Faith Through Trials, Bridget Kidd’s Inspiring Story

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Hey friends, welcome to the Her God Story podcast where you will always hear a good story to encourage and inspire you in your walk with the Lord.

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I'm your host, Jodie Chiricosta, ministry leader at Somebody Cares American International, author and traveler on this journey with Jesus,

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and I am so glad you tuned in to this episode.

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You know, as the children of Israel were getting close to entering the Promised Land without their earthly leader, Moses,

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who had led them out of Egypt and through the desert for 40 years, I have no doubt they were shaking in their sandals.

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There was a vast land filled with wicked and giant Canaanites just across the Jordan River.

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It was a land full of unknowns, and it was time for them to go across and take the land.

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But the Lord gave Moses a comforting word for them.

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We find it in Deuteronomy 31-6, and the NIV version reads,

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Be strong and courageous.

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Do not be afraid or terrified because of them.

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For the Lord your God goes with you, He will never leave you, nor forsake you.

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I love that.

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God has promised to be with us, to never leave us, to never forsake us.

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That is a comforting word when we face giants of our own.

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And there are plenty of giant problems in the world that we can come up against.

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My guest, Bridget Kid, is no stranger to giants in her life.

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But she's also no stranger to God, who has always been with her and has delivered her from each giant as she has followed him.

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She has an amazing story of God's faithfulness and redemption.

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Bridget was put in foster care as an infant and later adopted by a loving Christian family.

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God has used her experiences to help others as she served for many years as a licensed professional counselor,

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married with three children, the youngest of which just left for college.

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Bridget's desire is to help others who have struggled with identity and abuse issues,

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leaving a legacy of God's faithfulness in their hearts and their lives.

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Welcome, Bridget.

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Thank you. Thank you for having me.

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Bridget, you had a bit of a rough start in life, but as you look back, you could clearly see how God was with you even then.

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Share about those early years, how God rescued you as a toddler from a pretty desperate situation,

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and how He eventually drew you to Himself.

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I was born in Miami, Florida, to a young unwed woman.

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She was about 21.

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I don't know much about her because I was put up for adoption very early as a newborn,

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but she had parents, I think, who pressured her to put me up for adoption from what I understand.

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And so that started a series of me being placed in foster care because even though I was put up for adoption as a newborn,

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I was placed in foster care.

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Unfortunately, my mother had mental health struggles while she was pregnant with me,

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and she gave birth to me while she was in a mental health facility and institution because she,

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what was reported to me, had a nervous breakdown during her pregnancy with me.

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What transpired then is that once I was born, they transferred me to the local hospital in Miami,

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and I was placed for adoption.

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So I went to my first foster home as an infant, newborn, and I'm not sure how long I was in that home,

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but thankfully God was watching over me because my case workers discovered I wasn't being cared for,

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that I was being neglected, and so they put me in another foster home.

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Turned out okay.

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However, that foster family then had to move.

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And so then I was placed in a third foster home, and the reason I wasn't adopted right away was because I had medical issues as a small child as an infant,

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and every time I would be up for adoption and had an adoptive family interested in me, my health issues would flare up.

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I was almost two years old, and then the family that eventually adopted me, they came to the agency,

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and my wonderful adoptive mother convinced the folks at the agency to let her take me to her pediatricians,

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and that maybe he could help clear up the medical issue so I could be cleared for adoption.

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My mother is very convincing and influential, and so that's exactly what happened.

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They allowed her to do that.

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And so once I was treated by her pediatrician, my health issues cleared up, and I was cleared for adoption.

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I came to my adoptive family's home, and I was illegally adopted by them when I was about two and a half.

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It was a wonderful, loving Christian home that I was raised in, and I learned about God very early on.

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In fact, I don't ever remember not knowing about God.

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And my adoptive mother, very much a leader in her church.

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She was on several committees in our church, and she was even my very first Sunday school teacher.

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So.

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It's wonderful when we grow up in families that teach us about God right from the start,

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but every one of us has that moment where we make God our own.

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We say, yeah, this is not just the God of my family.

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You are the God of me.

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When did that happen for you?

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Well, it's interesting.

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I remember when I was a young child, my parents were in a bowling league,

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and I would go every Thursday night with them when they did their bowling.

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And I remember as a small child, like telling other kids about God when I was there,

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you know, waiting for them to finish their bowling.

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But the interesting part is I don't remember at that time in our church being presented with the gospel

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and how to know that Jesus was my savior.

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I didn't have that concept.

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So it's very interesting.

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We, when we were in Florida, we were members of the Lutheran church, very involved.

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I went to what they call Tuesday school, which I guess would be like children's ministry in the evenings.

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And then every, we went to church several times a week.

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We were very involved.

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But I never during that time remember hearing the gospel message.

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When I was in the fifth grade, my dad got transferred with Eastern Airlines to Atlanta,

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to the Hertzfield Airport in Atlanta.

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And so we moved to Georgia.

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And at that time, my mom, she was part of an organization called a glow.

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I believe it was called a glow.

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And she experienced a deeper revelation with the Holy Spirit and that she was,

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wasn't exposed to in the Lutheran church.

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And so therefore we started attending a non-denominational charismatic church.

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And it was there at a youth service that was specifically designed for children that I heard the gospel message

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that I needed to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

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And I distinctly remember the pastor, you know, making an altar call and asking, you know,

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if we wanted to come down and accept Jesus, but I was so shy and scared.

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I wanted to in my heart and my mind.

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I knew I was the right thing, but I was so scared to walk down the aisle.

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I waited until I was in my bedroom at night that evening.

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And then I asked the Lord into my heart.

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And then even though in the Lutheran church, I was baptized as an infant,

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they in our new church offered a believer's baptism.

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And so I was determined as a young 11-year-old to have the believer's baptism.

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So I did that.

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And that was my official starting point.

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Even though I've always, you know, loved God and known about God, that was my official starting point.

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So you were all in for Jesus and he began working in you, of course, like most teens, you know,

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you struggle with some identity issues when you were a teenager.

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So how did God help you through that time?

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Well, it was interesting because you, when you're adopted,

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even though I had, I have a very loving, wonderful parents, great experience,

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you begin to realize that you don't look like them, your family,

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and you don't necessarily act like them.

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And sometimes you don't think like them.

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And so you start wondering, well, who are you?

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Who am I?

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Like, where did I come from?

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Like, you know, and it was funny.

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This is a funny story, but I happened to have the same exact birthday as Elvis Presley's daughter.

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And I used to have this fantasy thinking when I was like, well, maybe I'm,

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maybe I'm the lost twin of Lisa Marie Presley.

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Of course, of course, that was not true.

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But, you know, as a young, young adolescent, you know, all kinds of things go through your head.

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So I struggled with that.

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I struggled with my self identity and, you know, who, who I am in Christ for a few years.

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But, you know, God was always with me.

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He, you know, was patient with me.

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And, you know, he allowed me to experience some things that, you know,

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he could have put, you know, barriers or winders around me, protections,

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but he allowed me to experience those things.

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So I think I could learn who I am and who's I am.

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You saw God rescue you out of situations.

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I mean, all, all teens get in crazy situations.

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I remember some of my antics back when I was in high school and college.

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And I'm so thankful that the Lord brought me out of those as well.

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So after college, you were planning on staying close to family, going to law school,

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but God had other plans for you.

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So share what he direct, where he directed you and where it led.

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I graduated high school in Georgia and attended the University of Georgia

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and ended up getting a degree in criminal justice.

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And so for my internship and undergrad, I did an internship for a semester

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at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in South Georgia.

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It was in the legal division for the Naval Investigative Service.

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And so I was all set to go to law school.

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I mean, a criminal justice degree is great, you know, to go into law school.

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And I was all set on that path and going into my junior year, I took the L-SAT exam.

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I had, I had my grades all set.

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I had my advisor at, at Georgia, you know, writing recommendations.

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I had my supervisor at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center writing recommendations.

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And then I started applying to law school.

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I was convinced I was going to go to law school at the University of Georgia.

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I applied and I didn't get in.

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And so I even went to my advisor and she's like, I don't know what happened.

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Like, how did you not get in?

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Your grades are good.

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Your L-SAT score is fine.

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How did you not get in?

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And so she encouraged me to take the L-SAT exam again.

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I don't know, there was a hesitancy and I ended up not doing that.

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But I did apply to another law school.

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I applied to Mercer.

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I got waitlisted there and then I tried to make plans with one of my college friends.

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We were going to live together in Atlanta and that fell through.

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You know, I had got encouragement from my mother.

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She, you know, was always a supporter of CBN and the 700 Club.

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And she learned about a school called Regent University.

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And she said, why don't you apply?

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They have a law school.

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Why don't you apply there?

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And I said, okay, I'll apply there.

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Not really thinking I would actually go, but I did apply and I got in.

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And while I got in at Regent, all the doors for me to stay in Atlanta were closing.

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I prayed and told God, I mean, he knew the desire of my heart was to stay in Atlanta with my family.

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But Lord, if that's where you want me to go, then I'll go to Regent.

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Well, I went and visited Virginia Beach and had a lovely visit at Regent in the area.

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And my mother went with me and everything.

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I accepted, I eventually accepted the spot and starting in law school in that fall of 1990.

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During that summer, I got what you would say cold feet.

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And so I rescinded my acceptance.

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And I said, thank you, but no, thank you.

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I really want to stay in Atlanta.

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So it was mostly about being afraid.

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While this was happening, it was all happening together.

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One by one, all my plans were like closing and not available to me.

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And so I prayed again that summer.

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I was like, all right, Lord, since all these doors are closed and really I'm not going to get,

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looks like I'm not going to be able to stay in Atlanta.

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I will go to Virginia Beach.

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It's interesting because I started getting phone calls from folks at Regent.

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I, from Diane Fiazza, I got, she was at Regent at the time and she called and she's like,

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no, I just have been praying about it and I really feel like the Lord wants you here.

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And it's not just about law school.

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And I got another call from another student who's from Georgia.

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You know, one by one, everything was looking brighter for Regent and everything was looking duller

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for staying in Atlanta with my family.

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I decided, okay, I'm going to go.

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So I went and started my classes in the law school at Regent at fall of 1990.

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Realized that maybe part of my hesitation was that law wasn't for me.

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I distinctly remember my roommate and I, we went away for the weekend to Liberty University.

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Her boyfriend was on the football team and we wanted to go see him play.

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So we went away while we were away, our apartment got burglarized.

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Everything was taken.

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They even took the luggage out of our apartment to carry the stuff, all of our stuff.

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So of course, that was a very traumatic experience and I'm so thankful that we weren't there at the time

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when we were getting burglarized, but it was kind of like an eye-opening epiphany event for me.

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I realized at that time, well, what if I had been there in the apartment and they had come in

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and something bad had really happened to one of us?

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Like, you know, is that what my life would have, did I really feel that call to be a lawyer?

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So it kind of like focused me on my calling.

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I looked at other programs at Regent because I had decided at that point, okay, God did want me at Regent

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for a particular reason, but not necessarily to get a law degree.

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So I checked out the other programs and discovered the School of Counseling.

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And so I went to the deans and I asked if I could transfer into the School of Counseling.

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And, you know, of course, it's in the middle of the semester, like you're supposed to start at the beginning

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with your group, your cohort, and go all the way through.

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So there was a chance that they could have said, no, you're going to have to wait till next year.

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You know, anticipating that said, well, if I can't start in January at the next semester,

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then I'm going to have to go home to Georgia.

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And they made a way for me to start that second semester, you know, kind of one semester behind my group,

220
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my cohort in the School of Counseling.

221
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And so I transitioned over and boy, did I learn a lot in that School of Counseling about myself.

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Yeah, I mean, when you're saying that, I just, the song that says God will make a way when there seems to be no way,

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he was just running through my head, right?

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I mean, God can do those things for us, right?

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When we're saying I'm going to submit myself to you, God, but, you know, the door looks closed,

226
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but I'll go through it.

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If you open it, then he does.

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He makes that way.

229
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That's right.

230
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That's exactly right.

231
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So anyway, so I thoroughly enjoyed my classes in the School of Counseling and part of a lot of counseling programs,

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probably most counseling programs is that they want you to do self-reflective work.

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And so they require students to get their own individual counseling.

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That's just a part of the program.

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And so that's what happened.

236
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Yeah.

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And so little did I know that I had all sorts of issues that I was unaware of.

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In fact, starting in the school, I didn't, I didn't even know what an issue was.

239
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I mean, I came from a nice family, you know, when we lived in Georgia and every, I mean, I had, I did find well in school and I had friends.

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I didn't realize I had all these issues that I soon discovered that I have.

241
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And so it began a process of healing in my life.

242
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And just to go back to one of the first questions when I answered about my biological mother having a mental health breakdown,

243
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like a mental breakdown while she was pregnant with me, during my time at Regent, we had to do a timeline of her life.

244
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My parents always told me that I was adopted, but they never shared all the details until they felt like I was old enough to handle it.

245
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Well, that was when I was an adolescent, like maybe 16 or so.

246
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They told me the circumstances of my birth story.

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That was shocking to me as a 16 year old.

248
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And so I had like this fear.

249
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Well, because I didn't know much about mental health struggles or, you know, anything at that time.

250
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So then fast forward to Regent and, you know, I have to focus and reflect on this.

251
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Well, I came to realize that just because my mother had these issues didn't necessarily mean that I was going to have the same mental health struggles.

252
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He took that fear away and it was a beautiful thing.

253
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And I, you know, I distinctly remember writing about it in the paper, the reflective paper that we had to write for one of our classes.

254
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And I believe that masters and counseling that I got at Regent was preparing me for the call that God has in my life, but also was very healing for me during that time, preparing me for my future.

255
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Well, one of the things that you probably were dealing with was an unfulfilled dream.

256
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Tell us how God worked in you in relation to that unfulfilled dream of a family.

257
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I was going to high school in my hometown of Noonan, Georgia.

258
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You know, a lot of folks, you know, they graduate high school, they end up with their high school sweetheart and they get married and or they go to college and they find their husband there.

259
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And I had always loved children and always believed that I was going to be a mother and have my own family, my own blood relation that God was going to do that for me.

260
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And I believe that with all my heart because, you know, being adopted, you don't have that blood connection unless you're reunited with your biological family, which I was not.

261
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My high school sweetheart was not, I knew, the person that God had for me for a marriage partner.

262
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Going to college, you know, I just made this kind of assumption that I would meet my husband maybe in college.

263
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Well, you know, four years goes by and did not meet Mr. Wright.

264
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You know, I didn't meet Mr. Wright in college.

265
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Maybe I'll meet Mr. Wright in grad.

266
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I had to go to graduate school maybe to do that.

267
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Like I told you in the counseling program at Regent and one year goes by, two years goes by.

268
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Then, you know, I'm going into my third year.

269
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It's the summer before my third and final year at Regent.

270
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And, you know, I'm thinking, okay, I still haven't met Mr. Wright.

271
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And so I was praying and, you know, the desire of my heart is to find my husband.

272
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I've been praying for my future husband since middle school.

273
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You know that desire, but I finally, like I released it to the Lord and I said,

274
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but if you, if that's not what you have for me, then I'm okay with that.

275
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I want to follow your will.

276
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It was during that summer of 1992.

277
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I started working at the Founders Inn and Conference Center and Room Service and the hotel.

278
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It was right after their opening because they opened in the early 90s.

279
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And that's when all this was going on and these, my prayers to God, like, you know, releasing it to the Lord.

280
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Then I'm not kidding you.

281
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It was like maybe a month later, I ended up meeting rich kid who, interestingly enough,

282
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had a problem finding a job all that summer.

283
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He was a seminary student whose family is from Virginia Beach,

284
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but he was going to seminary at Trinity in Chicago at the time.

285
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And he would come home on summer breaks and work to save up enough money to go back in the fall.

286
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Well, this particular summer of 92, he was supposed to transfer to the Marriott in Virginia Beach.

287
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And when he arrived for the summer, that fell through for him.

288
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And so he's scrambling around all summer trying to find a job.

289
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Well, his younger brother worked at the Founders Inn and he was a teacher by profession

290
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and he had to get ready to go back to teach school locally.

291
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So he said, well, since you haven't found anything yet, why don't you just take my job at Founders?

292
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Well, that's what ended up happening.

293
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From the time that I released that to the Lord, and like, I mean, it was within a month that I met rich.

294
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And, you know, we just hit it off right away.

295
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I mean, he's very, if you know him, he's very gregarious.

296
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And so we just hit it off the rest is history.

297
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So you kept working, you graduated, Rich had to go back to school up in Chicago,

298
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but you kept that long distance relationship going.

299
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And before long, you actually did get married.

300
00:25:07,900 --> 00:25:12,900
Actually, we just celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary, August 20th.

301
00:25:12,900 --> 00:25:14,900
Yep, 30 years.

302
00:25:14,900 --> 00:25:15,900
Congratulations.

303
00:25:15,900 --> 00:25:16,900
Thank you.

304
00:25:16,900 --> 00:25:17,900
Thank you.

305
00:25:17,900 --> 00:25:20,900
When you graduated, Rich, of course, was still in school.

306
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You started working in your field and God's provided you counseling jobs wherever you've been.

307
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But Rich's first ministerial call was in Texas.

308
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So you had to uproot and move again and get involved with him in ministry, newly married to.

309
00:25:38,900 --> 00:25:40,900
So that sounds like a lot.

310
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I mean, newly married, moving, finding a new job, getting a job involved in ministry.

311
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How did you handle all of that?

312
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You know, historically, I growing up in my family, I have the most stable, consistent family ever.

313
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We moved one time when I was growing up once.

314
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And I moved as you remember, recall, I was hesitant to move from Atlanta to Virginia Beach.

315
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So I don't necessarily do well with moves and transitions, but, you know, Rich and I had talked about it.

316
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And, you know, we wanted to serve the Lord.

317
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We wanted to go where God was calling us.

318
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He actually applied and interviewed to many different positions, one in Florida, one in, I think, Wilmington, different places.

319
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But those doors closed.

320
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And the door that opened was a youth ministry position in Houston, Texas, with his denomination.

321
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And so we moved and, you know, it was a huge, that's a lot of transition all at once, being married and moving across the country, away from your families, both of our families.

322
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We got involved with the church.

323
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We got involved with the young marriage group.

324
00:27:00,900 --> 00:27:07,900
I became friends, really good friends with one of the youth volunteers in the youth ministry.

325
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And we would meet every Saturday and it's just getting involved and being there for each other, I think.

326
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But it was challenging.

327
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There were some challenging times because you, but in hindsight, it was good because we needed to be together to establish our relationship as a young married couple.

328
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Yeah.

329
00:27:30,900 --> 00:27:31,900
There's a lot of compromise that goes on.

330
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Isn't there in marriage?

331
00:27:34,900 --> 00:27:35,900
There is.

332
00:27:35,900 --> 00:27:39,900
But you learned, you know, as they say, leave, weave and cleave.

333
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So that's what we did.

334
00:27:41,900 --> 00:27:42,900
Yeah.

335
00:27:42,900 --> 00:27:51,900
So, Cher, one of those compromises that you and Rich made when you were there in Texas, you being a little bit more of an introvert and him being very much of an extrovert.

336
00:27:51,900 --> 00:28:04,900
Rich, being the highly extroverted person that he is, he spent, I mean, he could literally go have a breakfast, lunch and dinner meeting like every day of the week.

337
00:28:04,900 --> 00:28:05,900
I mean, literally.

338
00:28:05,900 --> 00:28:07,900
And he was doing it for ministry.

339
00:28:07,900 --> 00:28:08,900
I mean, it was all good.

340
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Like he was meeting people, connecting with people, developing relationships with the kids in the youth ministry and with the parents.

341
00:28:16,900 --> 00:28:19,900
He was building us to, it was all good stuff.

342
00:28:19,900 --> 00:28:28,900
The problem is that it was kind of exhausting because I was also working in my field and helping out in the youth ministry.

343
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So that took away from the couple of time that we had together.

344
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And I remember he, like every night of the week, either him or both of us, we would go hang out with kids and it was great.

345
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But, you know, for me, you know, there comes a point in time where like, oh, this is great, but we need to build our relationship too.

346
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You know, we compromised and decided that we would have dinner together every Thursday and we would watch our friends, remember friends?

347
00:29:00,900 --> 00:29:02,900
That started in 94.

348
00:29:02,900 --> 00:29:06,900
We watch that every Thursday evening.

349
00:29:06,900 --> 00:29:13,900
And I would go to events with him like, you know, that they had, I helped out in the youth ministry.

350
00:29:13,900 --> 00:29:29,900
But I mean, it was a challenge because we are very different people personality wise and, you know, so, but we both love the Lord and we both love people and ministering to people.

351
00:29:29,900 --> 00:29:31,900
And so that brought us together.

352
00:29:31,900 --> 00:29:36,900
So you had been walking with the Lord for, gosh, close to 30 years at this point.

353
00:29:36,900 --> 00:29:42,900
And like all of us, the Lord continues to work in us graciously and gently.

354
00:29:42,900 --> 00:29:53,900
And as you started your family and you continued your career and your involvement in ministry life, the Lord showed you an area that he wanted to work in you.

355
00:29:53,900 --> 00:29:57,900
Share or explain what that was and how you overcame it.

356
00:29:57,900 --> 00:30:04,900
Fast forward, we received a call from Kemp's Well Presbyterian Church in Virginia Beach.

357
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So we were able to move back about three years after we had moved to Houston.

358
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And we felt like it was a good time to get our first home and start a family.

359
00:30:17,900 --> 00:30:22,900
So we had our first child, Rachel, in 1998.

360
00:30:22,900 --> 00:30:33,900
First I had realized after getting married that because I thought I was this very selfless giving person, I realized, oh, I might might be a little self centered at times.

361
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And then when I had my first child, I realized, wow, like, I'm getting like agitated and frustrated and angry.

362
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It were things that, you know, I may not, that are seem like minor, but like I started to realize I do have these deeper issues with anger.

363
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And so the Lord began to work on me that especially with having a child that you really need to deal with this because you can't expect this, you know, expect these things and lash out in anger.

364
00:31:10,900 --> 00:31:21,900
It's not healthy. And so I really prayed a lot and worked on my issues with anger and frustration.

365
00:31:21,900 --> 00:31:30,900
You know, I realized, you know, that I had some anxiety that I had to deal with that I didn't really recognize that I had.

366
00:31:30,900 --> 00:31:39,900
And, you know, sometimes when you're anxious, it can come out in anger, you know, when you suppress your feelings,

367
00:31:39,900 --> 00:31:54,900
sometimes too much and don't express them appropriately or set appropriate boundaries that can come out in anger and in different ways that are not healthy, kind of maladaptive ways.

368
00:31:54,900 --> 00:32:00,900
And so I was noticing that I was too harsh with my daughter.

369
00:32:00,900 --> 00:32:02,900
I would snap at my husband.

370
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And so that began the process of really looking at, well, why am I angry? Why am I anxious?

371
00:32:10,900 --> 00:32:13,900
And a process of really reaching out to the Lord.

372
00:32:13,900 --> 00:32:27,900
And it took quite a while, but I would meditate on, you know, the verses like 2 Timothy 1 7 for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.

373
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And, you know, fear is related to anxiety and, you know, anger.

374
00:32:33,900 --> 00:32:38,900
Sometimes we act in anger because it's we're fearful, right?

375
00:32:38,900 --> 00:32:49,900
And so I would meditate on these verses like Philippians 4 6 and 7 do not be anxious for anything, but in everything by prayer and petition with Thanksgiving,

376
00:32:49,900 --> 00:32:58,900
let your request be known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

377
00:32:58,900 --> 00:33:07,900
So that peace of God, like that really began to happen in my life.

378
00:33:07,900 --> 00:33:12,900
And I found a release from the anxiety.

379
00:33:12,900 --> 00:33:15,900
You know, now you always have stress that you have to deal.

380
00:33:15,900 --> 00:33:20,900
I mean, life is full of ups and downs and stressors and things that you can't control.

381
00:33:20,900 --> 00:33:31,900
But if you have the peace of God in your heart, that, you know, will help you through those anxious times.

382
00:33:31,900 --> 00:33:33,900
And it's a renewing of the mind.

383
00:33:33,900 --> 00:33:42,900
I remember my mom sent me the book, Battlefield of the Mind, Joyce Myers, and I went through that.

384
00:33:42,900 --> 00:33:54,900
And really that renewing of my mind, taking everything to Christ and allowing him to do his work in my heart and my mind.

385
00:33:54,900 --> 00:34:05,900
And, you know, realizing that I probably had some unforgiveness there that was kind of probably a root of my anger.

386
00:34:05,900 --> 00:34:24,900
So he did, God did a deep dive in my life and it really, it really helped me in parenting my children and being calmer and more patient and more patient with my husband and resetting my expectations.

387
00:34:24,900 --> 00:34:33,900
Yeah. And, you know, all of that was so critical for the next season that you walked into because Rich felt called to plan a church in Atlanta.

388
00:34:33,900 --> 00:34:40,900
And so you moved to Atlanta. Of course, it was closer to your family, but planning a church is tough.

389
00:34:40,900 --> 00:34:52,900
You were involved in outreaches, you were working still, getting involved in the community, and then something so unthinkable happened that really tested your faith.

390
00:34:52,900 --> 00:34:56,900
Share what you can about that and how you even got through it.

391
00:34:56,900 --> 00:35:02,900
Yeah. So we planted the church in the beginning of 2003.

392
00:35:02,900 --> 00:35:07,900
Anyone who's planted a church knows that is not an easy thing to do.

393
00:35:07,900 --> 00:35:21,900
It was growing. Like we did outreaches, we hosted events, we hosted people in our house, we had dinners, we did all the things necessary to start building the church.

394
00:35:21,900 --> 00:35:31,900
Then fast forward a year or two later, our middle child was going to attend his first preschool experience.

395
00:35:31,900 --> 00:35:51,900
He was four at the time and he comes to us. We were in the living room one morning and comes to us and he told me that the worker at the YMCA where we were doing outreaches for our church, the childcare worker was abusing him.

396
00:35:51,900 --> 00:36:10,900
Of course that's something you never want to hear ever. It's devastating, shocking. With my training and background, I immediately contacted the authorities and I was investigated and we got him into counseling.

397
00:36:10,900 --> 00:36:28,900
I made sure that he was getting the care that he needed. Welcome to find out. He was the first child to come forward. I think that's partly because in raising my kids, I taught them about good touch, bad touch.

398
00:36:28,900 --> 00:36:37,900
I educated them and he knew that that wasn't right and he I guess felt safe enough to come tell me.

399
00:36:37,900 --> 00:36:55,900
You have to go through a process. It's not a short process when law enforcement gets involved. It took a couple years and in that time, there were issues in the church and the church plant and a lot of stresses and strains.

400
00:36:55,900 --> 00:37:08,900
We ended up deciding that we needed to move back to Virginia Beach just for the health of our family. The individual was investigated and prosecuted and we had to go through all that.

401
00:37:08,900 --> 00:37:27,900
It was a very trying time but God was with us all during that time. It definitely was shocking and it definitely raised those issues with anger again within me because I had always prayed for my children Psalm 91-11.

402
00:37:27,900 --> 00:37:39,900
I asked the Lord, what happened? You could have protected him. I definitely had a lot of anger during that time that I had to deal with.

403
00:37:39,900 --> 00:37:44,900
Not only anger at the abuser but a little bit of anger at God too, right?

404
00:37:44,900 --> 00:38:06,900
That is correct. A little bit of anger at God. I didn't understand how could you allow something like this to happen. I was doing your work. We were literally part of this facility as an outreach for our church that we were planning.

405
00:38:06,900 --> 00:38:24,900
I was confused and hurt and angry. It took a long time for me talking to the Lord and working with him. I finally realized that he hasn't abandoned me. He hasn't abandoned us in this.

406
00:38:24,900 --> 00:38:40,900
He has been with me all along walking through this with me. He tells us that he will never leave us or forsake us. He didn't. He brought us through that situation.

407
00:38:40,900 --> 00:38:59,900
It was a horrible situation. However, God was faithful. My relationship with the Lord grew even deeper ultimately. You are right. In the beginning, I did deal with that anger.

408
00:38:59,900 --> 00:39:02,900
Exactly.

409
00:39:02,900 --> 00:39:06,900
What parent wouldn't? Just have that. It is the parent's worst nightmare.

410
00:39:06,900 --> 00:39:25,900
It is. You go through these stages of grief even in a situation like this. I didn't lose my child. My child lost his innocence. But God heals and redeems.

411
00:39:25,900 --> 00:39:30,900
How did you come to a place of forgiveness for the abuser?

412
00:39:30,900 --> 00:39:51,900
That's an excellent question. It was definitely a process I knew in my heart that there were probably reasons why this occurred. I don't know what those reasons are. It's not an excuse, but it's an explanation that maybe something happened to him.

413
00:39:51,900 --> 00:40:07,900
It's maladaptive behavior. I don't know why he would do this. But if I held on to my anger towards the abuser, that was not going to help me or the situation.

414
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But forgiving him was kind of a release of giving this person to the Lord and praying for him. It's not easy to forgive, but you keep going back to the Lord and you keep asking him to help you to forgive.

415
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Those prayers were answered. God helped me to truly forgive him and that it wouldn't be something like that. I would have to be like a stronghold in my life.

416
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I remember one time in my life I felt like a friend had really let me down. I was very, very hurt. It was really hurt by it. It took probably six months of me repeatedly having to make a choice to forgive.

417
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Because it wasn't like this person was even in my life anymore. And Satan kept bringing that rejection to me. I'd have to repeatedly forgive. She probably had no idea. I felt that way even.

418
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She had gone on with her life. But I had to repeatedly, every day, I choose to forgive. Eventually it became easier and eventually it was no longer an issue. But forgiveness isn't usually just a one-time decision, is it?

419
00:41:31,900 --> 00:41:46,900
No, it's not. It's a process of every time those negative thoughts creep in, bringing it to the Lord and working through it and choosing, like you said, choosing to forgive.

420
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So all that stress really took its toll on you, on your mental health and on your family. And you slipped into a season of depression.

421
00:41:56,900 --> 00:41:57,900
Yes.

422
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Even you, I mean you were a mental health licensed counselor, but you weren't immune to those struggles. So what helped you turn the corner on that?

423
00:42:05,900 --> 00:42:23,900
So just to put it in context as well, I was pregnant at the time with our third child. And so you have the whole pregnancy, the stresses of the situation and then moving and leaving our church plant.

424
00:42:23,900 --> 00:42:39,900
And so I experienced some pretty significant postpartum depression. My mother was the most supportive person in my life. I mean, I called her probably multiple times a day. I was in Virginia Beach.

425
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I was in Atlanta and she understood what it feels like to be severely depressed because she had struggled with that in her life. And she really helped me through it. And she was so patient with me.

426
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And again, going through the battlefield of the mind and praying daily with each other. And she just walked with me through it.

427
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You know, and I got counseling and I went, did an inner healing went through that and the Lord really helped me through that, that season of very severe depression.

428
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He brought me through it. And again, he was with me. He never left me or here for sick me. He like he was with me.

429
00:43:27,900 --> 00:43:35,900
You had mentioned to me one time about a cognitive behavior technique that you used like reframing your mind.

430
00:43:35,900 --> 00:43:36,900
Right, correct.

431
00:43:36,900 --> 00:43:44,900
Give us an example of just what that is and and how you use that. I mean, it's a it's a godly technique, right?

432
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It is it's so you know, when negative thoughts creep in, like, I'll just throw an example like, oh, I'm never going to change. I'm always going to be this way.

433
00:43:58,900 --> 00:44:09,900
Well, you know, that's, that's not exactly a truth statement. Always, you know, so you, you can reframe that thought in your head.

434
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And like, well, you know, I may have slipped up. I may have done, you know, like whether it's like you're, you're trying to stay on a diet plan or a workout plan and you mess up and eat a donut and you go, oh, I'm never going to change.

435
00:44:26,900 --> 00:44:38,900
Well, you can change that thought. You take that cop thought captive and say, well, you know, I may have slipped up today, but, you know, I can, I can change for tomorrow.

436
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I can, I don't have to always be this way.

437
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And I know for me, even, you know, a lot of times the Lord will bring scripture into my mind. I'm just thinking about the donut, you know, well, I can do all things with Christ who strengthens me.

438
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Tomorrow I can reject that donut.

439
00:44:52,900 --> 00:44:58,900
That's right. That's right. That's a good, that's a good example.

440
00:44:58,900 --> 00:45:12,900
Yeah, that's right. You can also replace those negative thoughts with scripture that, like I was saying, Philippians 4, 6, verse seven and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

441
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When we reframe our thoughts, you know, in a positive, have more of a positive mindset or a reframe, then, you know, we can have more of that peace that surpasses all understanding.

442
00:45:30,900 --> 00:45:52,900
And, you know, the negativity like those self-condemning thoughts that sometimes we have, we can change them. Rich likes to call them my silver lining thoughts when I reframe negative thoughts to a more positive outlook.

443
00:45:52,900 --> 00:46:06,900
It affects your, not only like renews your mind, but it encourages your spirit. It's like the body, mind, spirit connection.

444
00:46:06,900 --> 00:46:08,900
Yeah, it even changes your behavior, doesn't it?

445
00:46:08,900 --> 00:46:10,900
It does. It absolutely does.

446
00:46:10,900 --> 00:46:20,900
So Bridget, you've come through some amazing things. I mean, you know, not amazing things, but God has helped you through some trials in an amazing way.

447
00:46:20,900 --> 00:46:28,900
So what did you learn through those trials and how has God been using those lessons through you now?

448
00:46:28,900 --> 00:46:43,900
Well, you know, in my calling to counseling, like I started working in the therapeutic foster care system. That's where I started.

449
00:46:43,900 --> 00:46:52,900
And then eventually I ended up doing community-based counseling in home, intensive in-home counseling.

450
00:46:52,900 --> 00:46:57,900
I also do outpatient counseling as well, but God has helped me through that.

451
00:46:57,900 --> 00:47:12,900
He's given me, you know, those trials and difficult times has given me a perspective and an empathy that I can have with my clients that is very beneficial as a counselor.

452
00:47:12,900 --> 00:47:25,900
It's not that I understand everything that they've gone through because we all go through different things, but I understand the depths of despair and grief and loss.

453
00:47:25,900 --> 00:47:31,900
I can be empathetic and compassionate and provide hope that there's a way through it.

454
00:47:31,900 --> 00:47:35,900
And provide hope? So what have you learned to be true in your relationship with the Lord?

455
00:47:35,900 --> 00:47:42,900
Well, I learned that he is always with me and he'll never leave me or forsake me.

456
00:47:42,900 --> 00:47:59,900
And even in the very difficult, challenging times and experiences, you know, God tends to, like it says in his word, he brings beauty out of ashes.

457
00:47:59,900 --> 00:48:05,900
Like he turns ashes into beauty and he's working. He's always at work.

458
00:48:05,900 --> 00:48:13,900
The Holy Spirit's interceding on our behalf and there's always behind the scenes things that we don't know that are going on.

459
00:48:13,900 --> 00:48:28,900
But, you know, in my life I've seen that, you know, he has never left me or forsaken me and that he's turned things that could be, you know, just people would look at from the outside and say,

460
00:48:28,900 --> 00:48:32,900
oh my Lord, how are they functioning? How are they making it?

461
00:48:32,900 --> 00:48:36,900
And he's turned it into something beautiful.

462
00:48:36,900 --> 00:48:43,900
So as we close, Bridget, would you share about a woman of the Bible who's inspired, encouraged or taught you something?

463
00:48:43,900 --> 00:48:45,900
The Proverbs 31 woman.

464
00:48:45,900 --> 00:49:02,900
Interestingly, because, you know, I have always been a hard worker. The Proverbs 31 woman inspires me because she focuses on all aspects of her calling.

465
00:49:02,900 --> 00:49:14,900
Like she provides for her family. She, you know, but she's also a business woman. She's also, you know, so for me, my marriage and my family,

466
00:49:14,900 --> 00:49:30,900
and my children have been, and my relationship with the Lord have been, you know, top priority, but I've always managed to be able to pursue the calling that God has for me vocationally.

467
00:49:30,900 --> 00:49:37,900
And, you know, I've been counseling for over 30 years now.

468
00:49:37,900 --> 00:49:46,900
And, you know, he keeps giving me the grace and the strength to keep doing it.

469
00:49:46,900 --> 00:49:58,900
And, you know, while also ministering to my family, you know, my, our children, our youngest just went off to college and the older two have graduated from college.

470
00:49:58,900 --> 00:50:15,900
And we just continue to be open to what God is calling us to do. But I think, yeah, for me, the Proverbs 31 woman inspires me because that, you know, I, my life is multifaceted.

471
00:50:15,900 --> 00:50:18,900
God has many things that he wants me to do.

472
00:50:18,900 --> 00:50:31,900
Now that our children are we're empty nesters, we're just starting that season, you know, we were just, you know, reflecting on our anniversary, like, well, what does God want us to do now?

473
00:50:31,900 --> 00:50:38,900
What does he want me to do now? Like, you know, yeah, the Proverbs 31 woman, she's, she's pretty awesome.

474
00:50:38,900 --> 00:50:40,900
She is, she is.

475
00:50:40,900 --> 00:50:55,900
Yeah, I love that because we are multifaceted. I mean, God has created us for so much more and Satan will try to hem us in and hedge us in into, you know, a small space, but God's God's space is open and big and and always new.

476
00:50:55,900 --> 00:50:57,900
That's right. That's right.

477
00:50:57,900 --> 00:51:06,900
Being sensitive to where he's leading you in the in the present, you know, being open to that. Yes, definitely.

478
00:51:06,900 --> 00:51:19,900
Well, Isaiah 41 10 in the NIV says, Do not fear for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

479
00:51:19,900 --> 00:51:31,900
Whether you're starting a new thing like the Proverbs 31 woman was always looking at or struggling through an issue that seems like it will be endless. God will always be there.

480
00:51:31,900 --> 00:51:35,900
We have an amazing promise from him. He's with us.

481
00:51:35,900 --> 00:51:50,900
And as I shared in Deuteronomy 31 6 at the beginning of our time, when we seek to walk with the Lord, he will never leave us. He will never forsake us. Bridget has shared how God was with her through some pretty tough and trying times, but she always knew he was there,

482
00:51:50,900 --> 00:51:54,900
helping her, providing her even when she was angry at him. He didn't leave.

483
00:51:54,900 --> 00:52:11,900
He understood. And since God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and he loves us all, you can be sure God is with you too, dear friend. No matter what you're facing, God is with you and God is for you. Praise him in the good times.

484
00:52:11,900 --> 00:52:20,900
Cry out to him when times are tough and you will experience him working in your situations too. Bridget, would you take a moment and pray for our listeners?

485
00:52:20,900 --> 00:52:44,900
Dear heavenly Father, I just I thank you for this time. I thank you for the work that Judy is doing with this podcast. And I just pray, Father, that the right individuals will hear this interview podcast today that they would, it would be ministering to them, encouraging,

486
00:52:44,900 --> 00:53:02,900
uplifting to them, no matter where, where they find themselves. I pray, Father, that you would speak to them and let them know that you will never leave them or forsake them, that you are always with them, even in those very difficult valley times.

487
00:53:02,900 --> 00:53:20,900
Father, that you're their constant, you're the lifter of their heads. And I just thank you for the opportunity to share my story. And I pray, Father, that it would minister to those that are listening. Jesus name. Amen.

488
00:53:20,900 --> 00:53:21,900
Amen.

489
00:53:21,900 --> 00:53:36,900
Thank you for tuning in. Check out show notes at hergodstory.org for scriptures and other information we talked about. And remember to get your free six week devotional on women of the Bible there. We'd also love to pray with you on our 24 seven prayer and text lines.

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So give us a call or text anytime at 855-459-CARE or email us at prayer at somebodycares.org. And now, dear friends, I leave you with a blessing adapted from First Kings eight verses 57 and 58.

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May the Lord our God be with you as he has always been with his people. May he never leave you or abandon you.

492
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May he give you the desire to do his will in everything and to follow him in all his.