Going through a divorce can feel devastating. Your world is turned upside down, and the future you envisioned suddenly vanishes. The pain, grief, anger, and disappointment can seem overwhelming.
But there is hope. With faith, community, and self-work, you can find healing and create a beautiful new beginning. This was my experience, which I shared in the book, Still Standing: Inspirational Stories of Hope After Divorce.
My Divorce
Like many women, I struggled with lies and false beliefs
about my identity and self-worth being tied to my marital status. I felt like a
failure. The shame and stigma of divorce weighed heavily on me.
During the divorce, I often questioned God's plan for my
life. But looking back now, I can see how he was with me even in those dark
valleys.
Leaning on God's Truth
A turning point for me was realizing I had believed lies
contrary to God's Word. With the help of counselors and community, I learned
how to counter those lies with Biblical truth:
Lie: I am unlovable
Truth: God loves me unconditionally (Romans 8:38-39)
Lie: I am a failure
Truth: God has a good plan for me (Jeremiah 29:11)
Lie: I'll always be alone
Truth: God will never leave me (Deuteronomy 31:6)
Through prayer, journaling, and meditation on scripture, I
ingrained God's truth into my heart. This transformed my mindset and gave me
strength.
Finding Sisterhood
One of the biggest blessings was discovering an amazing
community of women who had been through divorce. God surrounded me with
sisters who listened without judgment, prayed for me, and inspired me with
their own stories of resilience.
These brave women walked alongside me as I processed grief,
anger, and forgiveness. Together, we learned more of God's love and grace.
Their sisterhood gave me courage to keep going.
My Journey of Healing
With God's help, I walked a long road of emotional,
spiritual and mental healing. Here are a few things that helped me:
- Counseling: I met
regularly with Christian counselors who gave me tools to process trauma
and change negative thought patterns.
- Journaling: Writing
down my feelings, prayers, and insights helped me gain clarity and peace.
- Reading: Devotional
books and stories of overcoming reinforced that I wasn't alone in my
suffering.
- Nature: Spending
time outside hiking, walking, or just sitting in stillness lifted my mood
and spirit.
- Self-care: Making my
health and wellbeing a priority (rest, nutrition, exercise) improved my
mental state.
- Serving: Volunteer
work took the focus off myself and filled me with joy and purpose.
A Beautiful New Chapter
While divorced life wasn't what I planned, I can now see
God redeems all things. Walking through the fire has brought me closer to
Jesus. I have a more intimate relationship with him.
God has also opened unexpected doors, like writing my book
and starting a ministry for women overcoming divorce. I'm excited for this next
chapter!
My journey has taught me that with faith, community, and
willingness to do the internal work, beautiful things can grow from life's
hardest seasons. There is always hope. God's promises are real, and tomorrow
can be joyful again.
If you're struggling after divorce, please know you are
loved - by me and countless others. More importantly, you are fully known and
cherished by your Heavenly Father. You have a vibrant future ahead. Hold on.
My Book: Still Standing
I share my story along with five other women in my
book Still Standing: Inspirational Stories of Hope After Divorce.
Each testimony illustrates how faith can help you find healing and purpose
after divorce.
Here's what readers are saying:
"I appreciated the transparency of the authors. Their
willingness to be vulnerable in order to bring hope to others feeling trapped
in unhealthy life choices including abuse both mental and/or physical is
powerful." - Amazon Customer
"I am so encouraged by their stories in walking out my
own path. The butterfly cover was a good choice to symbolize the radical
personal, transformational changes represented in these stories." - Irishdancelovr2
"Tammy Bolton has laid her heart on her sleeve for her
readers. She is bound to make a connection with every reader no matter what
demons they may be facing in life." - (:
If you know someone going through divorce, I hope you'll
consider gifting them a copy. My prayer is that these stories will inspire
others to keep standing, believing, and hoping. With God's help, they too can
be Still Standing.