The Wholehearted Journey Book is available on Amazon or joeljohnson.org
Here’s a fact we all need to embrace—everyone on earth has (or will) endure multiple traumatic experiences throughout their lifetime (e.g. the loss of a loved one, betrayal, bullying, a bad break up, church hurt, divorce, etc.) It doesn’t matter where you’re born, your upbringing or your social/economic circumstances, everyone experiences trauma. That’s a fact. The preponderance of psychological research proves this true. And to deny it, is to deny your opportunity to heal from it—become wholehearted—enter into that life, Jesus described as, better than you dreamed (John 10:10 MSG).

The book of Genesis, not only affirms this reality—that everyone experiences trauma—but also reveals why it is so: "Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made” (Genesis 2:8 NLT).

Human souls were made for Eden. Yes, we were made for that perfect paradise. All of us were designed to be raised by perfect parents—by fathers and mothers fully available to love us, nurture us, mentor us, focus on us, play with us. This unrushed rearing, I’d imagine, might even joyfully take place over the span of several centuries (remember, death wasn't in God's original plan)—until we were fully mature—ready—and had actualized the most authentic version of ourselves—completely whole within, with them and with God.

While humans were made for earth, we were not made for the present state of “this world” (Hebrews 13:14). Our heart and soul were not made to withstand our present—breakneck—pace, all the human hostility we face and the hurriedness to discover our "purpose"—then produce something purposeful—before we so quickly pass away. No, “this world” is not our home. We were made for Eden.

Life—as we experience it today—is traumatic. We’ve all experience trauma—no matter how severe, or not, we believe it to be. According to Genesis (and psychological research), all of us need mending; all of us need restoration; all of us need to take a wholehearted journey. If this were not true, Jesus would never have needed to come “to bind up the brokenhearted” (Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:8).

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