Kathryn’s Story
From a young age I have experienced abandonment again and again by the men in my life.
My father left when I was five. I reconnected with him when I was 22, and he died later that year. My stepfather, who I loved dearly, died of cancer. My married life was plagued by alcoholism, mental and physical abuse, adultery and finally divorce. Then I met a man who loved me for who I was. He was my dream come true and I respected him in every way. A month before our wedding, he died of a massive heart attack right in front of me. I tried my best to do CPR, but he went to be with Jesus.
My desire to see my fiancé again started me on the road towards God. I had always believed that He existed, but had never walked the walk. I relied on myself for everything rather than trusting Him, but felt like I was a complete failure.
Cam is my neighbor. When my husband and I had been going through our divorce, he made time to reach out to us and counsel us on several occasions. I was scared to come to Compassion Christian Church because it’s so large and I’m a very shy person, but I came because of Cam and the respect I had for him.
Cam’s sermons reached right to my heart. When he talked about his father dying at a young age and his mother attempting to revive him, it brought me to my knees. I knew I was not alone in what I had suffered and that, in time, good things can come from the ashes of devastation. I learned that I was not in control of my life; that I never had been; and that if I gave my life to Christ and let him take over, I would no longer need to feel like a failure. So I did, and Cam baptized me in the lake then and there. It was the first time I had felt joy since the death of my fiancé.
I realize now that God has a purpose for me. I am not a failure! I have started volunteering in multiple ministries at Compassion Christian and keep looking for more opportunities to serve and love on people. I will happily go wherever God sends me. When I leave this world, I want my fiancé to be proud of me when I see him again, but first and foremost, I want Jesus to be pleased with how I have used my time here on earth.
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