To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven – Ecclesiastes 3:1
When I look back on my 34 years of life, I see several “seasons”. As a toddler I was happy and thriving. From kindergarten to 6th grade I was a typical kid living out school, summer vacations, church on Sundays, family gatherings, and enjoying life. It was a season of happiness. The following season was devastating. In the fall, right after I turned 12, my Dad and I went on an overnight camping trip near our home. That night he molested me. Little did I know that what happened that night would repeat itself, almost daily, for the next 5 years. That was a season of worry, sadness, and confusion.
The abuse stopped when I was 17 and a senior in high school. By then I had lost my virginity and had absolutely no idea how to act around men. I developed a real desire for them to like me, even if I didn’t like them. Because the only male figure in my life only showed interest in me in an inappropriate way, I thought that all men did. I expected men to react to me in a certain way, and if they didn’t, I felt rejected, insecure, like a failure, not good enough, you name it. I was in an extended season of confusion.
My husband and I met when I was 18. We dated, got married, and had two children by the time I was 24. It was a wonderful season that distracted me from the previous ones. Our third baby came when I was 29. Along with her came a season of depression and anxiety. It seemed as though everything from my past was coming to a head. Since I’d never really dealt with my past hurts, it began to control my present.
The enemy had me where he wanted me: miserable and without an ounce of trust in God. At my lowest of lows, I cried out to God, “HELP ME!” He reminded me of the Healed and Set Free book I’d had on my shelf for a couple years. I knew He was telling me to finally complete the study. Healed and Set Free has been a catalyst to a deeper relationship with God. It has walked me through a healing process, but more importantly, it has opened up a line of communication between God and me that I never knew existed.
I have been able to forgive and maintain a relationship with my dad. I know in Whom my identity lies: Christ! I am able to see now that God is more than trustworthy! My friendships are healthier. My marriage is stronger. My faith in God has matured. I could go on and on! I’ve tasted freedom in Christ and it feels good!
I still struggle from time to time, but when I apply the Healed and Set Free tools (see, give, forgive, and forget) to my situation, my perspective changes. I can see more clearly how I need to handle things. I am happy to say I am in a season of feeling healed and set free!
Recently I started leading a Healed and Set Free study at my church. I consider it an utter privilege to be a part of someone else’s journey to freedom. I know now that if you are willing to get real with God and peel away the layers of your past, God WILL heal and free you from it!
Signed,
I AM FREE!