For real though… I don’t like writing about myself but I share this in hopes that you’ll come to the conclusion after reading this that it’s really not about Cristine very much at all. For I know I’m nothing without God’s grace to me, Jesus’ righteousness for me and His Spirit’s power in me that made me who I am today.I lived a rebellious life after leaving home at the age of 17 (& even before). I joined the ARMY at 17 in order to run! Well, I ran alright… Right into the arms of many lovers; one of whom became my husband at the time. (Shortly after dating, we had gotten pregnant & so married.) Life got hard… Real hard, real quick. But I stuck with trying to be wife, mommy and soldier as long as I could- until I just couldn’t. At that point, I left the ARMY (honorably, thank God!), I separated from my husband whom I later winded up divorcing, and I returned home (from Germany) as a newly single mom.
There is just too much that went on in the course of those years following to mention here, so I’ll spare you the details for now. All I’ll say is I went to nursing school, bought a house and tried to support my daughter the best I knew. Unfortunately, the “running into the arms of many lovers” part picked back up from where I left off before marrying her dad.
This life was a roller coaster which continued on for eight years, but the Lord rescued me from it all! And through a miraculous set of circumstances He Himself used to draw me in, the Lord Jesus saved me!
Shortly after my new found life in Christ, I met my now husband, & we started our journey of marriage and ministry.
Fast forward through a bunch of traumas and dramas in our first several years of marriage, and we realize Father God is then also calling me to homeschool the three children He gave us through this union. Huh?! Say what?! As if, my oldest child’s struggles hadn’t been enough to endure, I myself went through a season where God was delivering me of rage. But apparently in order to deliver me, I had to go through the rage first! But no, we don’t stop there… Three little ones begging for mommy but mommy just doesn’t know if she has it to give? I’m a wounded warrior after all. Tired, spent, and wrestling guilt, shame, condemnation, anger, etc… all the while trying to hold a part time job for extra income and be everything to everyone. Did I mention how we had very little $ during this time and close to no support? Yeah, and here the Lord is not only telling me how He’s using everything I’d experienced to transform me into His likeness, a Godly wife/mother but now I started feeling the call to homeschool the kids to boot! Say what?!!!
Yep. That is what I said. And Father God did it too! I fought Him big-time on His life purposes for me but eventually He won (as He always does!). Lol! Hear me out, I’m still and always will be a work in progress. But let me conclude what could otherwise be a very long story by sharing: God took this rebellious, wrestless, wild child and changed me into a passionate, all abandon, sold out Daughter to the King who is diligently working on trusting Him with this whole “Godly mother and wife” thing. And although I may not achieve quite that status this side of Heaven, I hope you read this and see how if Jesus could take a wayward one such as myself and set me on the path of someday growing up into such a woman, be encouraged. I love you all. I pray you receive this with the humility I tried to write it in; for its not my story. It’s God’s.
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