Some stories are birthed through pain — but written through purpose.
In this deeply personal episode, Wendy sits down with Tammy Schaefer, a woman whose life has woven together trauma, faith, forgiveness, generational unraveling, and miraculous restoration. For decades, Tammy carried the weight of childhood sexual abuse, emotional abandonment, religious rejection, and the lingering identity-wounds that shaped her adult life. But God did not leave her there.
Through inner healing, layers of forgiveness, a restored relationship with her siblings, and a final, breathtaking moment with her father before his passing, Tammy experienced what she describes as a complete identity shift — a wholeness she didn’t even know was possible.
Now, God is asking her to write.
Tammy shares openly about:
This conversation is gentle, vulnerable, raw, and holy.
It’s the story behind the story — the journey that becomes the book.
If you’ve ever felt God pulling you toward writing but weren’t sure why, Tammy’s process will remind you that some books are written only after God has healed the parts of you that needed His touch first.
If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.
The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.
You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.
Your story is not an accident.
You are healed.
You are whole.
You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.