I sat down intending to talk about control, but as often happens, God took the conversation deeper than I expected.

For years, I thought I had control issues.

What I'm realizing now is that many of those behaviors weren't really about control at all. They started as survival skills.

Somewhere along the way, I learned to anticipate problems, protect myself, prepare for worst-case scenarios, and carry responsibilities that were never meant to be mine. Those patterns helped me survive difficult seasons, but God has been gently showing me that I don't have to live there anymore.

In this vulnerable and unedited conversation, I share pieces of my own healing journey, childhood wounds, unhealthy coping mechanisms, anxiety, self-protection, and the freedom that comes when we begin to surrender the things we've been carrying for far too long.

We also talk about:

• Why control often starts as a survival skill • Childhood wounds and the coping mechanisms we develop • The hidden burden of trying to protect everyone around us • How survival mode can quietly become a way of life • The difference between surviving and surrendering • What God has been teaching me about trust, healing, and letting go • Why some of the things that once protected us may be the very things God is asking us to release • The freedom that comes when we stop carrying what was never ours to carry

Friend, maybe you're not controlling because you want power.

Maybe you're controlling because you learned it's the only way to survive. Maybe, it's now just a coping mechanism that turned into a habit.

And maybe God is inviting you into something different.

Maybe He's inviting you to put down the things you've been carrying and trust Him with what comes next.

Scripture Mentioned: Matthew 11:28-30 Isaiah 61

RESOURCES

💛 Operation Reset (Free Workshop) https://melissabatt.com/operation-reset

VIP Operation Reset: https://melissabattcoaching.myflodesk.com/resetvip

💛 1:1 Coaching with Melissa https://melissabatt.com/breakthrough-coaching

🚶 MOVE Meetups-FREE Sign up here: https://melissabattcoaching.myflodesk.com/move Tuesdays at 9:00 AM (Locally) Thursdays at 9:00 AM (Online)

Jesus Laughs Devotional-https://a.co/d/0eyD6Nxz

Content Note: This episode includes discussion of childhood trauma, sexual abuse, anxiety, depression, and mental health struggles. Please use discretion when listening around children.

P.S. Because so many of you have told me these unedited episodes feel like we're simply sitting together over coffee, here's another one.

No script or fancy editing. Nothing polished. Just an honest conversation with what God is teaching me in this season.

Have you ever felt like something was off, but you couldn't quite put your finger on it?

That's where I found myself recently.

A quick note: Several of you have reached out to say the unedited episodes feel like we're just sitting down having coffee together. So that's exactly what this is. Raw, real, and unscripted.

After months of feeling like something was out of alignment, I asked God to show me what it was. I expected Him to point to my schedule, my business, or one of the many other things on my plate.

Instead, He pointed me toward my marriage.

In this honest and vulnerable episode, I'm sharing what happened when God answered that prayer, the unexpected lessons He revealed, and why the areas we often overlook can become the very places He wants to bring healing, growth, and alignment.

While much of this conversation centers around marriage, the bigger invitation is for all of us to ask:

Is there an area of my life that God may be calling me to pay attention to?

You'll hear how God used a canceled hair appointment, a leadership event, a timely conversation with a true friend, and even a marriage coach to reveal some blind spots I couldn't see on my own.

Because sometimes the area God wants to work on isn't the area we think needs fixing.

• How God revealed an area of my life that was out of alignment
• The unexpected connection between a canceled hair appointment and a prayer I'd been praying
• The question that completely shifted my perspective
• Why I decided to work with a marriage coach
• Small changes that are already making a big difference
• The danger of focusing on what others aren't doing instead of examining our own hearts
• How to recognize areas God may be asking you to address
• Why God doesn't call us to settle for mediocrity in any area of our lives

• Is there an area of your life that feels out of alignment right now?
• Have you been asking God to change someone else when He may be inviting you to look inward first?
• What strengths and blessings have you overlooked because you've been focused on what's missing?
• What is one small step of obedience God may be asking you to take today?

Feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or distracted?

Melissa helps Christian women get unstuck, reclaim their time, reduce distractions, and move forward with faith, purpose, and accountability.

Co-author of the best-selling women's devotional Jesus Laughs-grab it on Amazon here!

Learn more about coaching: https://melissabatt.com/breakthrough-coaching

Sign up for weekly pep talks and more honest conversations via email: https://melissabattcoaching.myflodesk.com/onthelist

Remember, friend: Sometimes the breakthrough we're praying for starts with paying attention to the area God has been trying to show us all along.

How often do you try to self-protect? Or manage the people around you so you can protect them? Or hesitate to do what you feel called to do because you don’t want to mess it up… or make God look bad?

A behind-the-scenes and unpolished look at what God is showing me about overthinking, misalignment, and delayed obedience… and why I’ve been so tired lately.

SPOILER ALERT: It's probably why you are so tired also! Sometimes, God doesn’t call us to do His work. 😉

Just a hint at where we’re going today.

If you’ve been stuck in your head, trying to get it right before you move, this one is for you.

We’re talking about where that comes from, what Matthew 11:2–30 really means when He says His burden is light, and how to take one simple step forward instead of overthinking your way out of it.