Well…the final Stress Point Girlfriend interview. I really loved this chapter because we finish off with the one thing that ties it all together–growing in our faith. I will post later this week with some thoughts about the conclusion chapter.

Meet my seriously sweet friend Wendy Blight. Wendy is one cool chick that knows a TON about the Bible. She is a Bible teacher, a mentor of mine and the girl can really pull off wearing awesome cowboy boots. (I’m secretly coveting her boots!) Check out what Wendy has to say…

Wendy, this week we are discussing how God uses our 20s to grow and stretch our faith. What was your faith like in your 20s?

Sarah, my faith was in crisis in my twenties. Just days after my college graduation at age 21, I entered my apartment to find an armed masked man waiting for me. He spent the afternoon sexually assaulting me. My faith went into a tailspin. I grew up Catholic and attended mass regularly with my family. I believed in God, but because of what happened to me, I questioned everything I had ever learned about Him. You see, I could not wrap my mind around how a good God, like the one I grew up believing in, could have watched from His throne in heaven and allowed what that man did to me. So I spent my twenties living in a prison of fear, angry at God, and searching for answers.

How have you grown in your faith since then?

God, through His Word, healed, restored and transformed my faith. I tell this story in my book, Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner: The Transforming Power of God’s Story. But I will share the abridged version here. The bottom line is…I never really knew God and that is why I could so easily turn away from Him during my trial.

When counseling, self-help books, and Oprah’s guests failed me, I turned to all that I had left…my Bible. I dug into God’s Word for answers. And when I did, His living and active Word came alive. I learned the character of God. I learned God loved me with an everlasting love. I learned that although bad things will happen to God’s people because there is sin in this world, God has a plan. He addresses it in Scripture. He has promises for those of us who are broken and in despair.

I walked away from God because I did not know Him. I could not trust someone I did not know. Once I got to know God, I trusted Him. When I trusted Him, I gave Him my fear, my unforgiveness, and my anxiety. And He was so faithful. He freed me from it all. And in the process, He not only grew my faith but also gave me a calling to share my story and teach His Word.

Regarding life in general about the 20something decade, what is ONE thing you wish you knew then that you know now and would like to share?

Sarah, I wished I knew the wisdom, power, and hope that comes from the Bible. No one ever shared this with me. Over the years, His Word has provided answers to so many questions and direction when I did not know which way to go. Hebrews 4:12 says it is a living and active Word…a word from God meant to speak into our lives today and make a difference. The Bible has been relevant at every stage, and I trust it will continue to be so. I grew up thinking it was a book full of great stories and life lessons. Now I know it is SO much more. It is life. It is health. It is hope. It is TRUTH!! It is never-changing. It is what I hold onto when nothing else makes sense.

Isn’t our God amazing! He is doing awesome things through my friend Wendy and I know He can and will do awesome things through YOU too!

So what do you think? Leave a comment and let’s chat!

Be sure to check out Wendy’s book Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner: The Transforming Power of God’s Story.