Well, hopefully, you've, discovered some, perhaps, universal happy places. At the end of today, probably the most popular happy place will be any place cool. But, hopefully, those of you who, don't like drafts have found a place free of drafts in this room, which my wife tells me is universally drafty. So, try to find a happy place for the, the morning at least to listen and enjoy another faith story. I'll introduce our faith story giver here in just a moment, but let me pray be, before we start.

Father, thanks for, the opportunity to gather. We're aware every day of how the world around us is making it difficult to gather in some places. Thinking of our teams now that are in, Poland, the, respite that that's been for the KTS Ukraine people and, the chance to be together with others like the ABTS staff by Zoom that, shares some of the networking chances they've had. So bring those teams from, Poland and from, Italy home safely. And as they process what they've learned, help us to benefit from sharing that.

But we are grateful that we can meet as a church, sharing worship and sharing fellowship, and now to share, the experiences that people like Terry Swim have had in their lives. So help us to listen well and to respond as we hear that story in Jesus name. Amen. For, I suppose, most of the twenty four years you've been coming to faith Faith Church. But I've seen her most recently, and I'll introduce that in what I say for the introduction here.

She's attended faith for twenty four years. She serves as a church office volunteer. She's one of those that lets me in when I forget my fob. And, she participates in church and neighborhood bible studies. And she volunteers at an inner city program for mothers.

I'd like to hear more about that. And she has raised four children of her own. So Terry has a twenty four year faith history to share with us. So, tell us your story, Terri. Well, since I will be 70 soon, I've done a lot of living since my unexpected journey began in 02/2015.

So I'm just going to give you a brief background if you don't know me. I was born and raised in a small town of Auburn, Indiana in Northeast Indiana. I grew up in a loving family of five. I have an older sister and a younger brother. We attended church as a family, but did not have a personal relationship with the lord.

I was introduced to the gospel message when I was in high school, and I even prayed the prayer of salvation. But they were words said with my head and not with my heart. As I went on to IU for college, God continued to put Christians in my life, and I called myself a Christian, but I had not truly surrendered my life to Christ and I lived as I pleased. After college, my sister, who had by that time become a Christian, encouraged me in love to get off the fence. And it was that summer of nineteen seventy nine that I surrendered my life to Christ.

And God gave me the desire to grow and learn and walk with him. I took my first job as a social worker in Indianapolis. My sister, who is a nurse, and I lived together and we were both believers now and we attended a bible teaching church. It was such a privilege to get involved in a Bible study there that taught the foundations of the faith, how to share our faith, and emphasized memorizing scripture. Those scriptures have been such a blessing to me all these years.

Joshua one eight says, do not let this book of the law depart from your mouth, but meditate on it day and night that you may be careful to do everything that is written in it. Then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success. Some of you may know that I cannot give a talk without encouraging people to memorize scripture. In 1983, I got married, and 1986 to 1991 were spent in University Heights, Ohio, where God provided a wonderful church and great friends. In 1991, we returned to Indianapolis and began attending Faith Church.

My children grew up here at Faith. Justin is now 39. Jessica Jenny is 35. Jenny Jessica is 32. Why did I name them with j's?

I do not know. Jenny is 35. Jessica is 32, and Joseph is 31. Jen and Jessica loved mister Steve Wooden for their preschool class. Justin was willing to memorize Genesis one and say it standing on his head for his teacher, Doug Long, and perhaps $10.

Joseph, who we adopted from Russia at age one and a half, loved Laura Aiken, who he got to see at church and at his preschool. And as many of you know, when Joseph attends with me, he still has to greet with a hug or a handshake many of you who have played a significant part in his life. The list is too long to mention everyone. Fast forward to 02/2015, ten years ago. My oldest three children had finished college and the last one had just moved out.

And Joseph, because of his special needs, was living in a group home with a housemate and full time staff. So for the first time in thirty two years of marriage, I was an empty nester. And this was the year my unexpected journey began. Despite various difficulties in my marriage over the years, I was always hopeful these could be worked through with Christian counseling and a strong commitment to marriage. I never ever thought I would be asked for a divorce.

But after thirty two years of marriage, that's exactly what happened in the February. My heart was torn to pieces with rejection, a failed marriage, and the damage to our family. I also felt such shame at the thought of being a divorced woman. I knew in my heart, I had probably judged others who have been divorced as having a failed marriage, which was so wrong. But that's how I felt about myself too.

As believers, we know what God's design for marriage is. Divorce was never a part of God's plan for marriage. And having attended faith faith church since 1991, I was aware that there were very few divorced people in this congregation. I not I not only didn't want to be a divorced person, but I wasn't sure how to move ahead, how I would be viewed, or where I fit anymore. Being a person who desperately wanted to be liked by everyone, it made this journey all the more difficult for me.

So one of the first things I had to work through was that my perception of a divorced person was not in line with Christ's word. I was judging others and myself. Another thing I realized early on was my identity was so strongly set in who I was as a wife and a mother. Of course, I'll always be a mother, but my original family unit no longer existed and I was no longer a wife. It was important for me to remember who I am first and that is a child of God.

And again, that would never change. Any identity I had more important than that could be and probably was an idol. My identity as a child of god needed to be first and full and most important. First John three one became such an important reminder to me. See what great love the father has lavished on us that we should be called the children of God.

And that is what we are. So I'd like to share with you some examples of how God graciously met me and provided for me in even some surprising ways. The first thing I want to share is something that happened before I knew divorce was being considered, but after my then husband had moved out. God used my unbelieving friend to remind me of something I of course already knew, but it meant so much to me to be reminded of it from her. Diane and I had lived across the street from one another for nearly twenty four years.

Our kids played together all the time. I had asked Diane numerous times over the years to join the neighborhood bible study I had in my home on Friday mornings. She always chose not to come. But on this day, knowing what was going on in my life, she asked me if I wanted to go for a walk in our neighborhood. And as we were walking, I was sharing my confusion and sadness that my husband would leave me.

She listened then said to me, but you still have your faith. To hear that just then from her was so refreshing and uplifting, uplifting for me. I said, yes. Yes. I do still have my faith and that would never change, never ever change.

God would never leave me. God used her so significantly and how thankful I was to be reminded of that. Hebrews thirteen five says, keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have because God has said, never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. Isn't that just like God to use an unbelieving friend like that? At this time, I made a decision to leave Faith Church.

The main reason I left was the hope that a fresh start at a new church might save my marriage, but I also was uneasy staying at faith going through a divorce. I had asked a number of people to pray for me and I know they did, but we were not connected with a home group at that time. So the new church turned out to be much like faith church, full of people who love the Lord. But I decided before too long to return to faith. Faith was my church family.

I was known and loved there and any hope of a restored marriage was gone. It was a blessing to me to see how God ministered to me through this time, not only through scripture, but Christian books, songs, and art. A friend shared a song with me by Lauren Daigle called Trust in You. When you don't move mountains, I'm needing you to move. When you don't part the waters, I wish I could walk through.

When you don't give the answers as I cry out to you, I will trust I will trust I will trust in you. Truth is you know what tomorrow brings. There's not a day ahead you have not seen. So in all things be my life and breath. I want what you want, Lord, and nothing less.

I was so encouraged by this song. And then one day, a picture really struck me so strongly. For some reason, I was going through the Internet looking at pictures of Jesus online. And I can remember exactly where I was sitting when I found a picture of Jesus hugging a child. I looked at that child and I said, that's me.

I felt the child looked just like me and it was overwhelming. I was just so taken aback by what looked to me to be a picture of me being hugged by Jesus. What a comfort. Of course, I copied it and enjoyed it over and over. So after returning to Faith Church, there was the process of me needing to understand how I would fit in.

I had led women's bible studies over the years, but wasn't sure if that was still an option being divorced. I wasn't really even sure that I would be asked to lead. I did try to pursue a few women for a divorce support group at church, but there were only a few names to contact and there wasn't an interest. I had such a strong need to be in around other Christian women who had gone through what I was going through. So again, God graciously provided as I found a divorce support group at another church to meet and process divorce with a group of men and women believers who were going through the same thing I was was really meaningful.

That was such a comfort to me as I worked through some of the realities of being divorced. I had a community group at Faith invite me to join them. They were all people I knew and knew would care for me well, but they were all married and it still was such an open wound for me that being around only married couples seemed too hard, so I said no. My children were always supportive of me and seemed to deal with our family breakup in different ways, But they are all lovely adults who I love desperately and am so thankful for. Several books that were particularly helpful to me during this time are Holding On to Hope, A Pathway Through Suffering to the Heart of God by Nancy Guthrie and New Morning Mercies, a devotional by Paul David Tripp.

As a person who tends to be more black and white and more legalistic, this devotional really helped me lean into grace in a way I never had before. I wrote down several quotes from this devotional in February that were especially meaningful. The first says your rest is not to be found in figuring your life out, but in trusting the one who has it all figured out for your good and his glory. And the second one was, and don't be satisfied with anything less than all God's powerful grace is able to produce in and through you. Another book that really encouraged me was Anne Voskamp's A Thousand Gifts.

She tells her story of being challenged to write down a thousand things she was thankful for. Here is one of her quotes I wrote down. The most revolutionary thing a woman can do is not let anything but the cross explain her life. A woman's most sacred responsibility is to be so comfortable not just in her own skin, but in being in Christ, in being shaped and formed like Christ, like the cross, being cruciform, becoming the gospel, that she becomes more interested in the ways of Christ than in what others think of her or what she thinks she wants. What a challenge.

A psalm that I would always go back to time and time again was Psalm one zero three, which was like salve on my wounds. It would remind me of the goodness of God. It says he is holy and he forgives sins and heals my diseases. He redeems my life from the pit. He crowns me with love and compassion and he satisfies my desires with good things.

He renews my strength. He is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He doesn't treat us as our sins deserve. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him. Another amazing thing that God did in his goodness during those early years was sending me a friend who was interested in meeting together every other week to read Christian growth books, pray together, and have accountability to follow through with what we felt God was teaching us or direction that he was leading us.

My love language is quality time. This was so fitting for what I love and desired. It was amazing. I love to discuss spiritual things. I need accountability to read books, and I always need a boost to pray more.

And having someone you know praying for you and your family and your spiritual growth is a treasure. So for the last seven and a half years, my friend and I have been meeting every other week. We've read and discussed numerous Christian growth books, been challenged to grow, recognized sin patterns, and deepened our walks with the Lord. What a blessing this has been for me. In 02/2018, God also prompted me to move to the Northwest Side Of Indy from the Northeast Side of town.

Well, I have always been a Northeast Sider. I never thought I would move in that direction, but my mom was in memory care there on the West Side and my brother and sister-in-law lived in Zionsville. I would be closer to some church friends and I would only be ten minutes from church. He provided the perfect place for me to live. It has been such a gift in so many ways.

I moved into a condominium community into a condo on a small pond. I cannot tell you the joy I have had sitting each morning looking out my sliding glass doors watching the birds, the ducks, the squirrels, the chipmunks, the bunnies, and the blue heron, and hearing the bullfrogs right out on my patio. And one day, I even saw a bald eagle land. This is my happy place and I am so thankful God has me here. And God has given me a wonderful new older friend across the pond and we have spent many hours sitting together talking.

And guess what? She is also divorced and she has a grandson with special needs. So we have are similar in some significant ways. She also agreed to join me in attending a bible study in our neighborhood. The bible study is led by a friend who attends a church that is very liberal.

So it has been very different from the bible studies here at Faith, but I love this. God has given me the opportunity to encourage, challenge, and add some scripture truth to our study. I can see him working in the lives of these women through watching The Chosen and doing the wonderful Bible study that goes with it. And four of the six women are, of us are divorced. He knows my needs and has given me the opportunity to grow together with women who are newer to faith or not yet believers, which is exactly where I love to see God at work.

We are all very at very different stages in our walk with the Lord, but we also have some very similar life experiences. And here's another great thing God has done. I was asked to lead Bible studies again at Faith Church. But I had also continued to lead a study in the inner city with women over these years and of course divorce was not an issue for them for them because many of them had been through divorce, and certainly far worse circumstances than I had ever experienced. This was such a good way for me to keep my feet on the ground and realize there is a whole world of women who love the Lord and are divorced.

It helped me not to fall into self pity as much as I might have. Nothing I have gone through is even near what these women have experienced in their lives. It reminded me that we are all loved for who we are as children of God, followers of Jesus, not our marital status or our past. You might wonder where I am with Ephesians four thirty one and thirty two. This was another of my scripture memory verses from way back.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, brawling, and slander along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ, God forgave you. This has been a long process. I have chosen to forgive as an act of obedience. Bitterness and anger rear its ugly heads at times.

I know God doesn't want being divorced to define my life. I would I have chosen this for my life? Of course not. Did God allow it? Yes, he did.

Being deeply hurt can affect every area of your life, as I'm sure many of you know. Have there been hurtful words from others? Really very few. But when there have been, they do tend to reveal the deepness of the hurt. One continuing difficulty for me is being co guardian of our son, Joseph, which requires regular contact with my ex husband.

And Joseph constantly has a need to talk about his dad. So I'm not able to put some things in the past that would make things a little bit easier. But over the years, bitterness and anger have less a handle on me as God challenges me to transform my thought life according to Romans twelve two, which says, do not conform to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what god's will is, his good, pleasing, and perfect will. Transforming my mind.

This has been a constant theme through books and scripture through these years. My mind is my own worst enemy, but God is faithful and time is a good healer. And finally, one huge blessing God has given me is my sister, who I am very close with and who has been an incredible support to me in these last ten years. It's been such a an indescribable comfort to have someone who knows and loves me so completely, warts and all. So ten years into my unexpected journey, the capital D on my forehead seems to have almost disappeared.

I do still have some things that are a ripple effect of the divorce that are difficult that I would ask for you to pray for me. As I earlier mentioned, and many of you know, Joseph who we adopt from Russia has disabilities. He is loving, funny, kindhearted, and helpful, but he is a handful. He's sort of like the little girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead. When she was good, she was very good.

But when she was bad, she was horrid. I see some smiles that might recognize that little. So he required a great deal. He requires a great requires a great deal of my time and emotional energy. This divorce has been very, very difficult for him.

He has had to give up a lot of what he loved and felt secure in. I know he wishes things could be different. I know he wishes things could be different. So prayers for perseverance in caring for Joseph and his many needs would be appreciated. In closing, I'd like to share the words of another song that has ministered to me.

You will be familiar with this if you attend second service. Who you say I am by Hillsong worship. Who the sun sets free. Oh, is free indeed. I am a child of God.

Yes, I am. In my father's house, there's a place for me. I'm a child of God. Yes, I am. I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity in these past ten years to better understand God's grace, deep love, and never ending faithfulness.

I would not have chosen for my marriage to end in divorce. It is not a journey I ever would have hoped to go on. And it continues to be a journey of dealing with the breaking up of a family. But God allowed this in my life. And though my path has been very different than I expected, I have been able to experience the gracious provision of a loving God.

I am a child of God, and this was my unexpected journey covered in God's goodness and grace. Thanks, Terry. One of the disadvantages of sharing a faith story is you miss the, the worship services and today's service is so wonderful. Being rescued from a shipwreck. You'll hear Pastor Macy get us from where Nick Carter left us last week in the middle of a storm to seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.

So take the time to listen to that service. I I realize now we share one thing, and that's being former Northeast Siders. Fifty years in the Northeast Side, now Northwest, I'm still not sure I've accepted that, but Yeah. Yeah. I'm getting there.

Something wrong about it. Yeah. And I I had one question too. Having invested most of my medical life in the inner city, I'm, curious about where it is that you lead this study among the women that are in the inner city. Where is the location?

Well, it started many, many years ago at where the Well, it started many, many years ago at Wheeler Mission. Oh, sorry. It started many, many years ago at Wheeler Mission. And then, they changed their programming And so then this group of mother's club women went to, Shepherd for a while and now we're at around Tenth and rural at, a the neighborhood fellowship church. And we meet there on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the women get to do a craft.

They have bible teaching. We've done some skits. They've learned to knit. They've just been able to experience childhood things they never got to do really and learn and grow in the Lord. And, so I've enjoyed leading leading the Bible study there.

Yeah. Thanks, Seth.