Wednesday SHINE....

Today's Reading: Ephesians 4:1-5:2

Happy Worship Wednesday SHINE girls!

Today, I have a very special guest post. I have only recently met this new friend, however, she is one of those people that you can just see Jesus all over!

Terri Webster has a riveting story of God's Mercy and Grace in her life. The first time she told me her story, I was in tears. Literally. Hanging on every word that she spoke.

Today, you will hear a snippet of her testimony.  I think it ties in perfectly with our Memory Verse this week as well. God has this all planned perfectly.

Be blessed by my friend, and sister in Christ, Terri Webster.

The sweet and beautiful Terri

What Was Meant for Evil is Turning into Good
by: Terri Webster

Twenty-five years ago I was adjusting to a new life. I was a young mom in my late twenties with two kids, and had been married to my high school sweetheart for nine years. My daughter was about two and my son was seven. When I became a mom, my deepest desire was to be a stay-at-home mom. I loved being home with my kids and doing all the wifely things. We used to call it domestic engineering. I did get to enjoy that role…. for a while.

Adjusting to my new life was a nightmare. The two people I trusted the most betrayed me. My best friend and I helped lead worship in our little church. She sang and I played piano. Our sons played little league baseball together and our husbands coached. We sat in my living room not long after giving birth to our second babies, nursing together. It was one year after my daughter was born that the affair started. No one knew about it for months. When my husband left I thought it was for other reasons he’d given me. I was clueless and waist deep in denial.

One week after my husband left me to pursue his affair with my best friend, I went into the working world full time. It was easier to find a job back then. I had a high school diploma and office skills that made it easy to stay employed. However, the jobs I found were always at the low end of the pay scale, so I really needed the child support that my ex-husband was supposed to pay. In the 19 years that I was a single mom, the child support was never regular, timely, the right amount or nothing at all. A couple of years after our divorce, I faced foreclosure of the little starter home we’d bought together in Conyers, Georgia and entered the renting world.

Adjusting to the reality of my husband’s affair, and my new plight as a single mom, was also nightmarish. I was sick, physically sick. I thought I’d die of a broken heart or some bad disease because I could barely eat enough to stay nourished and strong. All the ongoing injustice fed my hurt and anger as it seemed God had abandoned me too. But that was far from the truth. Despite what was happening, there is one thing I fed on, which is the reason I’m still here today, writing God’s story. I’m still seeing God take something that satan thought would destroy me and turn it ALL around for His glory. I just have to add a Halleluiah here!!! All praises to Him!

The thing I fed on which kept me alive was God’s word. He fed me night after dark night, and lit day after painful day with the truth of who He is and what He will do. He literally was my strong tower that I ran to; once I got over being extremely mad at Him, that is. Mad cuz He didn’t heal my marriage like I heard Him doing for other marriages. I was mad when He didn’t stop the insanity of everything that was happening. When I realized He wasn’t going to interfere with my husband’s free will OR mine, I chose to take the road to healing. I realized I still had many choices I could make, and spiraling out into the world of sin and death was not going to be one of them. I was NOT going to give satan that satisfaction. If what God was feeding me was the truth, then this was all going to someday SLAP that devil in the face and cause his little workers of iniquity to take their own spiraling trip downward to where they came from.

God has and is still restoring what satan ripped away. His story isn’t finished yet, because there‘s still some unfinished business He’s tending to. He’s also tending to a ministry to single parents that is born out of the hardships, pain and heartbreak I experienced. He gave me two new best friends during my nightmare. Sande and Susan walked with me through ALL of it, and our friendship is still solid today, even though they both live in Florida now. I’m about to release “Markers for Single Moms: Finding God’s Direction in the Chaos,” which is God’s story in book form. God has given me a new precious, godly husband and restored so much more!

Terri and her beloved husband

You’re probably wondering what became of my ex-husband and friend. I have forgiven them and take my part of the responsibility in the demise of my marriage. A few years ago I was granted a permanent restraining order against my ex-husband. This was the result of years of emotional and verbal abuse, hurled with threats scary enough to convince a local judge to grant that uncommon restraining order. My ex-husband’s life brings sadness to me, as I hear rumors of him still going in and out of jail for numerous offenses. I don’t know anything about my friend. They did marry eventually, but it lasted two years. I hope they both will one day enjoy an intimate relationship with the Lord.

Terri's loves!

Whatever it is that you may be going through, I can promise you one thing. A complete and total reliance on God Almighty, the Lord Jesus Christ through the power of His spirit will NOT leave you abandoned, destitute or rejected. Let Him handle whatever injustice may have been done. His living word is sharper than any sword, and brings nourishment to the core of our inner being. The Lord God Almighty is our refuge and strength, a very PRESENT help in trouble, Psalm 46:1! I must go to His word, the Bible, every day. I find everything I need right there, with Him. I can’t afford not to! And I love having all you SHINE girls with me feeding on His word together!

In His grip,

Terri