Latest / UNMASKED with Wesley Farnsworth / EP 60 - From Shame to Healing | Aggie Park’s Story
Transcript
- 0:00What happens when Shane tries to silence you, but God turns your
- 0:03scars into a voice for healing? Today on Unmasked, we sit down
- 0:08with Aggie Park to talk about trauma, survival, and the slow
- 0:13holy work of redemption, and how God meets us in the darkest
- 0:16chapters and refuses to waste one single thing.
- 0:28Welcome to Unmasked, where we take off the filters and get
- 0:30real about faith, failure, and finding freedom.
- 0:33I'm your host, Wesley Fernsworth, a dad, veteran,
- 0:37author, and a man who's learned that God does his best work in
- 0:41the middle of our mess. Each episode we have honest
- 0:44conversations with people who have walked through addiction,
- 0:47pain, or doubt, and with pastors, leaders, and everyday
- 0:51believers who are learning to live and lead authentically.
- 0:55So take a breath, pull up a chair, and let's get real.
- 0:59This is Unmasked. Today on Unmasked, Aggie Park
- 1:10joins us and she is a trilingual marathon runner, content creator
- 1:16and Co host of Erasing Shame, where she helps bring hidden
- 1:20stories into the light and create spaces for honest spirit
- 1:25LED healing. Born in Indonesia, raised in
- 1:28Germany, and now living in the United States, Aggie carries a
- 1:31global perspective of shaped by faith, resilience and lived
- 1:36experience. Her story spans cultures,
- 1:39continents, and deep personal values.
- 1:42Yet through it all, God's fingerprints are unmistakable.
- 1:49Aggie has walked through childhood trauma, emotional and
- 1:52physical abuse, and depression, as well as suicidal thoughts,
- 1:56and lived to tell the story not of self-made strength, but of
- 2:00God's redemptive grace today. Today, she uses her voice to
- 2:06confront shame, challenge silence in Christian spaces, and
- 2:09remind others that healing is possible when you bring what's
- 2:13hidden into the light. Her life is a testimony to the
- 2:17truth that nothing is wasted in God's hands, not even the
- 2:21chapters that we wish we could erase.
- 2:25Aggie, welcome to Unmasked and thank you so much for being here
- 2:28and being willing to Share your story with the Unmasked
- 2:32community. Thank you, Wesley, for having
- 2:34me. I'm excited to, yeah, share
- 2:37God's goodness over my life like you.
- 2:38Mentioned absolutely, I was, I had the privilege of being on
- 2:43Aggie's podcast and sharing my story on hers.
- 2:47And so it's really cool that we're able to flip roles, if you
- 2:52will, and share, Share your story on my podcast here.
- 2:57It's just I love the way the technology allows us to be able
- 3:00to do this type of thing. Yes, yes.
- 3:03I don't sit on the other end as much.
- 3:05So I really appreciate you inviting me.
- 3:09It's absolutely, absolutely my pleasure.
- 3:12Well, without further ado, Aggie, I'm going to turn the
- 3:14floor over to you and I can't wait to hear your hear your
- 3:18testimony. Yeah, thank you, Wesley.
- 3:23My testimony is all over the place, so I will try my best to
- 3:28make it as clear and as concise as possible.
- 3:31So as you mentioned, God's faithfulness just never left me.
- 3:37Even though I didn't know God back then.
- 3:40It started with my grandparents. So I lived with my grandparents
- 3:45and my aunts, and my grandparents were actually
- 3:47Buddhists at that time. But it's just so happens that
- 3:52the Lord placed a Christian School across from where they
- 3:55lived. So they sent all their kids to
- 3:58that Christian School. And so all my aunts and uncles
- 4:01became Christians and they brought me to church and just
- 4:05raised me up in the faith. But I didn't know Jesus
- 4:09personally then. I just went to church just
- 4:11because of religion. And Fast forward, my mom eloped
- 4:20to Germany to marry my dad. And while she was pregnant with
- 4:23me, she went back from Germany to Indonesia.
- 4:27And I didn't get to see my dad for the first time in person
- 4:31until I was six or seven years old.
- 4:35And during the first seven years, I endured a lot of
- 4:38physical and emotional abuse from my mom.
- 4:41I never believed that she wanted me or loved me.
- 4:44And she made that very clear. So as a kid, I never felt enough
- 4:51or seen or heard. And I think that carried
- 4:54throughout my entire adulthood, which I'm still healing from.
- 5:00But God just had so much mercy on me that my dad came from
- 5:06Germany to Indonesia and they remarried again and we moved
- 5:11from Indonesia to Germany. And my dad showed me kind of
- 5:16love and treated me with honor and respect that I never knew
- 5:22that I was worthy of. But even in Germany, there were
- 5:25still challenges ahead because back then, I was the only Asian
- 5:30person in my whole entire school.
- 5:33So they made fun of how I looked, how I spoke.
- 5:35So combining that with my mom's just abuse and people just
- 5:42making fun of me, that just that lie of not being worthy just
- 5:46deepened further and further into my heart.
- 5:51Fast forward to college and high school.
- 5:55High school and college because of my low self worth I dated
- 6:00guys that were just not good for me.
- 6:04They just took advantage of me. They treated me however I
- 6:07wanted. But because I believed that I
- 6:09wasn't worth fighting for, I just let them be and still
- 6:14attach myself to them, even though they hurt me over and
- 6:17over and over again. But then there was this one guy
- 6:21who really changed the course of my life.
- 6:25So my dad is a very conservative dad.
- 6:28He said no dating until you graduate college with an A+.
- 6:34But you know, me as a teenager, you know, I retaliated and I
- 6:40dated this guy who had a gambling addiction and I gave
- 6:44him away my tuition money. And my dad found out not only
- 6:49did I date, but I give him his hard earned money away.
- 6:54So he was super, super mad. And basically he took my
- 6:57passport away so I couldn't return to the states to go back
- 7:01to college. And he basically locked,
- 7:05literally like locked me up in the house.
- 7:07I couldn't go out whenever he saw me he was just like shame me
- 7:11and scream at me. Oh and also at that moment our
- 7:16mom left us to do her own thing so I was just by myself with my
- 7:21younger sister who is 10 years younger.
- 7:23So I took care of my sister while dealing with that, while
- 7:27dealing also our mom just recently left us.
- 7:30So that went on for a year. And I was also being shamed in
- 7:36public as well. He told, you know, his brothers
- 7:39and his friends what happened. Like how stupid I was to be, you
- 7:44know, giving that money away to somebody like that.
- 7:48So for me, it was just very hurtful because that
- 7:52ex-boyfriend not only hurt me and took advantage of me.
- 7:56So I felt hurt, but instead of, you know, my dad comforting me,
- 8:01he shaped me even more. So it's just like shame upon
- 8:04shame upon shame. And I remember one day sitting
- 8:08in front of no sitting in the back seat with my MP3 player.
- 8:12Yes, I'm that old. OK, I listen to MP3 players and
- 8:17I didn't know God personally back then, but somehow Jeremy
- 8:23Camp song was playing on my MP3 because we were on the road to a
- 8:28family dinner where I knew I was going to be publicly humiliated
- 8:33and screamed at again. So I had a lot of I was so
- 8:38afraid. But that song said let it fade.
- 8:44One day you will find a place where you belong and you will
- 8:49find rest. Let this old life crumble.
- 8:52Let it fade and you let the saving grace be your new life.
- 9:00And I didn't know what that meant at that time, but when God
- 9:04speaks to you, it gives you so much peace.
- 9:06And now looking back 10-15 years later after that moment, I see
- 9:11now, wow, God, like, yes, now I have so much peace with you
- 9:16because with God we can be completely ourselves.
- 9:19All the beauty and the ugliness, all the strength and the
- 9:24weakness. Like everything.
- 9:26I can just be totally honest with God.
- 9:29But anyways, I couldn't stand that treatment anymore.
- 9:33So I fled my dad's house and moved around house to house,
- 9:39which is crazy now to think about it because I'm not that
- 9:42kind of a person. But if you're in so much pain,
- 9:45you do the things that you would normally not do.
- 9:48And then out of nowhere, my aunt called me and she said, do you
- 9:52still want to go back to the States to finish college?
- 9:54And I said, absolutely. But how?
- 9:56I don't have a passport. I don't have funds.
- 9:59How am I going to, you know? And she said, just go back to
- 10:02your dad's house. And I was like, excuse me?
- 10:04What? Go back to my dad's house?
- 10:07He's gonna kill me. But God knew, like always, what
- 10:13he was doing. So I went back to my dad's house
- 10:15and miraculously my dad gave me my passport back.
- 10:19So the next scene just felt like a movie.
- 10:22I caught my aunt, I got my passport back and she said, OK,
- 10:25I'm going to pick you up, pack your stuff.
- 10:27So I grabbed whatever I saw in front of my eyes and she picked
- 10:31me up. And I just remember my sister,
- 10:34she was only 5 or 6 years old. She was so confused because as I
- 10:38said, our mom just left and now her sister is leaving her.
- 10:41Like what's going on, right? And she's still dealing with
- 10:44that, unfortunately, right now. But I just remember sitting in
- 10:50the back of a plane, my aunt giving me $2000, and she said,
- 10:55don't worry, we're going to provide for you.
- 10:58And landing in the United States, I didn't have a place to
- 11:02live. I don't know how everything's
- 11:03going to work out. Like what?
- 11:05How is that going to, you know, like, no clue.
- 11:09But God is always faithful. So three days before school
- 11:13started, he provided me with a place where the landlord was
- 11:17either a pastor or an elder. And I know that his prayers
- 11:22carried me through where I am today.
- 11:25And he brought me to church and introduced me to a new kind of
- 11:28love of a family that I never had.
- 11:32And now looking back, like Wow, God used every part of my story
- 11:38for a purpose, not just to heal me, but also to heal others.
- 11:43Because now, as you mentioned, I actually host my own podcast and
- 11:50spoken with Eggy Park. So looking back, I never had a
- 11:53voice. But now not only can I share my
- 11:56voice, but allow others to share their voice too.
- 12:00And being bullied as a kid, not feeling beautiful enough or
- 12:04smart enough or worthy enough. He actually allowed me to be in
- 12:09pageants and modeling industry and something that I never
- 12:12thought that I could ever be worthy of.
- 12:16And my life in Germany and Indonesia too carried a lot of,
- 12:25I guess, character development because in Germany I learn how
- 12:30to be disciplined, I learn how to push through things, which
- 12:34helps me a lot in faith when things are live are not easy.
- 12:39So I just see every part, even the things that we don't think
- 12:43are useful. He uses it for your good, but
- 12:47also to pour out in the lives of others.
- 12:51So that's my story in a nutshell.
- 12:57What a story it is to me. I, you know, I love that you,
- 13:01you, you dated yourself with the MP3 player and yes, I, I, I had
- 13:08to laugh a little bit at that because you, you probably don't
- 13:11even know what a Walkman is like.
- 13:14No, I've. Seen it in movies.
- 13:21That's what we had when I was growing up, Walkman and CD
- 13:23player, what little portable CD players.
- 13:26Yes, so, so the MP3 players were a novelty when I was well, I'm
- 13:32not even get there. So but that's I love it.
- 13:37I love it. You know, your your story is, is
- 13:42filled with so many nuances and just things that you could sit
- 13:50here probably for the next 30 minutes and just do nothing else
- 13:54but just think about what you shared and digest and and kind
- 13:57of pick apart and pull so much from it.
- 13:59But we're not going to do that. We're going to get into some
- 14:03questions and and give give the listeners even more information
- 14:08to chew on. So, Aggie, as you look back now,
- 14:15after everything that you've been through, what part of your
- 14:18story do you see God? Do you see God's hand on the
- 14:23most clearly, even if you couldn't see it at the time?
- 14:28That's a good question. There's so many parts, only one.
- 14:32OK, let me think. If you have to go to two, that's
- 14:36OK. OK, OK.
- 14:39OK. So the first one where I
- 14:41mentioned we moved from Indonesia to Germany, it's God's
- 14:45perfect timing because one year after we moved was the year
- 14:50where in Indonesia there was a culture war where the
- 14:54Indonesians actually killed and raped Chinese people in front of
- 14:59their families. And I'm ethnically Chinese, so
- 15:01my dad could have, you know, picked me up or brought us to
- 15:05Germany any other year. But it was that year that he
- 15:08protected me from going through that trauma.
- 15:12So that was God's hand for sure. And then another time was, yeah,
- 15:22when I moved from Indonesia to Germany, because as I mentioned,
- 15:26I didn't know anything. I didn't know anybody, but God
- 15:30just provided me with people that supported me all along the
- 15:36way, financially, relationally, physically, spiritually.
- 15:40And had I not come from a broken family, I would not have lived
- 15:46with my aunts who helps me to move from Indonesia to United
- 15:52States to finish college and who helped me financially to to
- 15:56finish college. So even though the broken parts
- 16:02are broken, but God somehow managed to use that brokenness
- 16:07and create beauty out of ashes. Love that when, when you think
- 16:13about, you know, you, you mentioned you're, you're moving
- 16:15from Indonesia to Germany and then your transition from
- 16:19Germany to the United States to finish school.
- 16:22You boarded the plane to come to the United States, had no idea
- 16:25where you were going to live. I didn't know anybody.
- 16:29So you're, you're basically flying in and saying, OK, I'll
- 16:31figure it out when I get there. Talk us through that.
- 16:35Talk us through that mindset. You know, when you when you got
- 16:38to the United States, what was the first thing that you
- 16:42remember happening and how did you end up coming to find this
- 16:46place to live with this pastor or elder or whoever it was?
- 16:50And just kind of how did God put all that together for you?
- 16:57OK, so as I mentioned, that one year delay where my dad locks
- 17:02locked me up in the house, if that one year delay did not
- 17:06happen, which stems from, you know, like trauma and abusive
- 17:10relationships did not happen, I would not have been housed in
- 17:14that pastor's house. So even that one year of pain
- 17:17served for a purpose, right? Because we don't like usually we
- 17:21don't like to wait on God, but he's just like reminding me,
- 17:26trust me, because my timing is perfect.
- 17:29And to answer your question, what went through my mind, I
- 17:33don't even know. It was really God's strength
- 17:37that I didn't know that he was pouring onto me, that I think
- 17:43the pain was just so unbearable in Indonesia that anything else
- 17:49would have been better than just to stay there and being
- 17:52humiliated and screamed every single moment of the day.
- 17:56So yeah. And it's just so funny now
- 18:00thinking about it, I don't know if there's any significance but
- 18:03like 3 days before school started.
- 18:05I don't know if the number 3 means anything but like God is
- 18:08showing me that my I mean not my his timing is perfect.
- 18:13And the way it came about was actually my aunt from so I have
- 18:19an aunt in Texas. She kind of heard that I was, I
- 18:24don't know how she heard, but she heard that I moved to the
- 18:27United States. And then she knew a friend of a
- 18:31friend that is actually renting a room where I was going to
- 18:37college to, which is crazy because it could have been
- 18:40anywhere like it can. It could have been in Texas, but
- 18:43it's actually in California where I actually go to school.
- 18:47So God is just like God's hand is just all over my story.
- 18:54I love that. Yeah.
- 18:55It it was not by accident. You were exactly where you were
- 18:59supposed to be. Well, you have shared about how
- 19:03silence became a survival tool for you early on.
- 19:08What was the moment or season when silence stopped protecting
- 19:13you and really started costing you?
- 19:15Oh, that's. A good one.
- 19:25I don't think we were creative for silence.
- 19:27I think we are created to share our voices and to share our
- 19:31stories because it's God's story anyway, right?
- 19:35And he wants us to share with the world.
- 19:39And honestly, public speaking or speaking is it terrifies the
- 19:44heck out of me even like sharing my story, like I don't, I don't
- 19:48like it, but God is pushing me out of the comfort zone because
- 19:54he wants me to know that, you know, no matter how broken our
- 19:59stories are, that there's always beauty and purpose in every
- 20:04single story of ours. And it if it helps just that one
- 20:08person to have hope in their own story, then.
- 20:12Whatever people think of us or judge us is absolutely worth it.
- 20:16So it's not my own strength because I don't like speaking,
- 20:21but the Lord is just so funny. Like, he just uses your weakness
- 20:26and your fears to find out how strong and big our God is.
- 20:33And I would have never in a gazillion years imagined that I
- 20:39would host a podcast show. Like, I hate speaking, but the
- 20:42Lord's like, Nope, you're going to use that and show my power.
- 20:46So yeah. You know, it's funny, I've I
- 20:50have said almost the exact same thing.
- 20:53You know, my, my background prior to this last year had been
- 20:57working in public relations. And I am not a public speaker.
- 21:03I don't like public speaking. That terrifies me.
- 21:05And it used to terrify me. I didn't have any problems being
- 21:09behind the scenes and kind of coaching people on what to do.
- 21:13And then over this last year, you know, he's, he's done the
- 21:16same thing that he's doing to you.
- 21:17And he's like, hey, you know, it's, it's time to, to step into
- 21:21that uncomfortableness and, and, and live unmasked, right?
- 21:25To, to take off the mask that you're fine, that we all tell
- 21:29each other every day, you know, somebody, Hey, how's it going?
- 21:32I'm fine, I'm, I'm doing great. How are you?
- 21:34You know, that's our, that's our canned response.
- 21:36Everybody says it, but it's, you know, you have to live unmasked
- 21:41and be willing to Share your story.
- 21:42And, you know, that's with my book and my podcast and, and
- 21:46everything else that I'm doing now that I talked about, you
- 21:49know, it's, it's not an easy thing to do.
- 21:52And so I applaud you for for being willing to step into the
- 21:57uncomfortableness and living unmasked and being willing to go
- 22:01out and Share your story with the hopes that it helps just
- 22:06that one person. Because that's exactly the right
- 22:09reason to be doing it. Yes, Amen.
- 22:13Yeah, it's so true though, like what you said, like most people
- 22:18say, yeah, I'm fine. And I think a lot of even
- 22:22Christians think like, oh, I have Jesus, I'm fine.
- 22:25But underneath it, we cope it even with ministry or with
- 22:28serving or with whatever, whatever, whatever.
- 22:31We don't even know, like the deep roots of the pain that we
- 22:35carry. And I believe Jesus cares for
- 22:38our well-being too, for our souls too, not just what we do
- 22:42for the Lord, but also who we are in the Lord.
- 22:46And so there was a season in my life where I thought, you know,
- 22:49a good Christian should do this, should do that.
- 22:52And I was just burned out and exhausted.
- 22:54And I was just being honest to the Lord.
- 22:57And I was like, you know what, Lord, I can't, I can't do this
- 22:59anymore. I can't live mast, you know, I
- 23:02just want to be the version that you created for me to be.
- 23:06And so taking a break from this ministry felt wrong in my heart.
- 23:10And I felt so guilty like, oh, but you know, Lord, aren't we
- 23:13supposed to serve you? But then the Lord revealed to
- 23:16me, you know what? No, I want you to also just be
- 23:23abiding in me and to know that I love you and you're worthy not
- 23:28because of what you've done, but because I have created you.
- 23:31Just remain in my love 1st. And so that season of resting
- 23:37was actually such a good season. I have never felt so close to
- 23:42the Lord before. And the Lord just knows because
- 23:47now I'm so busy with just podcasting and you know, you
- 23:51know, you know, the, the days where you have record and edit
- 23:54and create shorts and interview guests and blah, blah, blah.
- 23:57So yeah, there's the season for everything.
- 24:01But I just want the listeners to know that your worst does not
- 24:06depend on what to do, but who and who's you are I?
- 24:12Love it. I love it.
- 24:15Well, you know what? I'm going to take a quick second
- 24:17here and talk to listeners. You know, I say this time and
- 24:21time again, and I'm just going to essentially echo what Aggie
- 24:24said. You are not defined by who you
- 24:27by what you've done. You're not defined by what's
- 24:30happened to you, just as Aggie isn't.
- 24:32You are defined only by who you say you are and more
- 24:35importantly, who God says you are.
- 24:37And so I want you to really meditate that on for a moment.
- 24:41And before we get going with even more questions, I want you
- 24:44just to think about this episode that you've listened to so far
- 24:48because there's been a lot to unpack.
- 24:51And if, if as you were listening, this one person came
- 24:55to mind and you're like, man, this person needs to hear the
- 24:58episode, Would you take a moment and just share it with them?
- 25:02There's a reason that they came to mind.
- 25:04Share the episode with them and then come back and continue on
- 25:08because you'll, you'll want to hear the rest of this, this
- 25:11episode. Trust me.
- 25:13But I, I truly believe that God brings people to a mind to mind
- 25:19for a reason. So honor that and, and just take
- 25:24a moment to share it. You know, Aggie, so much of your
- 25:31journey involves misplaced worth and, and believing lies about
- 25:35who you were. And I think that's something a
- 25:39lot of us will believe in where it's we're quick to believe the
- 25:42lies about us and even justify them in some cases ourselves.
- 25:47But what did God have to unteach you before you?
- 25:51He could begin restoring your identity.
- 26:01So I just deal. I've started to deal with all my
- 26:07pain and trauma not too long ago.
- 26:09And so actually it's gotten worse and I'm just confused.
- 26:16And I asked the Lord like, OK Lord, am I not supposed to get
- 26:20better? Why am I getting worse?
- 26:22Like why do I actually believe the lies the enemy is telling
- 26:26me? And I think what the Lord is
- 26:29telling me, it's well, I'm uncovering the lie 1 by 1
- 26:34because I want to restore you and heal you from every single
- 26:39lie. And when you see the diagnosis,
- 26:43when you uncover the light, it's not pleasant, it's not pretty.
- 26:46It's going to be messy. So that initial stage is going
- 26:50to be worse. But when his truth and his
- 26:53healing comes, that's when it gets better.
- 26:56So I just want the listeners to know, like, when you actually do
- 26:59the work of identity restoration, it's actually going
- 27:02to get worse a little bit before it gets better.
- 27:06But I just don't want you to lose hope or courage or just
- 27:09wonder what's wrong with me. Because, yeah, it's just like
- 27:13opening up a wound, right? It hurts in the beginning, but
- 27:16the wound will get better. Yeah, you, you can.
- 27:22The best way to eat an apple is 1 bite at a time.
- 27:25And it's the same thing with healing.
- 27:26Sometimes you have to, you have to deal with one thing before
- 27:30you're mentally ready and able to deal with the next thing.
- 27:34Yes, as you think about all of the, all the things that you've
- 27:39uncovered and you're still uncovering what is one thing
- 27:42that you're having to kind of deal with?
- 27:46Maybe it was, maybe it was a belief that you believed for so
- 27:50long about yourself that you're now having to unlearn and kind
- 27:57of be able to say, no, that's not who I am.
- 28:01And how do you, how are you going about doing that and now
- 28:06believing the truth? Think growing up up to my
- 28:19adulthood I felt like I always needed to be a different version
- 28:23of myself. That the version that God made
- 28:26me is not enough because of my trauma and low self worth.
- 28:31I people pleased and till this day too it has gotten better but
- 28:36I people pleased a lot. Like, OK, this person wants me
- 28:39to be this version of myself. Let me just conform to that so I
- 28:42can please them, so I actually can receive some kind of love.
- 28:47But God is teaching me now be your authentic self, the version
- 28:52that I created for you to be regardless of people liking you
- 28:55or not liking you, that's none of your business.
- 28:58That's their business. I want you to live in the
- 29:01freedom that I have created for you to be because what makes you
- 29:07unique? What makes you unique, Wesley,
- 29:09is how God created for us to be because there's no person in
- 29:13history ever, nor will it there ever be, that is going to be
- 29:18exactly like you, and that is what makes you unique and that
- 29:21is what makes you powerful to the Kingdom.
- 29:24Amen, Amen. There is something so powerful
- 29:30when you think about that, you know, the the fact that you are
- 29:34unique in in almost every single way because you know, we all may
- 29:39speak the same language or we may all have similar interests
- 29:42or we all may you know or work the same type of job right.
- 29:48But even though we do the same thing, we still approach it
- 29:51slightly different in our own unique way.
- 29:55We bring our own flavor to it, yes.
- 29:57And that's what I love about it. And I love that you brought that
- 30:01up because I think it's very easy for us as, as individuals
- 30:06to be like, well, I don't bring anything to the table, right?
- 30:09I'm only, I'm only one in 100 people that can speak Spanish
- 30:13in, in the room, you know, So what, what, what can I bring to
- 30:16the table, you know, or, or, or whatever it might be.
- 30:20And so we're quick to discount ourselves and, and, and speak
- 30:26negatively instead of saying, hey, yeah, you know what?
- 30:30I might be 1 of 100 people, but hey, this is my background.
- 30:35Nobody else in the room has been through what I've been through.
- 30:39And so, you know, you, you, instead of discounting yourself,
- 30:43you need to speak the truth and believe the truth about
- 30:46yourself. Yes, and the fact that you were
- 30:49there for a reason and step into that.
- 30:54Yeah, yeah, that's so good. I have to remind myself that
- 30:58daily because I forget so quickly.
- 31:03It's so hard because when you see other people more talented
- 31:07or more accomplished or whatever more XYZ than you, that you
- 31:11automatically feel small. But like you said, when we
- 31:14continuously meditate on the truth, the truth will set us
- 31:18free. Yeah, we and I think the the
- 31:24term that most people will use is imposter syndrome.
- 31:27Yes. You know, I'm not, I don't have
- 31:30this background or that background, so I'm not qualified
- 31:33to do XY or Z. Right.
- 31:37And that's the furthest thing from the truth.
- 31:40Right. And I love how the Bible just
- 31:43combats that because when we look at Moses, Joseph, David and
- 31:49just every hero of the Bible, they were actually not big in
- 31:55people's eyes. They were kind of like made fun
- 31:57of or like the least chosen 1, you know?
- 32:00But God chooses the least qualified because he wants to
- 32:04show his power through them, to show that it's not them, it's
- 32:08actually God. It's all God.
- 32:11So yeah, I just want to encourage your listeners to know
- 32:18that fear and shame will keep you imprison to what God has
- 32:23called for you to do and to be and what God has in store for
- 32:27you. It's not sometimes it's not
- 32:30oftentimes it's not easy, but it's like the greatest adventure
- 32:34of just, I don't know, just excitement and joy and thrill
- 32:39that you will ever, ever like experience in this lifetime.
- 32:44So don't let fear, comparison or shame hold you back because I've
- 32:51experienced this in my life so many times.
- 32:54And the most recent testimony I can share is with the podcast.
- 33:01So the Lord has put in my heart to launch my own podcast.
- 33:05But I was like, OK, Lord, I don't have any podcasting
- 33:08experience. I can't really speak well like
- 33:11Moses, like I can't do this. I can't do that.
- 33:14But the Lord is like, OK, but if I call you to do this, I'm going
- 33:18to provide you with everything that you need because it's my
- 33:22will. It's going to glorify me.
- 33:24So I want you. I want this more than you want
- 33:27this. I'm going to provide for every
- 33:29step of the way. And he has.
- 33:31And it's just so crazy how He has provided, you know, So I
- 33:35just want the listeners to know that don't be afraid to step
- 33:39into something that's uncomfortable, that's impossible
- 33:43in your eyes, because the Lord will provide because He will
- 33:47always be faithful. Even when we're not, He is
- 33:51faithful. And it reminds me of the story
- 33:54in was it Luke 17 where Jesus healed the 10 lepers, but Jesus
- 34:00didn't heal them on the spot. He said go and as they went they
- 34:06were healed. So sometimes we have to take
- 34:09that step of faith 1st and see how God provides.
- 34:12We don't need to know every step of the detail, but to trust His
- 34:17character and take that leap of faith-based on His character.
- 34:21We will see His hand in everything.
- 34:25Amen. You know, God, I've said this
- 34:27before and I it's, it fits perfectly with what you just
- 34:31shared because we often allow ourselves to not do something
- 34:37because we feel like we don't have the resume for it.
- 34:41And God doesn't want your resume.
- 34:44He only wants your yes, he'll take he'll take care of the
- 34:47rest. And you know that is seen time
- 34:51and time again in scripture. You shared a number of stories
- 34:54there, just briefly of people that God used because they said
- 34:59yes, when the rest of the world would say you're unqualified to
- 35:03do what you're doing. And, and you're a good example
- 35:07of that. You know, you're not you.
- 35:09You said yourself, I'm not qualified to be a podcast host.
- 35:12I had 0 experience and now here you are.
- 35:15And God, God is providing. And I've shared the same thing
- 35:19about this podcast. I had 0 experience but God told
- 35:22me to do it and now here we are and day by day, episode by
- 35:27episode it's it's coming coming to life and God is using it.
- 35:33Hey, man, it isn't that so great because one of the questions I
- 35:37asked a little, OK, Lord, I don't know that many people.
- 35:41How am I supposed to interview people?
- 35:46And then it's just so crazy because the, I'm not sure if you
- 35:49know what pot Match is, but it's kind of like like Matchmaker FM
- 35:55where podcaster and guests can connect with each other.
- 35:58So the founder of Pop Match actually emailed me, hey, like,
- 36:01I think you'll be a great fit for our community, blah, blah,
- 36:04blah. And I was like, OK, the Lord is
- 36:07just providing me with guests. And initially I thought maybe I
- 36:13can release 1 episode a month or whatever.
- 36:15But now I have the same problem like you, like I have so many,
- 36:19so many guests that I'm like, OK, I just need to like organize
- 36:22my schedule and figure out when to release, who to release.
- 36:25And yeah, it's a good problem to have, but don't be afraid,
- 36:29because the Lord will come through.
- 36:32Amen. He does it every time.
- 36:34Yes. You know, there's, as you think
- 36:37back about your story, we can sit here and talk podcasts all
- 36:40day, but that's not what this episode is about.
- 36:42So we're going to stop this. We're going to stop there.
- 36:45There's a, you know, there's a powerful theme to your story of
- 36:50God providing and positioning you in the right places at the
- 36:53right time. You know, and you think
- 36:55specifically, I'm thinking specifically right now about the
- 36:58time they he moved you just before those riots.
- 37:03You know, the, that's the, the big uprising in in your country.
- 37:07How has that changed the way that you trust God's timing now?
- 37:15That's good. I'm naturally a very impatient
- 37:20person, honestly. Like I want everything done like
- 37:26right this second, but that just doesn't work that way.
- 37:30And I just really have to slow down and just remember his
- 37:36faithfulness and his timing. And when I just really sit down
- 37:41and reflect on those moments, I remind myself, OK, I'm not God.
- 37:48I don't know everything. He is God, He knows everything.
- 37:52He wants the best for me, so I just got to trust Him.
- 37:57And I know that even the waiting season is not wasted because in
- 38:03that waiting season, he's maturing you.
- 38:05He's developing qualities that you need in order to fulfill the
- 38:10next calling or the next mission.
- 38:12So knowing that really helps me to wait patiently, not
- 38:18perfectly. Because some days I'm like, hey,
- 38:20Lord, it's been XYZ days or months or years.
- 38:23I mean, come on, Lord. But you know, reflecting, really
- 38:28just sitting down and reflecting because oftentimes I think we
- 38:32forget because we get too busy and then, you know, the world
- 38:36feeds US information, so we forget what the Lord has done.
- 38:42So I think a really healthy habit for me and I would
- 38:46recommend for all of us is to just pick a day in the week,
- 38:51don't do anything. Just sit down and reflect how
- 38:55God has been so faithful over your life and just thank him.
- 38:59Just thank him and and that joy and that just passion for the
- 39:04Lord will will come up again. Indeed it will you know that you
- 39:12as we've said multiple times, you have been through so much
- 39:15and it a lot of healing has had to take place and is still
- 39:18taking place, yes. So for the listeners out there
- 39:22that are listening right now, can you walk us through kind of
- 39:26just briefly what the process of learning your worth actually
- 39:32looks like in everyday life, not necessarily just spiritually,
- 39:38but even emotionally? It's a long and hard process and
- 39:48I still fall so many times, but the Lord is just so good and so
- 39:57faithful because it's truly nothing that I did.
- 40:01It's all Him. Like I mentioned before, I was
- 40:05in a lot of toxic and abusive relationships before, but He has
- 40:10redeemed that part of my life because He's given me a husband
- 40:13that actually treats me with honor and respect.
- 40:18So. I just remembered when I first
- 40:22met him, I was actually still in a relationship and I'm not proud
- 40:29of that relationship. But the Lord just knew because
- 40:35when my now husband found out that I was still in a
- 40:37relationship, he said, OK, no way Jose, I'm not going to be
- 40:41with this girl, right? But the Lord actually told him,
- 40:44no, go back to her because she needs you.
- 40:47And that just reminded me of the story of Hosea where even though
- 40:51she was not faithful to him, that the Lord told him to go
- 40:55back to his wife, right? And that just reminds me of the
- 41:00character of the Lord, Like no matter how many times we fail
- 41:03him, that he still pursues us. And so I don't know if this
- 41:09answers your question, but I think He's slowly teaching me
- 41:14that to unlearn that I have to earn love, that I have to do it
- 41:19on my own power or my own whatever, that I have to do it.
- 41:22No, He will do it with you and for you.
- 41:26All you have to do is truly just trust Him and surrender it to
- 41:29him. And yeah, He will do.
- 41:33He will do the hard work. Praise the Lord, He will do the
- 41:35hard work. For somebody out there right now
- 41:41that's listening and they're they're feeling trapped.
- 41:45They're feeling trapped in shame, or they believe that
- 41:49their story disqualifies them from being used by God.
- 41:53What is one thing that you would want them to hear today?
- 42:04Your story matters and Share your story because no one else
- 42:09in the whole entire world will ever have your story.
- 42:13And there's one person, at least one person that needs to hear
- 42:17your story. And if you're sharing your story
- 42:20gives that person hope, be that person's lifeline.
- 42:25I don't know what that what the Lord's purpose is for you
- 42:28sharing that story to that one person.
- 42:31But if imagine that only you can reach this one person and that
- 42:37seed of you planting in that person will create so much hope
- 42:41and purpose and joy in that one person.
- 42:44So I just want the listeners to know not to look at everybody
- 42:49else's story, not compare yourself because it's not a fair
- 42:52comparison because you're not the same as the other person, so
- 42:55you can't compare yourself. It's not a fair comparison.
- 42:58So just focus on this, on your story, on the what the Lord has
- 43:08planted in you and worked through you, because no one else
- 43:11will have that. Love that, you know, and I, I
- 43:16can hear it right now. I can just hear somebody's
- 43:19listening there. You already said that.
- 43:22Well, you know what, that this was not planned.
- 43:26This is just kind of a natural, natural flow to the episode.
- 43:30And I think I, I truly believe that it was brought up a second
- 43:34time because somebody needs to hear it.
- 43:38And maybe that first time you were like, well, that's not me.
- 43:42Well, this is this is God tap whapping you upside the head
- 43:45saying it is you. Listen.
- 43:47Yeah. Yes, yes.
- 43:50Because that's, and that's often what happens to me is when I,
- 43:52when I doubt myself and I doubt what I'm hearing, if I, if he
- 43:56really wants me to hear it, he makes me hear it again.
- 44:02Yep. I, I won't ask you to repeat it
- 44:05a third time though. So right now you're doing a lot
- 44:13of work through your podcast and through everything else that you
- 44:15have going on to help others break silence and walk towards
- 44:20freedom. You know, to be able to live
- 44:22unspoken or unmasked. What does living unmasked look
- 44:28like for you today? And how do you guard that
- 44:31honesty in your own life? That's a good one.
- 44:43I think I am still in the process and I'm still learning
- 44:47to be the version, to be confident in the version that
- 44:50God created for me to be. And I've seen growth because I
- 44:57just don't really care anymore if people like me or not, and I
- 45:00just show up as my true self. And it's been so honestly, so
- 45:06freeing. That's why the Lord says, do not
- 45:09fear, man, right? Because what's going to what?
- 45:12What does, what good does it do to your soul?
- 45:15So I just, yeah, I just show up as my true self.
- 45:21And I find that when you do that, you actually discover who
- 45:27you truly are and how unique you actually are.
- 45:31So it's kind of like you have to break out of your shell and to
- 45:34really not care what other people think, which is so hard
- 45:40though, which I sometimes still do.
- 45:43But yeah, I see improvement. And I just want the listeners to
- 45:47know that give grace to yourself because it's not an easy or
- 45:51instant process. So just yeah, have grace for
- 45:56yourself and continue to do the work and one day you will have
- 46:01that full freedom. Love that.
- 46:05Well, I have one more question for you, but before I ask this
- 46:08last question, I want to give you the opportunity here.
- 46:11Share, share with the listeners a little bit more about your
- 46:14podcasts and where they can find it.
- 46:16And if they want to find out more information about you,
- 46:19maybe where they can find you online.
- 46:21Sure. So my podcast is called Unspoken
- 46:25with Aggie Park and you guys can find me on Instagram, Tiktok, at
- 46:31an under score spoken pod POD. And I welcome all messages,
- 46:39prayer request if you want to be a guest or if any questions,
- 46:42comments. It's not just a talk or a
- 46:45podcast, but truly a community where we can walk along each
- 46:50other's healing journey. Absolutely.
- 46:54And I can speak from experience that Aggie is a great podcast
- 46:58host and you will have a good time listening to our show.
- 47:02And if you feel LED, reach out and I'm sure you'll have an even
- 47:05better time being on the podcast.
- 47:09Well, Aggie, one of those things that I love to do here on
- 47:11Unmasked as I love to leave my listeners with an action step,
- 47:16something that they can ponder or something that they can do
- 47:19over the next week or so and really start taking that step
- 47:24towards living Unmasked. So as you think, as you think
- 47:27about all that you've been through and you think about all
- 47:30that you're going through right now, as you're in continuing
- 47:33your own healing journey and living Unmasked, what is 1
- 47:38action step that you would leave the listeners with to begin
- 47:44Living Unmasked? It's a good one.
- 47:52I would encourage the listeners to write down and be honest
- 47:59because the Lord already knows. Write down all your painful
- 48:03memories and all the lies that you have believed, specifically
- 48:08by name. And then go to the Lord and ask
- 48:11him, OK Lord, what was the purpose for this painful season
- 48:16of my life? What did you want to teach me?
- 48:18What did you want to accomplish in and through me and the these
- 48:22set of lies? What are you saying and help me
- 48:26to really believe that over the lies and truly asking the Holy
- 48:31Spirit when those lies try to torment your mind, Remember to
- 48:36ask the Holy Spirit for help because we're never ever alone.
- 48:41Love it Aggie, thank you so much again for being with us today
- 48:46here on Unmasked and and being willing to Share your story.
- 48:51Thank you, Wesley. Yeah, it's, yeah.
- 48:53It's been such a joy talking to you.
- 48:55And I'm sure we're going to talk again soon.
- 48:59Sure. Well, thanks again for joining
- 49:06me today at Unmasked. And again, a huge thanks to
- 49:09Aggie for being our guest today and sharing so openly and
- 49:13honestly with us, the Unmasked community.
- 49:16If something in this episode spoke to you, don't let it stop
- 49:20with you. Share it with the one person
- 49:22that God has put on your heart while you were listening.
- 49:24You never know whose breakthrough might start with
- 49:27just a simple message from you. If you want more encouragement,
- 49:30you want to work with me one-on-one, or you're interested
- 49:33in having me speak at your church or event, you can find
- 49:37everything@wesleyfernsworth.com and make sure you join the
- 49:40Unmasked community by connecting with me on social media so that
- 49:44we can walk this journey together.
- 49:47Until next time, remember that grace is greater than your past
- 49:51and real freedom begins the moment that you choose to live
- 49:55unmasked. God bless you.