Melissa Smith was born with cerebral palsy, lives with multiple chronic conditions, and has survived a life-threatening surgery. But her story isn’t about staying stuck in the pain—it’s about how she turned that pain into purpose. In this episode, Melissa shares the heart behind her business, Grace and Glory Virtual Services, and how God used her hardest moments to equip her to serve other women. We talk about grief, burnout, spiritual dry spells, and the importance of community. She also opens up about the power of prayer, her Renew & Uplift Sessions, and what keeps her going on the toughest days. This is a conversation for anyone who’s ever felt like they were barely holding on.
⚠️ Trigger Warning:
This episode contains discussion of medical trauma, near-death experiences, and infertility
⏱️ Timestamped Highlights:
- 00:00 – Melissa shares the origins of Grace and Glory Virtual Services
- 05:40 – “I want others to know they’re not alone. I’ve walked that road.”
- 10:30 – The critical role of community for Christian women with chronic illness
- 15:50 – Grieving what your body can’t do and finding new ways to serve
- 20:00 – Supporting online entrepreneurs and caregivers with virtual services
- 23:45 – Near-death experience after surgery and how God showed up
- 32:00 – “I wouldn’t want to walk through this life without my Lord.”
- 35:00 – What are Renew & Uplift Sessions and who they’re for
- 40:00 – Final encouragement: “Even if all you can do is say His name, that’s enough.”
- 44:00 – Chronic illness comfort kit: tea, Tolkien, and baking shows
Links:
- Grace & Glory Virtual Services Website
- Melissa on LinkedIn
- Renew & Uplift Sessions – $27, 30-minute sessions for Christian women needing support
- The Invisible Illness Club Podcast on Apple
Transcript
April Aramanda: Melissa, welcome to the podcast. I’m so honored to have you here. Let’s start with just the basics. Can you tell us a little bit about your story and what led you to start Grace and Glory Virtual Services?
Melissa Smith: Thank you, April. I actually am a chronic illness warrior. I was born with cerebral palsy and I have numerous chronic health issues and the Lord through a series of events he initially led me to virtual assisting and I had done a business prior an online business prior but it was services or product based versus
Melissa Smith: and it was a beautiful time of learning, growing, and I was able to take a lot of what I learned there and incorporate it into my business now and be more focused. with my background, I also had a background in administration. so I kind of blended all of those things together.
Melissa Smith: and made grace and glory services, virtual services because the Lord really impressed on my heart the need for people who are like me who may be doing the online business thing, and joining the world of online business, but also struggling with chronic illness,
April Aramanda: Yeah. Mhm.
Melissa Smith: also struggling with things that kind of make it to where that doing the full steam ahead 24/7, camera worthy appearance all the time sort of thing that we’re so driven as a society to do. It just wasn’t going to work for me. I knew that for myself and I thought, if I’m that way, then I know that there’s probably many other women out there who are also dealing with struggling with the family life, dynamics, the health side of things, and then also trying to run their businesses, trying to, kind of put their best foot forward every day.
Melissa Smith: So that’s why I created Grace and…
April Aramanda: Mhm.
Melissa Smith: Glory Virtual Services because I can help from the background. I can take the load off and give others a chance to be able to focus on their home needs if necessary or the self-care that they need because their bodies, just saying no, I’m not doing it today, sort of situation. and so that’s why I offer the services that I do, which is group Facebook page moderation for businesses, online businesses, and then also I offer…
April Aramanda: Mhm. Yeah. Mhm.
Melissa Smith: what I call renew and uplift sessions. And this is where the Lord really spoke to my heart. and he said that there are women who need someone to speak to. There are women who may not be able to go to the counselor, to the therapist, who don’t have that outlet. And as a Christian professional and as a Christian woman, I desire to be able to help other women and be able to uplift them on their bad days. whether that’s a bad day because it’s business and something in their business didn’t go right or they’re struggling with, the management of it all. Kind of just overwhelmed.
00:05:00
Melissa Smith: And then also, I have a real heart for, Christian single moms who are battling because, my sister was a single mom for so long.
April Aramanda: Mhm.
Melissa Smith: And she really helped me see that there is a great need for that support for the ladies to know that they’re not alone, that they don’t walk alone. and it’s not just the single ladies, but so many other Christian women who are in all walks of life. whether it’s, a college person who is overwhelmed by their studies. someone who is going through just a lot of family life dynamics and…
April Aramanda: Mhm. Mhm.
Melissa Smith: just needs that listening I offer the active listener sessions because of that. Because sometimes They just need to have an outside perspective of somebody who can not only listen, but also cover them in prayer and say, I realize you’re just having a really horrible day. You’re just having a really horrible week, but just know that you’re not alone. I’m here. The Lord is here always, even whenever it doesn’t feel that way. as a person who is deeply driven by my emotions because I’m very empathetic, the Lord has blessed me with, being an empath and I’m very in tune to other people’s feelings.
Melissa Smith: other people when I’m in a room with someone, I can sense when they are in need. there’s been numerous times when I’ve been in a church service at my church and…
April Aramanda: Mhm. Still,
Melissa Smith: I’ve just really really seen and felt that someone had a need and I’ve gone up to them and I’ve said, “Can I pray for you?” And they’ll just look at me and be like, ” did I was going through this? how did you know what?” And I was like, the Lord just let me know. he just told me that you were in need. And I’m not saying I’m a professional in any way. I don’t profess to be a counselor, although I am looking into and I’m researching peer counseling. because that is something that really speaks to my heart.
Melissa Smith: And…
April Aramanda: Mhm. Yeah.
Melissa Smith: that is something that I’m hoping to maybe move into or something some background that’s similar to that just because I’ve been through so many different things from losing my parents and that and knowing grief of all different types including infertility and the grief that comes with that and all of the different aspects just a lot of pain a life of hardship. And I’m not saying I’m different than anybody else, but what I am saying is that my life experience. I want to use it for good. I want the Lord and I believe that the Lord is leading me this way. I believe he is leading me to step out and…
April Aramanda: Mhm. Mhm.
Melissa Smith: reach out to others. let them know I do have this platform and God gave it to me because he reach out. He wants me to be there for those who don’t have the ability to get the care that they need, who don’t have the ability to always have that circle of friends. there are many times where people move to new locations and they haven’t found a church yet. they don’t have a church family. they aren’t surrounded by this group of friends, this group or community that they can rely on. so yeah, That’s what the Lord has given me.
00:10:00
Melissa Smith: And I’m just taking everything that he’s taught me and I desire to apply that and basically just help in any way that I can to be that light, to be that person that is there in the darkness,…
Melissa Smith: is there in the really hard days. and just to lift up, just to offer hope that they’re not alone, they don’t walk alone. and they do have people out there that care. So yeah,…
April Aramanda: Yeah. …
April Aramanda: it sounds like you are a very giving person. living with cerebral pausy and other conditions if I’m not mistaken like fibro, migraines, scoliosis, and the list goes on.
Melissa Smith: right y’all.
April Aramanda: How do you keep yourself encouraged in the middle of giving so much to other people? Because sometimes we can give too much and we drain ourselves.
Melissa Smith: Right. Yes.
April Aramanda: So, how do you keep your spirit encouraged and your mental health good in the middle of all this
Melissa Smith: I have a very first of all loving husband that the Lord has blessed me with. he knows how to feed into me. he’s a very funny person. and God has given him the gift of humor and he knows how to use it and he knows how to and so he’s also willing to pray with me.
April Aramanda: Mhm.
Melissa Smith: were prayer partners. And before my mother passed away, she was my prayer partner. And after my mother passed away, my husband kind of stepped into that role even more because he understood how deeply I needed that. And so we oftent times I will confide in him that I’m just starting to feel overwhelmed. I’m starting to feel everything, and we will just take time out of the day, even if it’s in the middle of something, we will pause and we will join hands and we will pray together. and we will just say, Lord, there’s just a lot going on right now. Just be our strength. give us that help that we need to keep going.
Melissa Smith: And I also surround myself with a lot of scripture. I have a few close friends that I reach out to and…
Melissa Smith: whenever I am having a particularly hard day, I will say, listen, I could use some prayer today if you wouldn’t mind offering one on my behalf. I’m not perfect in any way and there are days I do get overwhelmed. There are days that I’m just like, “Okay, Lord, I’m done.” …
April Aramanda: Yeah. Right.
Melissa Smith: it’s like I’m just kind of depleted today and I’m just done for today. So, you’re just going to have to carry me.
April Aramanda: Yeah, that’s true.
Melissa Smith: And let me tell you, he does. So, yeah.
April Aramanda: Very much so. it sounds like community then is a huge part of your life and of being able to not just survive all of this, but to actually kind of thrive in it. Good.
Melissa Smith: Definitely. Yeah. that’s why I say community is so important and…
April Aramanda: Yes. Yeah.
Melissa Smith: I think that’s why I do have that desire to be there for others because I have been in their shoes. I have walked that road of loneliness. I have walked that road of no support. And I’ve seen what it can do. And so that is why I do want to offer that. I want others to know that they’re not alone. And Christian women specifically because I think people have this misconception that if you’re a Christian, you automatically have that community.
April Aramanda: Yeah. Yeah.
Melissa Smith: You automatically have, those ride or die friends. And it has to be cultivated. It has to be created.
Melissa Smith: And trust me, the Lord will send you that in time. But there are times when you don’t have it. And …
April Aramanda: Yeah. Mhm.
Melissa Smith: times in our lives when we go through the dry spells so that’s why I really desire to be that. I am not a professional but I am a fellow believer and I am a person who has walked very difficult roads and so it’s not somebody that’s not speaking from experience because I have experienced and…
00:15:00
April Aramanda: Yeah. Yeah.
Melissa Smith: I have gone through so I understand the pain I understand the heartache I understand the confusion and so it’s important to me that others know that they can find the community. they can find the people to be there for them.
Melissa Smith: And using resources is not a bad thing.
April Aramanda: Mhm. Yes.
Melissa Smith: There are times when people are given the impression that like I said if you’re a Christian that you shouldn’t struggle with certain things. And at I believe the Lord helps us to find the help we need when we seek him for it but we have to take that step to seek the help
April Aramanda: Yeah. …
Melissa Smith: Yeah. Yes.
April Aramanda: he actually says in the word basically promises that we will have bad times and the whole point of this is to lean on him. He needs to be part of that support system. so a lot of people going through chronic illness,…
April Aramanda: they have grief from missing out on things, which I know you’ve probably been through as well.
April Aramanda: Not because you don’t care, but because your body just doesn’t cooperate. You want to be at that thing.
Melissa Smith: It’s right.
April Aramanda: You want to hang out with your friends, but your body’s not working with you on that. So, can you talk about how you’ve experienced that kind of grief before?
Melissa Smith: I think it’s really kind of shown itself for me in times whenever ladies from my church had events that they were going to whether it be a women’s ministry retreat a thing where we were serving like teens, whether it be like teen camp,…
April Aramanda: Mhm. Right. Mhm.
Melissa Smith: things like that, like o opportunities to serve where I literally did not have the capacity to bring my body to submit to that time. when the thing about chronic illness is it requires you to have things around you to support yourself through the situation. And there are many times where you go if you commit to those opportunities, you’re in a completely different environment.
Melissa Smith: So you don’t have all the things around you that you would need to support you through your struggles with chronic illness that you’re dealing with.
April Aramanda: Right. Mhm.
Melissa Smith: Certain ones are a little less. so you might be able to take an extra pillow or certain medications to help you with your pain or things like that. And that’s why I do a lot as you mentioned in your podcast where you do sections of time and…
April Aramanda: Mhm. Yeah.
Melissa Smith: and you section off times of doing things because as a chronic illness warrior, you realize that your body can only handle so much for so long.
April Aramanda: Right. Mhm.
Melissa Smith: And in order to be able to serve you have to be able to know your limits and not push yourself past that. And as we were talking about, some days that’s not possible. Some days your body says,…
April Aramanda: Yeah. Mhm.
Melissa Smith: “No, this is not happening today. and there is a grief there because You want to be a part of that community. you want to have fun. You want to encourage and be encouraged. and I think that’s why the online platform for me means so much because there are so many people that you can reach with your words and…
April Aramanda: Mhm. Yeah.
Melissa Smith: with your encouragement and with my services I can reach people who are homebound no matter their age. people often think of people who are seniors as being the only ones that are homebound, but that’s not true. If you have a disability, if you have a chronic illness, if you’re a caregiver yourself, a lot of times you don’t have the opportunities to go out visiting.
April Aramanda: Yeah. right?
Melissa Smith: You don’t have the opportunities to go out and spend time giving yourself self-care. so you need someone to be able to pull up online and say listen could you pray for me today because I’m going through this even just confiding in those moments of as a caregiver like the overwhelm that you feel and needing somebody to be there for you because you need to be able to get back into the right headsp space to be able to care
00:20:00
Melissa Smith: for the ones that you love, So, there’s different aspects to it. There’s different sides to all of it. and then whenever it comes to women who are online entrepreneurs,…
April Aramanda: Mhm.
Melissa Smith: but maybe they don’t have the chronic illness side, there can still be the mental aspect of things, the drain, of just trying to manage it all. And that’s where for me my services would come in as a virtual assistant helping with community groups and helping with people who are doing podcasts or videos like Bible studies Bible teachings and those sorts of kind of communities where I can step in and moderate.
Melissa Smith: I can step in and help. it’s just that extra hand behind the scenes so that you can focus on your audience. You can focus on your community and…
Melissa Smith: not have to think about I have to f answer all these questions but I also have to go and do this and…
April Aramanda: Right. As happens with a solo entrepreneur.
Melissa Smith: then there’s too many irons in fire and you get overwhelmed because you’re like how am I supposed to handle it all on my own? Yes. Yes.
April Aramanda: Yes. When you got to be everything and…
Melissa Smith:
Melissa Smith: Right. Exactly. Yes.
April Aramanda: do everything, it’s difficult. Yes. So,…
Melissa Smith: It sure is. It sure is.
April Aramanda: something you’ve mentioned to me was something very powerful in your story …
Melissa Smith: That’s Yes.
April Aramanda: where you survive a near-death experience during surgery. would you be able to share…
Melissa Smith: Yes. Absolutely.
April Aramanda: what happened and how that kind of changed your life?
Melissa Smith: Planning to go through infertility treatments. I believe we had done one cycle at the time of IUI. It was not IVF, it was IUI. And my doctor at the time I was seeing an infertility specialist and he had told me that my endometriosis and polycystic ovaries, all of that I had a severe case.
Melissa Smith: it was to the point where I needed surgery again and my insides needed to be cleaned up and everything in order for things to be at all successful in our next attempt with the IUI. So we went in and he went in and cleaned me up and everything and I actually came through the surgery. Okay.
Melissa Smith: And I thought everything was okay and…
Melissa Smith: I went home with my husband and was over the weekend. It was a Friday and then there was a weekend.
April Aramanda: It’s always a Friday.
Melissa Smith: Yeah. And I went through that weekend and I just was not improving. It was supposed to be a pretty quick bounceback. I was super lethargic. I had started to kind of just feel like I just wasn’t regaining my energy and I started kind of being I guess out of it as it were.
April Aramanda: Mhm.
Melissa Smith: My husband kept trying to get my attention as he was like I was resting on the couch and he could tell I was unfocused but there was something wrong. and they had told him if she experiences any of this stuff,…
Melissa Smith: definitely get back to the emergency room. so he called the nurse that was working with my fertility specialist at the time. He called her up and he told her about what was going on and she said, “Get her to the emergency room now. something’s not right.
April Aramanda: Mhm.
Melissa Smith: You need to get her to the emergency room.” And by that time I was so weak I could barely stand up. we got to the emergency room and instead of my blood pressure and vital signs being high like a fever and all of that, I was super super low. All my numbers were like crazy low.
April Aramanda: Yeah. Yeah.
00:25:00
Melissa Smith: And that immediately sent bells off to the nurses and everybody Yeah.
April Aramanda: I imagine
Melissa Smith: And I had it. Basically what had happened was the doctor in the course of the surgery he had nicked my bowel my smaller intestine and…
Melissa Smith: I had been leaking inside of my system for two days. and that was leading to an incredible amount of infection and incredible amount of a lot of stuff that was killing me.
April Aramanda: right? Yeah.
Melissa Smith: It was literally killing me. but before they realized exactly what was going on, the radiologist they had planned to do an enema because they thought I was just backed up from the surgery. they told me we’ll do an enema,…
April Aramanda: Mhm. Right.
Melissa Smith: you’ll be fine and you’ll be able to go home. before they performed that, they insisted that I get scanned first. And I know without a doubt in my mind this was the Lord because I went and I got that scan and the radiologist who was the tech. it wasn’t even the doctor, it was the tech, he caught that there was a nick in my bowel and…
April Aramanda: Right.
Melissa Smith: He saw that there I was leaking internally everywhere. And when they realized that the doctor immediately went to my husband and he was like, “Call her family now. Get them here because she may not make it through this.” Yeah.
April Aramanda: Yeah. Yeah. That’s such a dangerous thing to have happen at all.
Melissa Smith: Yeah. Yes.
April Aramanda: You often hear perforated bowel stories and…
April Aramanda: those people end up dying because infection is the biggest risk to the body.
Melissa Smith: Yes. Yes.
April Aramanda: So that is absolutely incredible that you survived that.
Melissa Smith: I have no doubt the Lord was with me. I mean, he had to have because the doctor was so terrified about what was happening because he was not a gut specialist. he was not a bowel doctor.
April Aramanda: Right. Yeah.
Melissa Smith: He was infertility. So he knew nothing about the bowel and he had to call for assistance and he called to a bowel specialist and that bow specialist helped him to hatch my bow and…
April Aramanda: Yeah. Yeah.
Melissa Smith:
Melissa Smith: save my life. And I have no doubt that that was of the Lord because he wasn’t even at the actual hospital. They had to call him and have him and be a part of the surgery as a team and I went through numerous hours of surgery.
April Aramanda: Mhm. Right.
Melissa Smith: And I was in the ICU and hospital for a total of 10 days. I went through lots of drug interaction, different things like that that happened during the time because they were fighting so hard to heal the inside.
April Aramanda: Right. Right.
Melissa Smith: And I had always been sensitive to medication, so I was having a lot of reactions to things. and also trying to heal all of the infection that was inside. and I just know that the Lord was in it because he helped it not get to the point where I was completely septic.
April Aramanda: Yeah. You’re pretty much dead at that point. Yes.
Melissa Smith: And septic it means that it was completely infected inside and there was nothing. Yes. Yes. and anybody that has had any kind of bowel issue like that happen, they understand or actually any kind of nicking of any area like an artery or…
Melissa Smith: anything, they understand how dangerous that is. it truly is life-threatening. and…
April Aramanda: Yeah. Yes.
April Aramanda: And it’s rare that it happens, but it is very very dangerous.
Melissa Smith: Yes. Yes. Yes. and I remember when I woke up, I was kind of in and in and out in and out of it for quite a while. I remember vaguely that my aunt and my uncle came up basically to say goodbye to me.
April Aramanda: Yeah. Yeah. Right.
Melissa Smith: And I remember them saying hello and it’s like this vague memory like I was so out of it. I just remember barely seeing their faces and then going back under. And that fight was such a hard one.
00:30:00
Melissa Smith: Probably one of the hardest I’ve dealt with.
April Aramanda: Yeah. …
Melissa Smith: And I was born with cerebopaly. I had a heart murmur. they did transfusions numerous times throughout my hospital stay when I was born because I had extreme jaundice. that was life.
April Aramanda: you’re just a walking miracle there.
Melissa Smith: So to be honest I was not supposed to walk or…
April Aramanda: I mean, Yeah. Yeah.
Melissa Smith: talk at all.
April Aramanda: A lot of people with cerebral pausy don’t. So that’s understandable, right?
Melissa Smith: Yeah. Yeah. I am on a cane but it’s actually due to my hip and things. related to that, not the actual cerebral paly. So, I’ve had four hip surgeries and finally this last year had a full hip replacement on my right side. So, I’ve done a lot of different management of different illnesses,…
Melissa Smith: different things. And I know what it is to fight.
April Aramanda: Yeah. Yeah.
Melissa Smith: I know what it is to fight with faith…
April Aramanda: That is absolutely amazing.
Melissa Smith: because you cannot face this or at least I would not want to listen.
April Aramanda: I know.
Melissa Smith: Okay, …
Melissa Smith: there may be somebody out there that has faced all that I have faced, but I would not want to do it without my Lord.
April Aramanda: I can’t even imagine.
April Aramanda: I mean, I haven’t been through near as many things as you have, and I can’t even imagine dealing with what I deal with on a daily basis without God. I mean, it seems so difficult. I think about it sometimes.
April Aramanda: I’m like, good grief. I don’t understand how people that don’t have hope and joy in Christ are able to hold on and keep going cuz I don’t think I’d be able to. So, that is Yeah.
Melissa Smith: Yes.
Melissa Smith: I have no doubt. I went through quite a few things as a teen as well and I went through a really dry spell with my faith during that time.
April Aramanda: Yeah. right?
Melissa Smith: And so I know that kind of feeling like you’re so far away from God. and that’s a silence I never want to feel again.
April Aramanda: Yeah. Yeah. Yes.
Melissa Smith: I never want to know that again. and as that’s why it’s so important to me to feed my faith. you and I live in situations in…
Melissa Smith: which we have so much asked of us every single day. And I know we’re not the only ones.
April Aramanda: Yes. No,…
April Aramanda: not at all.
Melissa Smith: Not just mentally, but physically, emotionally, spiritually.
April Aramanda: Mhm. Totally.
Melissa Smith: It is a fight, but it is an active fight. That’s why it matters that you nourish your faith. That’s why it matters that you make sure that you talk to the Lord every day.
April Aramanda: Right. Right.
Melissa Smith: You give it to God and you say, “Lord, this is too much for me. Be my strength today. Give me the ability that I do not have right now,…
April Aramanda: Exactly. Yeah.
Melissa Smith: ” Yes.
April Aramanda: Because there are days we don’t.
Melissa Smith: Yes. Yes.
April Aramanda: So you talked about something at the beginning that you offer because you’re a virtual assistant, so you offer quite a few things, but one of the things you spoke about was renew and…
Melissa Smith: Yes, thank you.
April Aramanda: uplift sessions, which is a really cool name. can you tell us what those are specifically and who they’re for?
Melissa Smith: Of course, basically what I do is I offer Renew and Uplift sessions they’re 30 minute sessions. They’re $27. They’re affordable because I want everyone that can to take me up on it and…
April Aramanda: Yeah. Yes. Yeah.
Melissa Smith: and be a part of it because Everybody. I do serve Christian women in all walks of life. I catered it to Christian women because that’s where God called me. It’s not to say that Men need it as well.
Melissa Smith: It’s just that I don’t feel called to speak to men because that’s not where the Lord has called me.
April Aramanda: right, right,…
April Aramanda: right. Mhm.
Melissa Smith: And so basically what it is is it’s a 30-inut session that is led by the person that will schedule the call. And what I mean by that is I will be there and I will speak into their life and I will pray over them whatever they want. But if it’s an active listening session where they just want to call me up and…
00:35:00
Melissa Smith: they just want to unload about what’s going on in their life because it’s just so much. I’m going to listen. I will sit there.
April Aramanda: I think this is the second time recently that I’ve heard active listening session and…
April Aramanda: I love that what happens as the world changes and as we all start to realize that mental health is important for us Gen Xers and millennials that went
April Aramanda: Okay. Maybe we should have been talking about this all along. Is that we’re creating businesses that will allow that to be dealt with.
Melissa Smith: Awesome. That’s right.
April Aramanda: Active And basically for what an active listening session is someone on the other end of the line just literally listening to you and what you need to spill out. that’s all it is.
April Aramanda: It’s not, a counseling session. It’s not, …
April Aramanda: a psychologist or anything like that. It’s literally just someone who is willing and able to sit and listen to you drone on and on about whatever it is you need to say because sometimes I feel like I drone on and on and on, but sometimes I just need to get that out. And thankfully, I have a husband who just kind of sits there and listens. I know I annoy him sometimes, but he’s very good about sitting and…
Melissa Smith: Right. goodness.
April Aramanda: listening. if I say, “Look, I’ve got to get this out.” so that’s a really cool thing that you’re offering. I think that’s very neat.
Melissa Smith: Thank you.
April Aramanda: You’ve walked through obviously tons of grief and trauma and illness and infertility and…
Melissa Smith: Hey First of all,…
April Aramanda: my goodness, but yet you pour out so much encouragement to other people.
April Aramanda: So, for someone who is struggling right now, what do you want someone to hear today who feels like they’re just barely holding on anymore?
Melissa Smith: I understand how that feels. I know you think you’re alone, but you’re not. The Lord is with you in that darkness. He’s with you in that silence. And even if it’s only just to speak his name, that’s all it takes because he’s sitting there with you. You may not You may not be able to sense him, but don’t let Satan feed you that lie.
Melissa Smith: The Lord promises to go with us wherever we go. He promises to be there in the pain,…
April Aramanda: Mhm.
Melissa Smith: in the heartache, in the absolute frustration when you just want to throw something across the wall across the yard and say, “That’s it. I’m done.” But the Lord made you. He gave you your emotions. He gave you everything that you are, your mind, your heart, your soul, and everything that makes you He gave it to you. none of this surprises him. And I understand how hard it is to not want to blame in those moments like to put the blame on God and…
April Aramanda: Mhm.
Melissa Smith: say, “God, you allowed this to happen. Why would you do that if you love me?” He doesn’t always give you the answers of why, but he will help you through it. He always has a purpose. to think that I would have gone through all that I have been through and…
April Aramanda: Yeah. Mhm.
Melissa Smith: not allow the Lord to let me help someone else. That was why. Did it hurt? Absolutely. Was it crazy hard? Yes. But if I can take what I have been through and I can hold somebody’s hand and say, “Listen to me. You are not alone.” I get it. And if I can bring a smile, if I can share a scripture and…
00:40:00
Melissa Smith: pray over them and say, “You’re not alone. You’ve got me and you’ve got Jesus.
April Aramanda: That’s beautiful.
Melissa Smith: That’s I’m sorry.
April Aramanda: Absolutely beautiful.
Melissa Smith: That’s just where my heart is. It’s just Yeah.
April Aramanda: No, that’s what they needed to hear then. one person, because I believe that if this podcast reaches one person, that’s enough.
Melissa Smith: Yes. I’m sorry.
April Aramanda: One person needed to hear what you just had to say. That’s absolutely beautiful. All right. let’s lighten this up just a little bit because it’s gotten no. There is nothing wrong with going deep. I also don’t want to end on a very deep note. I want to give a little light-heartedness.
Melissa Smith: That’s right.
April Aramanda: What are a few things in your chronic illness comfort kit that help get through the tough days?
Melissa Smith: I am a tea drinker.
April Aramanda: Yeah. Mhm.
Melissa Smith: Yeah, I love a good cup of tea, whether it’s herbal tea or black tea. I love pillows. I love to surround myself get comfy in a nice chair and just surround myself with pillows or even on my bed. and then a comfort blanket. I always love a blanket or a heating pad, those sorts of things.
April Aramanda: Right. Mhm.
Melissa Smith: And then, I love audio books. I’m an audiobook girl because I also have migraines. So, audio books over the last several years have become a real mainstay for me.
April Aramanda: Mhm. yeah.
Melissa Smith: U, and I’m going to show my geeky side here for just a second. I love the Lord of the Rings. yeah, the books and I’ve gotten to the point where at night I want to throw that on. They have it on YouTube and different places and I’ll throw it on and…
Melissa Smith: I’ll listen throughout the night just to calm me down, put me in a really nice space of just relaxation. and…
April Aramanda: Yeah. Yeah.
Melissa Smith: yeah, to me it’s about audio books or my favorite show. I also love baking and cooking and things like that. So, I love baking shows and those sorts of things, The Great British Bake Off is a favorite.
April Aramanda: Wait. Have you seen Nailed It?
Melissa Smith: I haven’t.
April Aramanda: That is one of my absolute favorite baking shows. They take a bunch of people who are not good at baking. Okay, they might be great at cooking, but they’re not great at baking.
Melissa Smith: Yeah. Yeah.
April Aramanda: And so it’s like moms, grandmas, young people. It’s like all kinds of people. And the host on the show is absolutely hilarious. Her comedic timing is perfect.
April Aramanda: And so they show them this wonderful thing baked by a pastry chef and it should just be beautiful and then they have to recreate it. And since you love cooking shows, I’m going to recommend that to you because it is the funniest thing I have ever seen and it’s a good little chuckle at the end of the night. So it might be a good one for you.
Melissa Smith: Yeah. Yeah. I’ll definitely have to check that out. Thank you.
April Aramanda: Before we wrap up, how can people connect with learn more about you and about Grace and Glory. I almost had that backwards. Grace and Glory virtual services.
Melissa Smith: You can find me on It’s comgraceandloryvs. or you can go to my website at graceandvves.com or you can reach me I’m also on LinkedIn so it’s LinkedIn Grace and glory vs dot com so I have a Pinterest that I’m working on…
Melissa Smith: but I’m not quite there yet so I didn’t want to share that address just yet. but basically,…
April Aramanda: No, I understand.
Melissa Smith: in I was on Instagram, but it just wasn’t quite working for me.
April Aramanda: Yeah. That’s not a bad thing.
Melissa Smith: So, I feel like that’s not really my scene. I’m a little bit old-fashioned that way. Might be dating myself a little bit here.
April Aramanda: That’s all I hate Facebook and I’m mostly on Instagram and Tik Tok. So, it all depends on what flows with you and your space.
Melissa Smith: Yes. Thank you,…
April Aramanda: Melissa, thank you so much for sharing your heart and your journey. I know so many women listening today felt heard, and maybe even a little bit more hopeful.
00:45:00
April Aramanda: Thank you.
Melissa Smith: April, for inviting me. It’s been an absolute blessing and pleasure to be here.
April Aramanda: And that’s it for the recording. Now I just go in and edit and make sure everything, add the beginnings and the ends and everything is
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