Sherilyn Hamon-Miller: The Smile That Hid My Pain
Nov 15, 2025
Intro from Jane Hamon:
She carries practical insight and wisdom to empower us all to live lives rooted and grounded in truth. She has navigated personal hardship with grace and a faith-filled perspective. Sherilyn has faithfully led administratively in the background, but like David and Esther, God is anointing her in this season to release her voice and share the wisdom she has stewarded so well. I know you'll be encouraged and strengthened by what she shares in this article. Jane Hamon Letting Go of the Past You can't always change what happens to you, but you can choose how you respond. From the outside, my life looked polished and put together. I was married to a pastor who also traveled as a minister, smiling on the front row while my four children sat beside me, perfectly dressed for church. To those watching, I looked steady, faithful, strong—even a role model they might have admired, imagining my life as perfect. Yet the truth is, appearances can be deceiving. Even today, when you scroll through social media, you may see people—even ministers—who look like they have everything together. But behind the curated photos, there can be hidden pain and scars you'll never see in a snapshot. Behind that smile was a woman breaking inside. I was wounded. I was angry. I was carrying pain I didn't feel safe to share. I don't call that hypocrisy, because I truly longed to worship God and raise my children in His presence. I believed the Word, even when the one preaching it didn't live it. Yet there were very few people—if any—I felt I could confide in.
Forgiveness and Freedom Forgiveness isn't about forgetting. It's about letting go so the offense no longer controls you. When you allow pain and betrayal to define you, it becomes your prison. Bitterness poisons your thoughts and even affects your body. But Scripture makes it clear: "See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many" (Hebrews 12:15 NIV). Bitterness binds you, not the one who wronged you. Forgiveness, on the other hand, frees you. It doesn't excuse what was done, but it releases you from being chained to it. Choosing to React Differently We can't control how people treat us, but we can decide how we will respond. Jesus showed us another way: "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44 NIV). That is not easy. It takes courage to forgive, strength to respond in love, and faith to believe that God will deal justly with every situation. But when you choose forgiveness, you take back control from the offense and place your future in God's hands. Don't Let the Past Define You
Your identity is not your pain. It is not your history. It is who God says you are: redeemed, restored, chosen, and loved. Living in Peace, Not the Past You cannot go back and change what happened, but you can choose not to live there anymore. Holding on to the past breeds depression, anxiety, and fear. Letting go opens the door to peace. God Himself extends this promise: "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!" (Isaiah 43:18–19 NIV). When you forgive, when you release what was, you step into what God is doing now. Defined by Christ, Not by Pain You are not what happened to you. You are who Christ says you are. And He calls you victorious: "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37 NIV). Today, you have a choice. You can hold on to the hurt and let it define you, or you can forgive, let go, and step into the newness and peace that God has waiting. Forgiveness doesn't mean the past disappears. It means the past no longer dictates your future.
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Sherilyn Hamon-Miller Sherilyn Hamon-Miller serves as CEO of Christian International Ministries. Sherilyn Hamon-Miller also functions as the administrator and personal assistant to Dr. Bill Hamon. She is the only daughter of Drs. Bill and Evelyn Hamon, blessed with four children, two children-in-law, and seven delightful grandchildren. She lives in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. Sherilyn's diverse experiences in business, ministry, and life have endowed her with unique insights into effective life management.
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I'm so excited to introduce you to my sister in law, Sherilyn Hamon-Miller. Sherilyn is the CEO of Christian International Ministries and someone who has walked faithfully in ministry, leadership, and family for decades. She's been in ministry her entire life, is a mother of four, grandmother of eight, and has served alongside Bishop Bill Hamon as his executive assistant for many years. With a strong prophetic and apostolic foundation, she's pastored, owned and managed businesses, and authored a powerful book called Stewarding Your Best Life.
And that's when I learned something sobering: people can't help you with a burden you never tell them about. But even when no one else knows, God knows. And when you reach the end of yourself, His faithfulness becomes your lifeline. (Photo via Max Pixel)
One of the enemy's greatest lies is that your past is who you are. He whispers, "You are your betrayal. You are your mistake. You are your failure." But that is not what God says. Paul reminds us: "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13–14 NIV). (Photo via Pixabay)
