About Arise to Freedom
Wendy’s Story
I believe my story of “ARISE to FREEDOM” began with a very important word and a perspective that my battered and traumatized heart and family life needed to embrace…the power in the word HOPE!
In the 17th year of a 20 year Christian marriage, some things began to shift… slowly and covertly (I would learn much later) my husband’s mindset, choices, and actions began to reshape and destabilize my understanding of our marriage covenant and family commitment. I was asking God often to give me clarity.
Fast forward to the year 2010, my 20th year of marriage, where I found myself becoming increasingly aware of quickly changing dynamics between my husband and me, as well as safety issues that were concerning. I had no words for these behaviors or attitudes and I knew no one that could relate to me. I was very isolated and felt very alone.
In one particular week in October, I reached out to God in the midst of great confusion and overwhelming fear. Asking God to “RESCUE ME” was the plea I declared over my life!
Within days, there was an episode of Domestic Violence and my three children and I ran out of the house to safety with the help of my neighbor who was an off-duty police officer. This episode would be the FIRST of MANY experiences with law enforcement and court proceedings. I obtained a Temporary Protection Order for myself and children from that alarming event. It also brought out disturbing behaviors from my husband and an awareness and clarity of what was really happening in my marriage and family dynamic!
I began to learn the words to apply to the behaviors, mindset, choices, and actions of my husband and the atmosphere my children and I had been living in the last several years. Spiritual, psychological, emotional, financial, and sexual abuse had been the road we were walking down. Power and control, entitlement attitudes, and mental health behaviors had become my husband’s mindset and demeanor. We continued to walk out other layers of abuse and to unpack hard and traumatic truths to our story over many months.
In 2013, my then ex-husband had been found guilty of “sex abuse in a person of trust” against his own children during the time we had all previously lived together. His prison sentence now became part of our story. I was now truly a single parent, divorced, and financially devastated with 3 children to help heal along with myself. My family now was myself and my 3 children, a family of 4 we had become due to criminal and abusive behaviors, actions and attitudes by a once trusted family member. The stages of grief would be something we would all need to walk out now also.
In the midst of all this, I continued to grasp on to HOPE, for I had begun to understand, gain answers, and knowledge in the midst of very difficult and traumatizing transitions in our family life. It is with many community resources, wise therapists, skilled professionals in our judicial process that has guided myself and children THROUGH this “time of crisis”. Also, there are many loving people that have believed us, supported us in numerous ways and have loved on us in the midst of our great brokenness.
This care and concern is the PROVISION God gave to us along the way and has made this crisis a true RESCUE that God aligned in every twist and turn that it has been.
God truly held us in the palm of His hand. Proverbs 30:4
I share ALL this with you for it was MY CRISIS! A crisis at many levels and over a period of time. It has been a wilderness adventure…. An unchartered territory and journey that has provided much HOPE, clarity and FREEDOM in mine and my children’s life! I have unpacked and gained much understanding and closure over these past years and strive to forge ahead with healing in my heart and a pursuit of wholehearted living ahead! My children have grown into young adults now and are thriving and pursuing their ambitions and have surrounded themselves with trusting and valued friendships and relationships!
A few years into what I call my “healing journey”, a passion began to rise up within me. A passion “to turn back around and pull other women out”!
I began to embrace that ALL the resources, counsel, judicial process, the knowledge and education I had encountered in my healing journey was not just for me. I give it back and walk alongside you as you encounter the things that make up YOUR STORY…YOUR CRISIS. This is like a sisterhood of sorts with common understanding and felt need. It is out of this passion that I coach, encourage, guide and support you or a loved one in your/their own journey of crisis and healing. I surely did not walk my story out alone and it was TOGETHER with people , resources, community and a compelling pursuit of HOPE that I was able to ARISE TO FREEDOM!
Listen to Wendy’s Story in the video below
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