, and truth is the anchor that helps us face them without drowning.I share how my own “dam” finally broke in a hospital recovery room, what it cost me to hold everything in for decades, and why anger is still the hardest emotion for me to face. Along the way, I talk about how church culture, silence, and control can suffocate us—and how admitting what we actually feel is the first step out of the prison we create for ourselves.With honesty and vulnerability, I want you to know: emotions aren’t unholy, they’re human. And sometimes the bravest thing you can do is stop gaslighting yourself and tell the truth.In this episode:Why emotions aren’t weakness—they’re signalsThe Instagram post that inspired me to talk about controlThe day the “dam broke” in a hospital roomThe physical cost of stuffing emotions (the body keeps the score)How silence turns into emotional detachment and disconnectionThe church’s role in silencing women’s emotionsAnger—the fire I’m still learning to face without burning down the house“As always, with space and a little salty grace, until the next time the porchlights blink.”If you’d like to go deeper, join me on Patreon for behind-the-scenes reflections, extended writings, and the upcoming Grace & Grit Challenge: patreon.com/JenniferShatzerLearn more about me, my writing, and future projects: JenniferShatzer.comFollow me on social:Instagram: @thejennifershatzerFacebook: facebook.com/thejennifershatzer