Today I want you to meet my brave and beautiful friend Lelia Chealey who shares her story of emptiness and how God redeemed her brokenness.
Italicized sentences are from Chapter 3 of A Confident Heart
Until our hearts find complete security and significance in God’s unconditional love, we will constantly turn to other lovers and never be satisfied.
Although I stood before family and friends professing my love and faithfulness to my husband, three years later I found myself trying to fill my emptiness in the arms of another man.
When the closed door of a previous relationship opened I ran through it. On Wednesday I was serving on our church’s youth team and by Saturday I was in between the sheets of a bed in a cheap hotel. The result of my affair led to a pregnancy I knew was from the other man since my husband had undergone a vasectomy.
Driving out of an abortion clinic and heading home to my unsuspecting husband, I wondered how I’d gotten to this place. Here I was a Christian wife and mom who had compromised my beliefs in more ways than one. Looking to fill my void with anything but Jesus, I walked further and further away from the One I needed most.
By being honest about her life and the lies she believed, she could start turning toward the Truth. She could bring the thirst of her heart to Him. Only then would she find confidence in the power of His love and start living in the security of His promises.
I ended my affair soon after the reality of my abortion set in. It shook my Jesus-loving heart to the core. One morning, after everyone was out of the house, I turned on some worship music, got down on my knees and began to sob. Raising my hands toward heaven, I told God, “If I lose everything – my marriage, my kids, my friends, my reputation, but I still have YOU, I’ll be okay.”
Admitting all the lies I had told and believed, I got gut-honest with God that day. And in that place of truth, I was set free and could then turn toward Jesus and away from my life of sin. Like Renee wrote, I could bring the thirst of my heart to Him. That’s what I did — I brought my parched soul to the only One capable of filling me and changing my mess of a life.
Three years later, I felt God leading me to tell my husband about my affair and abortion. We’d attended two marriage conferences during the in-between years and I couldn’t keep my secret any longer. Deep pain was evident on his face and in his tears. My heart broke once again over my affair as I listened to my husband process my choices.
Still in shock, he told me that while I was having my affair he too had been involved in one. I sat there stunned, silent and ticked off at God. How had He not prepared me for this moment of my husband’s truth? I felt instant emptiness, but this time I made the choice to bow my heart before Jesus and ask Him to help me.
Jesus came to give us more than salvation. He wants us to experience complete satisfaction in Him.
These words from chapter 3 resonate deeply with my soul. Although, I had attended Christian school from kindergarten though graduation in 1988; went to church on Sundays and returned on Wednesdays and knew countless Bible stories by heart, what I lacked was a relationship with my King.
Sitting there with my husband trying to process his unfaithfulness, God let me know He is the only One that could take my empty, broken heart and fill it with His unconditional love and confidence that I had sought in all the wrong places.
I love what Renee asked us this week, and how she encouraged us to write our own “when-then” statements:
So what do we do when our hearts start tossing and turning with emptiness and uncertainty? We need to stop and ask Jesus to help us see the worth we are placing in other things and the worth we are seeking in other people and shift our reliance to Him instead.
{Here are mine}
When I start to feel like my marriage is not giving me what I deserve then I will turn to God and ask Him to be my portion.
When I feel tempted to return to a life of emptiness and rely on my old patterns of comfort and fulfillment then I will praise God for what He has brought me from and remind myself that I am worthy of the sacrifice of the cross.
Lasting security comes when we bring the empty well of our hearts to Jesus and ask Him to fill and fulfill us with the security of His unfailing love.
It’s been nine years since the day of my and my husband’s confessions. Our marriage is far from perfect, but with God’s help we have walked through the process of forgiveness and restoration. My husband and I serve at a marriage conference every spring and God has used our mistakes to help other couples realize He is much bigger than any circumstance we face. He has also taken the shame and regret of my abortion and used it for His glory by calling me to be part of an abortion ministry, “Surrendering the Secret,” where I now serve as a leader.
I have no idea what your story it, but please believe this woman who almost lost everything for nothing. Jesus is worth seeking and giving Him a chance to fill up all the empty places of your life. If He can look at an unfaithful wife and compromising mom in Nebraska and see beauty instead of ugly then anyone is within reach of being embraced by His amazing grace.
You need to know that God wants you. There is no sin too heavy to stay nailed to the beams of the cross. You are the reason He trekked His way to Calvary and you are worth every step He took!
***
Thank you Lelia, for the courage and risk it takes tell your story – so raw, so real yet so full of His redemption. I see and love Jesus in you!
Your Turn: Will you take a minute to thank Lelia, and let us both know what has risen to the surface of your heart as you read her story or Chapter 3 this week? Just click “share your thoughts” below this post and do just that. Even sharing some of the answers to our end of chapter questions is great too. This is the place that truly connects us and makes our Confident Heart “community” so special. {Love you guys so much!} And if you are reading this via email, click here to visit my website and connect in community.
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WOW…in tears reading through these comments. You all or as my girlfriend Renee would say “y’all” are some gorgeous women. I’m out of town and unable to use my laptop where I’m at but heading to a place I can use it. So, I’ll be back to respond to these amazing hear-felt comments.
Big hugs and lots of love,
Lelia
Love and prayers right back to you Lelia! Thank you again for your powerful story. God is truly working through you!
Thank you Kyrie!
please pray that God can weed out the need for me to feel important so that HE can use my healing story for HIS GLORY totally. I have felt that I have to be perfect forHim to be useable and and I could not be perfect. I failed many times and was crushed by the load. Now I know that ‘GOD IS PERFECT AND I DON’T HAVE TO BE (Thank you, Renee) and I also know that the thought was one of satan’s lies that I refuse to believe anymore; but I have lots of weeds that need pulling to keep me humble and useable. Thanks!!!
Kathy, thanks so much for your honesty. Praising Him for you and praying for you as you continue your journey to the heart of God!
God,
Walk alongside Kathy and reveal to Kathy that her worth is found in you alone. Cause her to remember that we are all a work in progress. That we are all seeking after your heart, step by step. Remind her of your words in Isaiah 62:3, “You will be a crown of spendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God.”. Guide and direct with her weed pulling. Show her how to extend your not only to others but to herself as she moves forward to your heart.
I praise you for how you are revealing yourself to Kathy during this study. I thank you for how you are using Renee’s story to bring Kathy and others closer to your heart. Fill Kathy up with yourself. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Kathy – I can really relate to that. I have always tried to be perfect and meet everyone’s expectations. I grew further and further from God when I felt like I was letting him down. It wasn’t until recently I figured out I don’t have to clean my act up to go to God. Jesus made that possible. In fact he helped me realize that he did what he did for us because nothing we do could ever be good enough and he loved us that much that he wanted to stand in the gap for us. Only by His power are we made perfect in our weakness!
Lelia’s story has encouraged me this morning to write down some WHEN-THEN statements of my own. I have sought the satisfaction only God can give in my husband and as the journey continued and the satisfaction did not come I have hurt him in many ways. Praise God although there were moments I wanted to leave God has kept me true to my commitment and now is teaching me who my source of true satisfaction is. This is the second time I have done this study with Renee and the biggest thing I have learned is that we have to be active in the learning! I have always just wanted God to “Poof” change all my problems but that is not how He conforms us to His image. He asks us to be part of the working out our salvation by cooperating in what He says is necessary. I used to also live by a check off list expecting God to answer my prayers because I checked off my list of things I should be doing. He has shown me His ways are so much different than my thinking. One of the when-then statements I have written to help me is: WHEN I feel like I must be doing something for God THEN I will crawl up into the lap of my Father who just wants me to BE in His presence and rest in His love. Another is: WHEN I feel empty THEN I will cry out to the Bread of Life and Living Water to satisfy my soul. Thank you Lelia and Renee
Kathy…”active in the learning”…love it! And I love your when/then statement! I agree with you, we must cooperate! 🙂
Hello All,
I don’t know if this is the place where I post this? I had a head injury a week ago now. Through the gross negligence of a PT. I’m still having many of the symptoms of this mild concussion. Also, back pain. The symptoms are: headaches, nausea, dizziness. I would ask for continue healing.
Thanks!
God,
Thank you for Debbie. I would ask that you would give the doctors wisdom in treating Debbie and her head injury. Go before the doctors. Order their steps. Ease Debbie’s pain. Be Debbie’s Jehovah Rapha, her healer. I think of the story in the Bible of the hemorraging lady’s faith and how her faith in Jesus healed her after she touched the robe of Jesus. What amazing faith!! I would ask that you would completely fill Debbie with that same believing faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
echoing donna’s prayers. anticipating El Jehovah Rapha’s answer. <3
I’m here praying. Jesus take our stories and make them yours. Redeem our brokenness and make us whole and healed. Re-direc the desires of our hearts to thirst for you, to come to you, to listen to Your words of love and affirmation and to drink deeply of the truth that is ours in Christ. We want to need you more and more. We are tired of living dependent on rings and people that cannot satisfy. Oh Jesus, YOU ARE THE ONE WE LONG FOR – give us more and more longing and satisfaction in you. Renew our hearts and our minds, restore our hope and our confidence as we put our trust in YOU!! We want to know and rely on the love you have for us. In Your powerful Name, amen!!
thank you, renee—for this study, for allowing the Lord to lead you, for your transparency, for your prayer(s), for your love for us. <3
AMEN! SO BE IT, FATHER.
I prayed this along with you Renee. Thank you for this powerful prayer! God bless you!
Lelia, thank you so much for sharing your story. That could have easily been me. I was in, what I call an emotionally inappropriate relationship with a man at work. There was no sexual intimacy, no kissing, hand holding, none of that. However, I confided in him, the way I would have, and should have, my husband. My husband and I were having problems, and instead of looking to God to fill me up, or asking Him to help fix my marriage, I was letting this man emotionally fill me up. One day this man and I went out for a cup of coffee, and I felt my self very attracted to him, and I knew the feeling was mutual, no words had to be said, it was just obvious. That day I cut all ties with him. My husband knew he and I were friends, but not how deep it had gone. Soon after that I told my husband all about how deep it had actually gone though, and how much it had scared me.
My husband and I decided to have a baby, and I became a stay at home mom. However, I have decided that to keep myself from that temptation ever again that when I do go back to work one day, my interactions with men at work will only be business like. I will also pray for daily strength for myself to stay away from emotionally inappropriate relationships, and to strengthen my marriage. This isn’t to say it isn’t possible to be friends with a man, and not do what I did. I know myself though, and I thought because I had great male friends in HS and college, that I could still do it after my marriage. The difference is I was single then, and if I had become their girlfriend, it would have been OK. I know it is much easier for me to be friends with men. I fall easily into a friendly, and fun banter with men, but it can easily turn into flirtation, and then more. I have come to know this about myself since that incident.
I am daily, since this study, turning to God, and asking Him to fill me up. However, for me, I know that despite being filled up, my marriage is still rocky, fragile, and we are only now turning to God, ,and have rededicated ourselves, through Him, to our marriage. Also, since I know I have to daily ask God to fill me up, I could fall into a danger zone with a man again emotionally. So it is better for me to keep as far from temptation as possible. I think all of us dance with temptation, thinking we can handle it, and with God’s help most of the time we can. But I never forget I am human too, and as it says in the Bible in Romans 7:15 ESV, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” So I understand what happened to you, and how it can happen. I am so glad that you found how God can fill you up. I am also so very proud of how you, and your husband, through the work of Christ in your lives, stayed together.
We have so many broken marriages nowadays, and I can’t judge them, my own marriage is being worked on daily by Christ, and my husband and I have to rededicate ourselves daily to staying in the marriage and working things out. I know if I weren’t a Christian, with a Christian husband, our marriage too might be one of those broken marriages, a divorce. Again, thank you for sharing your story. God has done great works through you and what you went through, may He only continue that work in you, and in your husband. God Bless You! 🙂
Kyrie…I go to the extremes to protect our marriage, I have to. So continue to be wise and never let your guard down. Renee’s book is a great and timely gift from God to teach woman how to allow Him to fill their hearts with His confidence. Excited for you…keep moving forward one step at a time. 🙂
Good advice Lelia, thank you 🙂
Kyrie, what a blessing to have learned the importance of boundaries with men to protect your marriage! I am a nurse and there is one particular intern who I feel attracted to- so when I know it is his month on my unit, I take call whenever it is offered so that I don’t have to be around him. I don’t even know if it is mutual, but I don’t want to place myself in the line of temptation! We are commanded to flee such temptations in the Bible, and FLEE I will! I think emotional intimacy is such an easy trap for us as women to fall into with other men, especially if our husbands lack a bit in listening, communication, and empathy. But for the grace of God, there I would be as well! I thank Him for protecting me from being tempted in my greatest times of vulnerability- this is what I pray for when I am feeling so weak from my own emptiness and insecurity- first that God would fill those places, but also that He would keep me from temptation when I know I am most weak. May He do the same for all of us as we learn to look to Him and not our husbands for complete fulfillment!
Lydia, good to know I am not alone in having to flee this sort of temptation. You are right in that emotional intimacy is an easy trap, especially when like me, you have an already fragile marriage. My husband is a wonderful man, but our communication skills are still under going work. We often misunderstand what the other needs, especially emotionally, in a situation. Fortunately, God can fill those places, and spaces until we have learned more about communication, and really God should be the one who fills each of us first anyway. Thanks for sharing with me Lydia. God bless you! I will be praying for you, for all of us.
Kyrie,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. Mine is very similar. I have had an emotional relationship with a male friend from work. We even continued testing after he moved away. He is married as I am and his wife found out about our texts and conversations. I hope I have not ruined his relationship with his wife. I was using this relationship to fill the emptiness of my marriage, but now I realize that God is the only one who can fill me. I have not contacted this person since his wife found out, but the temptation is still there and I struggle daily to avoid it. I thank God for bringing me to this study and for all the brave women who encourage me by sharing their story.
I understand that temptation Nancy. Stay strong through our Lord hon, pray for the Lord to give you the strength daily not to contact him. I felt very lonely after I cut myself off from the man I had my emotionally inappropriate relationship with, so I know what you must be going through after you cut yourself off from him. I know though that God put you in this group for that very reason, to keep you strong in Him, our Lord, to keep on track and feeling the new closeness to Him and his promises filling your mind, and His love filling your heart. Jesus will take the place this man once held. It wont happen overnight, and it will hurt, I wont say it wont. However, you now have Renee’s prayers to repeat when you need to. Great Bible verses she has given you to pray, and put these all in your heart, really believe them. I have to pray everyday for the Lord to keep me close to him, and bring the verses from my head to my heart. I didn’t grow up in household filled with the Lord, so when I went to church I felt close to God, and anything I did outside of church was “homework”. I think subconsciously I felt as though Jesus lived in the church, as that is where I felt Him most, and that as long as I was “good”, and did my “homework” all week long He would be happy with me. However, this left a void in me and in my relationship with the Lord, and I became vulnerable. I needed the Lord in my heart daily. I am only now learning to ask Him to be in my heart each day. I am thinking of these verses and my time in the Bible as love notes from God. When I pray I am trying to visualize our Lord being with me. Little by little it is all bringing me to a much better, and far different place in my relationship with Him. I don’t know if you have experienced any of this, as far as your relationship with the Lord goes, but I wanted to just let you know what has helped me in case. I will be praying for you! (((HUGS)))
Thank you Leila and each and every one of you for being brave enough to share your story and thank you Renee for this study. It’s amazing to see how detrimental a non-confident heart can be in our lives because it allows Satan to manipulate our thoughts and feeling. A confident heart in Christ is our greatest blessing but often we are so overwhelmed with life that non-confidence creeps in slowly if we aren’t careful to stop our negative thinking. Renee’s what-then statements are very beneficial in establishing positive thinking for our spiritual growth with Christ. I’ve determined the following acronym for Confidence to help me.
C-count O-on N-nothing F-from I-individuals D-determine- E-every N-need C-Christ E-empowered
wowsie! love that acronym, lynn! thanks for sharing it with us…it is going right inside the cover of my ach journal. <3
thank you for that acronym. It will be a big help to me
Amen!
I like that acronym as well!
Love that!
Love that Lynn! Awesome!! 🙂
Over and over again I find myself in tears as I read chapter after chapter and then here again as I read Lelia’s story. I re-live the shame of things in my own past, some of which I believe have me now in this place where I don’t really want to be. I’ve spoken more than once on my two failed marriages but what I have not said is that I carry the guilt and shame of why marriage #2 failed. I messed up when I looked to fill my loneliness in the arms of another man, a man that I snuck around with behind my husbands back not for weeks or months but for years. Going to cheap motels and even being stupid enough to pay for the rooms myself because his significant other controlled all their finances and he couldn’t even justify the few bucks that was spent once or twice a month when we found time to sneak away for a few stolen hours. All the while, attending church each week, participating in ministries, professing to love the Lord with all my heart. My husband was never home; we were like ships in the night working two very schedules coming together on Sunday which I called happy married couple day because we would go to church together holding hands as we entered the church, Afterward we’d go have breakfast or brunch; he’d open doors, help me with my coat and then we’d come home and retreat to separate rooms and probably would not see or speak to one another again until the next Sunday morning. I felt alone, I felt neglected and even though I know now his time away from me was not spent with another woman I always suspected it was so and so I based my actions and my behaviors on assumptions and feelings instead of the word of God. It was me who packed up and left, it was me who threw 22 years of marriage away to be with another man who then turned around and married the significant other who he has been living with all the time we were sneaking around. I was crushed the day he married her. I remembered the day of their wedding I sat and watched My Best Friends Wedding over and over and over again with tears in my eyes and a pain in my heart I thought would never go away. I could not believe that now that I had left my husband and free to be with him that now he chose to marry her. On top of that, as soon as the wedding ceremony was over and he could be by himself he called to see if I was alright?? I asked him if congratulations were in order and he replied, I guess you can call it that. Even after he had made his choice and was now married he still wanted to sneak around with me. How ironic now I was the single one and he was married. What a fool I was. Three years later, his marriage failed and he and I had our opportunity to have the relationship I thought I wanted only to find I did not know him at all. All that time I had no idea he was heavy into drugs and other criminal activities as well as suffered bipolar tendencies. My prince turned into a frog and to think I had thrown everything away for this. Talk about jumping from the pan into the fire. To add to all of that I found he was diagnosed with liver cancer and as much as I wanted to walk out I could not leave him because with the dissolution of his marriage he’d lost everything and had no one but me. I remember one Sunday, sitting on the balcony of my small apartment in tears because again I had missed Sunday service because we had gotten into it early that morning; yelling and screaming at each other and I was so upset I just couldn’t get it together to go to church. As I sat there I talked to God, reliving the past few years in my mind wondering how I wound up in this place, so miserable and so un-happy with the man I thought was the man of my dreams. I couldn’t walk out on him but at the same time I couldn’t take the life we had together any longer. I cried out to God and asked him how He was gonna get me out of such a mess; three days later my friend was dead. More tragedy, more pain, more emptiness. That was 4 years ago and today although I’m in a very different place with God I’m finding I still have not given Him all my hurt and pain. I thank God for Renee, her book and this study because it is bringing the pain to the light and allowing me to deal with it and process it in a why I never have before. I’m learning that I can’t be fulfilled with the love of a man until I allow God to fulfill me with his love and that I can not allow the relationship that I’m in now where the man I love won’t commit to mold me or shape me or change my own self worth. My worth is in God; only he can fill my empty places. I am so very grateful that God led me to be a part of this Confident Heart bible study.
Dear Denisse:
I do not find myself in the same place as you, but drawn to the same conclusion. My marriage has been hard because of my demanding that my husband be my satisfaction. It has pulled us apart in spirit but we are still together. God is teaching me to find my satisfaction in Him and it is quite the journey. Sometimes He pulls layers of the onion off and I see clearly how I am not bringing my needs to my faithful God other times it is a slow process of seeing all the mistakes and finally bringing them to the cross to be buried there. I keep saying heal us please and I know God’s reply is “I am, but I am starting with you so just keep working with me and we will get there in my timing.” I am learning to trust that statement. Keep taking it all to God our true source of the bread and water we need to grow and live a satisfied life. I will not lie and say it is an easy fix. Satan definitely is opposing us but our GOD IS GREATER. Believe with me and stay on your knees.
Amen Kathy! I am believing with you and will remain on my knees til I see my breakthrough. You are right, it isn’t easy but God tells us that this battle is not ours, it is the Lords and it has already been won! Glory to God! So with all this I remain with an attitude of praise, as you said OUR GOD IS GREATER! and bigger than any situation we may be facing! Thank you my sister in Christ for your words of encouragement! I am standing in agreement with you! God bless you!
Thanks you and we will be on our knees together!!! Praise to the God WHO FIGHTS FOR US!!!
Yes amen!
I’m here praying for you too Barbara, and for each of you reading and sharing today – and those that are simply reading and holding back the tears.
I’m proud of you Barbara for being so courageous… so willing to let down the walls around your heart and share your story and your heartbreak with us. We are praying the power and redemption of God’s truth and love over your life. As I shared with Denisse, you are worth what it’s gonna take to live free. One step and one redeeming life-changing choice and dependence on Jesus at a time. He’s in you and with you and for you – HE will do this as you rely on HIM!!
Jesus I pray that you would continue to take Barbara’s story and make it Yours. Redeem her brokenness and make her whole, healed and courageous enough to hope again. Give her a continual deep desire and thirst for you and Your words of love and affirmation. Draw her to Yourself to drink deeply of the truth that is hers in Christ. YOU ARE THE ONE SHE LONGS FOR – give her more and more longing and satisfaction in You – the Lover of her soul. In Jesus’ Name amen.
AMEN to all that Renee prayed over you Barbara! In His timing, God will use your story for His glory…He’ll blow your mind and help others at the same time.
Barbara, I’m so sorry for all the pain and emptiness that has followed you in life. But I’m praising God that you are finding that only He can fill those empty parts. Your story has hit on so many things in my own life. While my life on the outside appears to be stable, behind the walls and doors it is anything but. And while I haven’t had a physical affair, I have had emotional ones which are just as destructive. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us all. It gives me hope. Hope that everyday I can grow stronger with God and allow Him to be my ultimate friend and love of my life! I’m praying for you and will continue to do so. Can you pray for me? I’m so glad that I joined this group as well. I am a missionary living in South Korea which causes a HUGE amount of loneliness which also leaves doors open for temptation. I only allow myself to take it a day at a time or a hour at a time or a minute at a time or even a second at a time.
Praying for you! Thank you for sharing your heart and asking for prayer!
Linda, I am honored that you have asked me to pray for you and find it a privledge to do so. How awesome it must be, serving as a missionary in Korea but I can also see how it may open you up to lonliness and temptation. Satan knows our every weekness and looks for every opportunity to use it against us. Scripture says he comes to kill, steal and destroy but the GOOD news is that Jesus comes so that we may have life and life abundantly. (John 10:10) That being said, May the Lord our God in His infitnite wisdom comfort you and may His favor chase you down and surround you every where you good. I will be keeping you in my prayers and am asking that you keep me lifted up too!
Wow! Thank you so much for sharing our story!
For the past two years I have been dealing with a man whom I thought was for me but as time has gone by, I can see that he is not. I thought he was it, I met in Church, he is on the praise team but I never thought after meeting him and beginning a relationship with him, that I would be where I am now. After year of dating, the lies came, the manipulation, the other woman, and a hidden marriage. I couldn’t believe it but then I again I could. Two years later and I am here, nothing has changed. I do not understand how I allowed myself to get here, how could I allow this man to be a part of my life, how could I allow him to be around my children. I decided to leave the state, I thought that maybe if he didn’t see me, it would help, maybe he will really leave me alone but even being here he contacts me.
A few das ago, I was home alone and I just cried out to God and told Him “I don’t want this life anymore, I do not want to live like this. If alone you want me, to never marry and be alone, I am ok with that just please get me out of this mess!” I told the guy that I couldn’t do this anymore, that I NEED God and I am not going to jeopardize my salvation for nothing or no one, and he should want the same.
I want to go back home, back to my church, back to my life! But I go with a different mindset, and without him in my life. I woke up this morning a little scared because of his threats as far as what he can do to hurt me, not physically but he always threatens to make me look bad somehow. I have allowed somethings to happen just for his love, and I do not know why! But I have repented and I know that God has washed away all of m sins, and that this man cannot cause anymore pain or hurt in my life.
I want more, I know that God hs more for me and my children!
I realized recently that since the time that I gave my life to God, I always tried to fill a void with a man. I felt that I needed a mans company and attention to feel wanted and secure but I was wrong. All I need is God, He can fill every empty place in my life, He will make me whole, so I reach out to touch the hem of His garment for I know that I will be made whole!
Thank you so much for sharing our story, it has helped me to realize that I have the reassurance that I am forgiven and that God is for me and He loves me. I use to beat myself of because of all the wrong I was doing and I had no peace becuase of my relationship with this man, from my own guilt and the confusion adn clutter he was causing in m head I felt so lost…. But I know that God will take all the ugliness and use it for His Glory…. This definitely feels like Redemption!
I left out that I have had 3 abortions, and this is something that is really hard for me to talk about. Even saying it now tears fill my eyes. But I know that I am forgiven and that God has a great life for my 2 children who are now 13 and 11 years old. I went to a pre screening of the movie “October Baby” which I highly recommend and right there in the movie theater, healing took place and I know that God has forgiven me for what I’ve done years and years ago when I allowed m children’s father to convince me to do it because he wasn’t ready. Yes…the things one would do for a man. What a live I’ve lived and I’m only 31 but, I am ready to do whatever I have to do FOR GOD!!!!
hi denisse…i’m sure it took alot to share your life and heart with us. praying along with you that God will continue to heal you and bless you and take the story of His redemption in your life and allow it to be used for His glory! <3
Denisse…you are so brave my friend to share your story! I love that about you. Keep pushing through Renee’s book, “A Confident Heart”…if you allow God to do all He wants to in your life then by the end of the book, you won’t be the same woman you were when you started it.
I strongly recommend visiting the post-abortion ministry website and seeing if there is a leader in your area…http://www.surrenderingthesecret.com/get-help-now/certified-leaders/united-states-leaders-map/
And you’re right….God will use your ugly past for His glory!! 🙂
Lelia…. Thank you so much! I am going to keep pushing and I have that expectation, that after this study I will not be the same woman! Thanks for the link, I’ll look into it and thank you again for sharing your story! 🙂
You’re so welcome! Praying for you this morning!
I just want you to know that Lelia is reading and praying for each of you – with tears in her eyes. She only got her blackberry and it’s really hard to leave a comment with it but she’s hoping to get online so she can interact with you all today.
I love you Denisse as my sister in Christ, and I’m proud of you for being so brave to share your story and your sorrow with us. We are for you and we are praying for you to feel the power and redemption of God’s truth and love in your life. You are worth what it’s gonna take to live free. One step and one redeeming life-changing choice and dependence on Jesus at a time. He’s in you and with you and for you – HE will do this as you rely on HIM!!
Thank you so much Coleen and Renee… Your kind and loving words just overwhelm me with tears! I know that God is purging me and preparing me for a completely filled life in Him. I’m not going to let anything hinder me from seeing to it that His purpose be fulfilled in my life.
I am so thankful for this study, I didn’t think that it would be so much for me but it is! And I thank God for it and I thank God for you Renee… Never stop!
Your sister in Christ,
Denisse
As I struggle to understand why at 38 I am still single even though every part of me longs for marriage and family, I can’t help but wonder as I read today’s post if God has saved me from some deeper heartache. Was I truly ready to commit to a man when I haven’t truly surrendered to God? I still have emptiness when it comes to my relationship with my heavenly Father. Through the encouragement I have received in this study, I have resolved to let God fill my emptiness with Himself and then, I know, I will be ready for the future destiny He has in store for me. Thank you, Renee, for your prayers on the behalf of all the women participating in this study. You and your book are a blessing to me.
I’m 43 almost 44 and I’ve never been married. I like you have wondered why I’m not married either. It could be that God feels that I’m not ready or that maybe it is his will for me to never marry.
Julia…I love that you’ve resolved to let God fill your emptiness. In “A Confident Heart”, Renee walks us through how to live a life that daily turns to Him so that He is our constant source of fulfillment and He is our confidence. Keep pursuing your King and believe what He says in Psalm 45:11 about you…The King is enthralled by your beauty.
This story touched me in so many ways. I’ve had 2 abortions & am on my 4th marriage. I wasn’t raised in a Christian home. I was married to my 1st husband with my 1st abortion. I had 1 child when I was 19 & not married. My 1st husband was divorced & refused to pay child support. How could I raise 2 children on my own. Steven was already cheating on me. I was single when I had my 2nd abortion. Then I married my 2nd husband. We were married for almost 10 yrs, when I had an affair. I couldn’t look @ him, much less myself. I ran hard & fast. Husband #3 was a drunk. During most of this time I was going to Church & going thru the motions of being a Christian. It wasn’t until my youngest son became a heroin addict that, that I gave myself to God. And starting trusting in the promises that I had read so much about. When I heard that being a Christian was a bout a relationship & not a religion. That’s when my eyes were opened for the 1st time. Now my current & 4th husband were having a lot of problems. Mostly because I clam up & hold things in. (My father was a alcoholic & could be abusive) Last year our Church paid for us to attend Weekend to Remember, put on by Family Life. Our marriage isn’t perfect, but we are working on it & plan on attending Weekend to Remember every year for as long was we’re still here together.
I want to Thank you for sharing Renee & Leila. Helping me to be strong & over come all that life has dumped in my lap from the day i found out that I wasn’t planned or wanted. My story is long & hard,but God has a plan for my life & He doesn’t make mistakes or junk.
praying for you, patti! thanking God for all that He is doing in your heart&life…He DOES have a plan for your life! <3
Patti…you have been through some stuff…all usable by God! Weekend to Remember is the conference that Gene and I have attended and volunteered at every spring since 2004…life changing and amazing! So glad you guys go.
Besides working through Renee’s book, “A Confident Heart”, in the future you may want to see if you have any Surrendering the Secret groups in your area. It’s a great post-abortion ministry. You can find more info at our website http://www.surrenderingthesecret.com/get-help-now/certified-leaders/united-states-leaders-map/
And amen Patti..based on Jeremiah 29:11 alone, He has greatness planned for your precious life!
Thank you, Renee, for bringing this testimony to us and also to you, Leila, for your openess and honesty. I am sitting here in tears. I have looked to others to fill voids in my heart, too. I am so thankful that our God is a forgiving God. I feel as if I am so undeserving of His love, compassion, and forgiveness. This story has helped me trust in and believe that God has forgiven me. Blessings to you both, my sisters in Christ ~ Hugs 😉
Tiffany…it’s so easy to turn to other people or things to fill our voids, but what we don’t realize at the moment is emptiness can’t fill emptiness. Let your Savior wipe those tears and embrace you right where you are. And you are right girl, we ARE all so undeserving of what He offers us, but let us daily lay aside our unworthiness and embrace all He that He is. He makes it so worth it when we allow Him to fill us with His confidence as Renee teaches us about in “A Confident Heart.” Renee and I are both proof that only He has what it takes to fill an empty heart. Will be praying for you!
Thank you Leila for sharing. You will give hope to many women who think whatever choices they have made or things they have done will keep them from the love of God. NO SO!! You are living proof of HIS amazing grace. God bless you are He uses you and your husband to help others to find their way back.
Machelle…Amen! What an incredible God we have! 🙂 Thank you for your sweet words of encouragement.
Thank you for sharing this story. I remember when I felt so empty and alone. A class mate of mine had committed suicide and I could feel her loneliness even though I was married I felt such loneliness. It wasn’t to much longer before God called me back into His life and into church again after not attending since being a teenager some 20 years. There have been times that I could not go on without God and His unconditional love. I have filled my voids with doing service projects and trying to please other people. I am learning that I have self worth and I just need to fill myself more and more each day with God and His word.
Amen Brenda! You have enough self worth to send a man to a cross and get crucified by choice! I too am learning that I have to fill myself with God and His Word DAILY. And when I don’t, I miss Him. 🙂
Thank you Lelia for sharing your story. My marriage like yours is suffering consequences of bad choices. Ones that one of us never lets go away We’ve been to counseling; never works. My husbands job is one that requires a very assertive, always in control person. So he never lets go of that. My husband and I are on 2 different planets sometimes it seems. He travels 4-5 days a week, we have 3 kids 11,13,15 who I home school, we just recently moved out of state, and the list goes on. At first I chose be depressed, tried suicide, and then it hit me. I am trying to do all this alone , I am trying to fulfill my heart alone…that’s when I told myself I am God’s child and he alone is the only one who can fulfill me. And bring forgiveness and peace to me. I pray everyday to feel that love I need from my husband as I never had it from my fathers. Some of you are probably going then get a divorce. My husband is a wonderful guy! Its life, finances, traveling, choices, that have come between our once happy loving relationship. All I can do for now is work on me and fulfill me with God so I don’t make wrong choices. It hurts..I cry but God has to have a plan out of all this. I stay in His word daily and with positive faithful friends to help me get through this journey he has for me. I’m sure a lot of us have stories but its what has made me turn to God and lean on Him and not anyone or anything else. I am blessed that God forgives and never leaves. Thanks for listening and have a blessed weekend! Happy Mother’s Day to all of you!
My husband and I seem on different planets most of the time as well. As I said in my comment, it is only recently that we made a choice to work through Christ, to work on our marriage. Have you seen Fireproof together ( that’s what helped us make the choice we did, and see that we hadn’t included Christ in the healing of our marriage)? We too have tried counseling (Christian and Secular), and other things, that haven’t worked. However, and I know your time together is quite limited, but we have found reading the Bible together, and praying together, is helping us a lot. Also, daily we are trying to pray for our marriage. We are really giving it up to God at this point. Would it be possible for the two of you to pray over the phone together at night, maybe read the Bible together too, or just some passages? I know it’s odd to hear marriage advice from one who is struggling, like me in my marriage, but then again, maybe it’s because my marriage is struggling that I want to tell you what is helping us. Believe me, it’s far from healed, and I honestly think although some marriages go along more easily than others, marriage is never easy, and always hard work. I grew up seeing my mother go from marriage to marriage, but in all of them the struggle came.
I think too I bought into what the world sells (not saying you do this). I watch romantic movies, see romantic relationships on TV, and on, and on. I wanted that. I thought it should be that way, always. But God is writing my romance, and in His script He writes in struggles that aren’t healed easily, and when they are it’s only through Him, not a note, not flowers, not after the romantic music plays, etc. It’s only after as a couple we put our whole faith in Him daily, and thank Him daily for our marriage, even on the hard days when it seems like there is nothing there to be thankful for. Also, unlike a movie my marriage will not be worked out in two hours, lol. It’s all in God’s time, that is the hard part. God’s time is one of those things we have no way of knowing, or judging. I like things that I can see and touch, and I can’t see God’s clock, or touch it. I just have to have faith His timing is when things are the best time for them to happen.
You also mentioned your sadness. I understand that too. I struggle with depression. It’s even harder to see through the pain of marital problems, when it’s hard to make it through a day without struggling inside yourself, I know! I take medication, and have to really monitor my depression (I ask everyone, please no comments on medication. I respect all views, but it hurts to hear some of the comments I have heard on faith vs. medication. I’m not saying anyone here would say anything, just trying to avoid that pain.) My depression can easily cloud all I see around me. I have prayed for the depression to end, but it’s just not God’s time for it to be healed in my life I guess. Sometimes I think it is one of His ways of keeping me close to and relying on Him. Also I believe that He will use my depression, and my marriage struggles to help others one day, somehow. Lelia is using her story and helping so many, and God used many stories of his beloved children’s struggles in the Bible, that I am sure he can use all of us. To help even one person, would be an honor, and if each of us through our story could help one person, think of how wonderful that would be!
I am so glad we have this study. We all seem to be blessed from it in different areas in our life, but especially in now knowing one fundamental thing, only God can fill us up. It seems so simple, but it is hard to do. It is hard for me to translate God’s promises from my head to my heart, but as I work on it daily, it is becoming easier. It is even helping in my marriage, as I was relying on my husband to fill me up too much. It was far too much for one person to take on, only God can.
It’s wonderful that you have friends, are in His word, and are trusting in God to fill you up. You are very blessed to have such good friends, and we are all blessed to have Jesus as our Savior. I hope you didn’t mind me speaking to you about all of this. I hope it didn’t sound like a “lecture”, I am far from a place where I have any business doing that! I just felt your heart hurting, and I felt like God wanted me to reply to your post as someone who is in a somewhat similar place.
Oh, and I forgot! A Happy Mother’s Day to you, and all of the ladies here too! 🙂
Kyrie…It’s great when you realize, as you have that ONLY GOD can fill you up. You’re on the right track, my friend! And yes, we all have a usable story, we just have to cooperate with Him and He’ll equip us to share however He need us to. I always thought this stuff would be a secret between Him and I, but He had different plans. 🙂 “A Confident Heart” has been a tool that God used and continues to use to change my heart and keep me focused on Him.
Proud of you! Keep moving forward!
Thanks so very much for the encouragement Lelia 🙂 I will be praying for your ministries, and for you as their leader. I know you minister to the hearts of many, as you have all of us.
Thank you! God amazes me so much!
The article really hit home as well as what you wrote. I understand the pain of not being in the same place as your husband and I will be praying for you. Thanks for sharing your heart. I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone. I am reminded of a couple of weeks ago when my husband told me he had no desire to work on our marriage. He didn’t care if it got any better. I was able to here that and know that my husband was not my hope. My hope is in Christ alone. So bad things happened and God got a hold of my husband and I am amazed at what he is willing to do now. God is faithful. Thanks for your heart.
Sarah, thank you so much! We had confessed to each other in 2006 so God has really worked on us and in us over the last 6 years. It was 9 years ago it all started, but the confessions didn’t happen until ’06 on our way home from volunteering at a Family Life Weekend to Remember conference. It was a life changing moment for us individually with God and together as a couple. God is SO amazing.
I love you and your husband’s story of how great our God is! Thank you also for your heart…God is worth bragging about! 🙂
Wow Sarah- I remember you mentioning your struggling marriage back in the first week… and to hear that your husband’s heart is changing… how wonderful to see the power of God!!!
Cheryl…I love what you wrote here: that’s when I told myself I am God’s child and he alone is the only one who can fulfill me. And bring forgiveness and peace to me.
No matter how hard marriage and life get, always continue to seek Him! I’m sorry that it’s tough, but as I shared last night when I spoke in a wedding Isaiah 43:2-3 says that God will get us THROUGH the tough stuff. We may come out on the other side wet or smelling like smoke, but you will not get burned or swept away because He is the Lord your God and Savior! Hang in there!
Thank you Leila for sharing your story. I am guilty of looking to people to fill my voids, and God has shown me that clearly, I need to look to Him. In chapter 3 it says “God put a longing for unfailing love in our hearts because He knew it would lead us back to Him. Only God will fill and fulfill the desires of our heart.”. I love the when/then statements……. Mine include, when I am tempted to determine my worth as a stay at home mom, then I will remember I am of great value in God’s sight. When I am tempted to feel unloved and disconnected, I will remember God loves me with an unfailing love. I will remember He is the only one that can meet that need! This chapter was exactly what I needed this week, feeling lonely and disconnected from spiritual relationships…… It has brought me to God to be filled as I need!
Jackie…I love your when/then statements! We have to keep turning to Him for all of our needs. The video Renee shared this week is such a powerful visual of how we must let Him fill us up. I love what you said, “He is the only One that can meet that need.” AMEN Sister!
Lelia’s story is a reminder of God’s faithfulness, comapssion , favor and grace. He has taken her marriage and past and it is now being used for his glory to edify and encourage other women and men in how God can and will restore marriages and family. He can and will heal our hurt.
Jackie…YES! I love that you got that this is all about GOD! We are definite proof that God can take any ugly and make it beautiful. All He needs from us is our cooperation! 🙂
Thank you so much to hear that story I was in almost the same situation and god brought me through!! Am so happy to hear that we are not perfect but we are still loved by god!! Really speak to my heart !! Thank you Leila!!
Karen…praising God He brought you through! He is SO good! 🙂
what a wonderful Father we have in that He would bring you, leila, into our lives today—sharing from the depth of your heart—drawing us closer to Him!!! He alone knows exactly how your story would impact each of our hearts. He knows the trials that each of us are struggling through. and He knows the way to help each of us to recognize our great need to be filled with the only One Who can truly satisfy—our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. thank you, leila, for being willing to share with us. i am praising our awesome forgiving, redeeming, compassionate, loving God along with you! <3
AMEN AMEN AMEN Coleen! You are so right, He knows us and knows what we need in our lives and when. One of the many things I love about our Chief Shepherd. xo
me, too! <3
Just wanted to say thank you for sharing Leila’s story. What an amazing redeeming God we serve! Nothing is impossible with Him no matter how impossible the situation may appear. What a testimony to that!
Thank you Melissa! Amen…He is such a Redeemer!!
I usually do not express my feelings but I connected with this article in some ways. Sometimes it is so easy to get to that place of emptiness in your marriage I’ve been there a few times. It can become very discouraging. I’m not giving up and I’m working on building my relationship with God so that He can strengthen my marriage. What a blessing that God has used your story to reach out to many who are experiencing the same things. May he continue to you use and your husband.
Elle…I love that you’re not giving up! The marriage conference that Gene and I volunteer with every year is with Family Life and is called Weekend to Remember. I never thought Gene would go, but I prayed and asked and he said yes. Before I could get out of shock I made the hotel reservation. That was back in 2004 and started volunteering in 2005. It has been a tool God has used to strengthen our marriage and help us stay together. Keep pursuing!
Leila,
Thank you for sharing your story , what an awesome testimony to our Father. Nothing is bigger or badder than His love. For myself it is my judgmental attitude and my own agenda that can pull me away from the Father. Because they seem less dramatic, it becomes easy to fall into. Praise God He has taught me to pay attention to Him, and to remember I am here to glorify Him, not get my agenda accomplished.
Thank you again sister,
Amy
Renee,
Thank you for your special email. Your stating : ” However, when that happens I know God is about to do something and the enemy wants to stop it. He’d love for us to give up. It’d be the easiest thing to do.” is an awesome reminder that our enemy wants nothing more than to trip us up with his lies. Praise God for His love for us and His power over evil!
God Bless You!
Amy
Amy…I love this! You’re awesome…thank you! 🙂