My life has not been easy. In fact, I have endured more than most. From childhood abuse and multiple failed marriages, to church hurt and toxic work environments that I felt compelled to stay in because the fear of the unknown was greater than my fear of staying. It felt as if the seemingly never-ending trauma that I endured for more than four decades would break me. And on more than one occasion, I tried to take what I now consider to be “the easy way out” because it felt as if nearly everyone who was supposed to love me was hurting me. And those who should have been protecting me, weren’t.

This led to a nearly 40-year cycle of seeking validation and acceptance. It also led to rebellion. And rebellion mixed with the desire to feel loved and accepted is an awful combination. For years, my life was filled with anger and regret. Regret for the choices that I’d made, and for the decisions that I vowed to take, but didn’t have the strength to follow through on. I was exhausted. I felt as if my life was a constant uphill battle and nobody had my back. Which was even more disheartening because I was fiercely loyal and often had the backs of many people who rarely had mine. But God.

Flash forward to now, I am the proud mother of two adult children who are both successfully figuring this thing called life out. I am also happily married to a man who has spent the last 10+ years of our lives showing me what real love and devotion looks like. Unconditionally. In my eyes, Eric truly is the kindest, most wonderful man alive. A few months shy of my 50th birthday, I earned a master’s degree—a goal that I’d had since my early 20s; and I am currently a PhD candidate, anxiously preparing for my defense in the next few months. Oh, and at the ripe ol’ age of 51, I joined the greatest sisterhood ever created—a dream I’d had since I was 14 years old. To say that my life has done a complete 360 would be a vast understatement. And it was all by the grace of God.

I was once told that I’d “been through the fire, but didn’t smell like smoke.” Those words resonated with me deeply, and I treasure them to this day because they’re a true representation of where I’ve been and who I am. I am a survivor. A serial survivor, in fact. God bottles every one of our tears (Psalm 56:8), and He promised that in due season we will reap if we refuse to give up (Galatians 6:9). As someone who wanted to give up many times, I am a living testament that His word is true. And if He did it for me, He can most certainly do it for you. It’s time to be restored, confirmed, strengthened, and established (I Peter 5:10). I’m rooting for you.

Veronica