We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hadassah Treu a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hadassah , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I have been searching for a purpose and meaning in life since my teenage years. Then I struggled with depression and even suicidal thoughts. It was too painful and crushing to live in a dysfunctional family and in a communist country like Bulgaria at this time. I had already discovered the huge discrepancy between what I wanted to be and what I was, and my absolute inability to change my condition. I wanted to be good, but I couldn’t. I wanted to love, but I couldn’t. A hurricane of resentment, offense, hatred, and anger raged within me, and I could not control it. In utter desperation, I cried out to the universe and placed an ultimatum. “God, if you exist, I challenge you to show yourself to me. Otherwise, there is no reason for me to live anymore.”
God heard this desperate plea and found me. I heard the Gospel for the first time and experienced a dramatic encounter with God and His love. Suddenly, everything had meaning. My life had a purpose. The truth that I have a heavenly Father who loves me unconditionally and who will never abuse me and control me, but instead support and encourage me till the end, was a fountain of life to me. It pulled me back from the edge of the pit I was about to throw myself into and gave me meaning and a reason to live.
Later on, when I was married to the love of my life, I suffered years of infertility, anxiety, and panic attacks. But these were the most intensive year of spiritual formation that birthed the new me, and a new mission and purpose. A writer and poet was born, and I made my first steps in the writing journey by starting my blog onthewaybg.com in 2017.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a Bulgarian, living in Bulgaria, Europe, speaking 4 languages, and having a master’s in International Relations. I am an award-winning Christian blogger at onthewaybg.com, author, and poet, the Encouraging Blogger Award Winner for 2020. I love to encourage and motivate people to stand firm in the faith, and to grow spiritually by applying biblical truths in their lives. My mission is to motivate people to stay faithful in suffering by trusting God’s faithfulness.
I am a regular contributor to the faith-based platforms Devotable, Koinonia, and Blessed Transgressions, COMPEL Proverbs 31 Ministries Blog writer, and Freelancing Community Group leader. I have been featured in The Upper Room, (In)courage, Proverbs 31 Ministries, Her View From Home, Living by Design Ministries, Thoughts About God, Aletheia Today, Today’s Christian Living, and other popular sites.
I am also a contributing author to a dozen devotional and poetry anthologies. My first solo book “Draw Near: How Painful Experiences Become a Birthplace of Blessings” with Calla Press Publishing will release on March 15, 2024.
The common identifier of all painful experiences is some kind of loss. The book aims to help the readers not only to identify and accept the specific losses but more importantly to show them that each painful experience could be a birthing place of specific gains, benefits, and blessings. We lose something, but there is more to gain. The book will enable the reader to turn her attention and “see” the specific gains that God buried into every loss and to take hold of them.
It focuses on 13 painful experiences as surprising gifts of grace designed to mature and prepare the believers and draw them closer to God. The book is a transformational blend of devotional, Bible study, and storytelling.
The book will help the readers to:
· Increase their ability to trust God amidst painful and traumatic experiences.
· Draw near to God when they are tempted to pull away.
· Recognize they are not punished by their painful experiences but blessed in Christ to give birth to their true selves, and God’s unique purposes and callings in their life.
· Make peace with a painful past or present and start living a life with a mission.
· Transform the story of their painful experiences into a story of preparation, empowerment, fruitfulness, and growth.
· Find comfort and strength by embracing surrender instead of control.
I am very excited about this book because it reflects my journey of finding purpose in the painful experiences in my life when surrendered in the God’s loving hands. It is about growth, and purpose, and meaning.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The three qualities most impactful in my journey were the willingness to trust God and submit to His plan, the persistence to pursue healing and wholeness, and the daily habit of spending time with God’s Word and in prayer. Relinquishing control and trusting the Lord, especially when I don’t understand and when things don’t happen, the way we want them is a key skill. It is a constant choice. Releasing control is the path to peace of mind and freedom from worry.
The second skill, which is very important when we want to follow our purpose and develop our potential, is never to give up and always to move forward despite the obstacles. Pursuing healing, wholeness, and fulfillment is a powerful act of faith and courage. Learning to be brave and do things despite the fear we feel is the quality that propels us forward.
The third skill is more of a spiritual discipline and soul -care. We need to learn to unburden our hearts in the presence of the Lord and to guard our hearts. We also need to challenge our beliefs and mindsets and let God’s truths revealed in the Bible change our thinking.
My advice for those who are early on their journey is to have faith and courage to change themselves and their lives. The most important is always to move forward despite the fear and doubts.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
My biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months was the healing of my heart from the unexpected and tragic loss of my husband in 2020.
Although grief is always present, I can experience genuine joy more often. I have more peace, and most importantly, I dream and plan again about the future. This is something I couldn’t do before.
Also, I experienced an immense growth in my writing and creative journey. I published my second poetry book in Bulgarian and my first Christian non-fiction book releases in March 2024.
I have also experienced growth in my connections on all levels. The past year was a year of connections and re-reconnections, I strengthened and deepened my existing relationships and friendships, expanded my network of fellow-minded creatives all over the world, and learned how better to serve my increasing audience.
I am so grateful for this past year and I am thrilled and excited about next year.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://onthewaybg.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hadassahtreu/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onthewaybg/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/onthewaybg
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hadassahtreu-author
- Other: You can order my upcoming book “Draw Near” here: https://www.callapresspublishing.com/shoppe/p/draw-near-how-painful-experiences-become-the-birthplace-of-blessings-by-hadassah-treu
