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We've discussed diet and exercise, but now let's focus on an often overlooked yet crucial aspect: spiritual transformation. This involves shifting our perceptions, reactions, and desires. It requires hard work, an open mind, and humility. Are you looking to grow in this area?
Join us as I share our experience, strength, and hope over the next three days!
Like many, we ignored God's gentle nudges until a transformative event happened September 15, 2022 that reshaped our lives. Through tears, agony, uncertainty, and betrayal, God embraced our family with comfort, gentleness, assurance, and loyalty.
Jesus, having felt these emotions Himself, granted us peace and forgiveness beyond our comprehension. Suffering is inevitable, yet He endured it first and asks nothing of us that He hasn't already experienced—A TRULY PERFECT LEADER.
Nearly two years later, reflecting on our growth and transformation, I would willingly endure it all again in a heartbeat.
Please understand this: Our joy doesn't exist despite our trials; it exists because of them.
Romans 5:3-4 (NLT) "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation."
Our focus was on ourselves and our loved ones, but now we try to see everyone through the eyes of Jesus.
I let go of control over my kids, realizing they belong to God.
To keep this perspective, we must be willing to be vulnerable enough to share our experiences with others and available enough to serve.
I want to encourage you, if you are going through a hard time, cling to God. He will get you through, and you will come out better than you were before.
If you are on the other side of a hard time, I encourage you to share. God allows us to go through trials, not just to refine us, but to gain the experience needed to serve others. This is my mission.
Tomorrow, I want to share with you how God empowered us with the strength to endure, saving my marriage and our family.
I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences, feel free to leave a comment below.
Enjoyed this post? Subscribe now for more insightful content.
Join us as I share our experience, strength, and hope over the next three days!
Day One: Experience
Like many, we ignored God's gentle nudges until a transformative event happened September 15, 2022 that reshaped our lives. Through tears, agony, uncertainty, and betrayal, God embraced our family with comfort, gentleness, assurance, and loyalty.
Jesus, having felt these emotions Himself, granted us peace and forgiveness beyond our comprehension. Suffering is inevitable, yet He endured it first and asks nothing of us that He hasn't already experienced—A TRULY PERFECT LEADER.
Nearly two years later, reflecting on our growth and transformation, I would willingly endure it all again in a heartbeat.
Please understand this: Our joy doesn't exist despite our trials; it exists because of them.
Romans 5:3-4 (NLT) "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation."
New Perspective
Through this experience, we see the world and people differently. We realized how often we judged others and feared the unfamiliar. 
Our focus was on ourselves and our loved ones, but now we try to see everyone through the eyes of Jesus.
I let go of control over my kids, realizing they belong to God.
Once I stepped back, they found their passions and flourished.
I once saw addicts as scary but now see them as hurt people needing help. I used to feel rushed and thought everyone was irritated, but now I see people just crave kindness. I needed to be humbled.
"True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. When we come to Jesus, we must lose ourselves to find our true purpose in Him."- CS Lewis
People are just people, and through God, I can see and love them. I once thought I could only feel that love for family and close friends, but strangers quickly turn into friends, and friends become family.
My introverted self now loves people, which is good because heaven will be full of them.
1 Timothy 5:1-2 (NIV) "Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity."
I once saw addicts as scary but now see them as hurt people needing help. I used to feel rushed and thought everyone was irritated, but now I see people just crave kindness. I needed to be humbled.
"True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less. When we come to Jesus, we must lose ourselves to find our true purpose in Him."- CS Lewis
People are just people, and through God, I can see and love them. I once thought I could only feel that love for family and close friends, but strangers quickly turn into friends, and friends become family.
My introverted self now loves people, which is good because heaven will be full of them.
1 Timothy 5:1-2 (NIV) "Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity."
SHARING IS CARING
To keep this perspective, we must be willing to be vulnerable enough to share our experiences with others and available enough to serve.
I can't ask you to do something I have not done, so I want to share with you what happened on September 15, 2022.
This was the day I found out that my husband was a closet alcoholic, through my son's observations (knife to the heart). I had no clue. Scott has a strong testimony that he openly shares, but I am here to share my story with you. Ironically, all this came to light exactly where I am sitting now in Bedford, Massachusetts.
I remember confronting him and thinking if he doesn't fess up, I'm done. Through tears and agony, he did. As he shared with me the extent of his addiction, my heart shattered into a million pieces.
Addiction brews secrets. I felt blindsided and betrayed. Although there was no infidelity, I felt as though he was sneaking off to have a date with whatever form of poison he could get his hands on. Times I needed him, he was not there, and it wasn’t because of work or whatever lie he mustered up; it was because of addiction.
I remember crying all night long, feeling betrayed, overwhelmed, claustrophobic, and so far away from everything familiar. I was scared. I had no idea what my future held; this was years of deceit unfolded in one conversation.
You might wonder how I did not know. I would ask the same question of someone else. In fact, I did! I watched shows like Intervention thinking that could never happen to me because I pay attention, I am aware, not naive. God humbled me real fast.
Before this happened, I felt like I was the one who had to hold our family together. I was the spiritual leader. I took care of the finances, our calendar, the kids, the house, and plans. I worked so hard to make sure our family was perfect and our kids had the best childhood ever, but I missed the mark.
This was the day I found out that my husband was a closet alcoholic, through my son's observations (knife to the heart). I had no clue. Scott has a strong testimony that he openly shares, but I am here to share my story with you. Ironically, all this came to light exactly where I am sitting now in Bedford, Massachusetts.
I remember confronting him and thinking if he doesn't fess up, I'm done. Through tears and agony, he did. As he shared with me the extent of his addiction, my heart shattered into a million pieces.
Addiction brews secrets. I felt blindsided and betrayed. Although there was no infidelity, I felt as though he was sneaking off to have a date with whatever form of poison he could get his hands on. Times I needed him, he was not there, and it wasn’t because of work or whatever lie he mustered up; it was because of addiction.
I remember crying all night long, feeling betrayed, overwhelmed, claustrophobic, and so far away from everything familiar. I was scared. I had no idea what my future held; this was years of deceit unfolded in one conversation.
You might wonder how I did not know. I would ask the same question of someone else. In fact, I did! I watched shows like Intervention thinking that could never happen to me because I pay attention, I am aware, not naive. God humbled me real fast.
Before this happened, I felt like I was the one who had to hold our family together. I was the spiritual leader. I took care of the finances, our calendar, the kids, the house, and plans. I worked so hard to make sure our family was perfect and our kids had the best childhood ever, but I missed the mark.
His sin revealed my sin.
Although my sin was not something as obvious as addiction, my sin was something just as destructive, pride. I longed to control everything, including our narrative. I have learned that control is rooted in pride. I did not know what it meant to surrender everyone and everything to God.
Although my sin was not something as obvious as addiction, my sin was something just as destructive, pride. I longed to control everything, including our narrative. I have learned that control is rooted in pride. I did not know what it meant to surrender everyone and everything to God.
A CALL TO ACTION
I want to encourage you, if you are going through a hard time, cling to God. He will get you through, and you will come out better than you were before.
If you are on the other side of a hard time, I encourage you to share. God allows us to go through trials, not just to refine us, but to gain the experience needed to serve others. This is my mission.
Tomorrow, I want to share with you how God empowered us with the strength to endure, saving my marriage and our family.
I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences, feel free to leave a comment below.
Enjoyed this post? Subscribe now for more insightful content.
I’m proud of you for telling your story. It takes away the enemies weapon - secret. And it blesses those who hear and see your testimony giving us faith and hope in a redemptive savior.
ReplyDeleteThank you. 🙏
Thank you for your encouraging words as sometimes I can write something and then think, "Ahhh what did I just put out there for everyone to read!" But you are absolutely right about secrets, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to share our story.
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