Some stories include God delivering His grace in powerful moments. This beautiful story, however, is about a possibly more common scenario: God's enduring love and grace through consistent battle for recovery and healing.
Chris first met Devin on a trip to conquer a 14,150 foot high peak in Colorado called Mount Sneffels. Devin shared his story with Chris and agreed to share it on Unashamed Unafraid, but wondered if his story was 'big enough'. Steve has a strong reaction to that, "Are you a child of God? Then it's a big story!" He encourages anyone who thinks their story is small to "flood" our email about your willingness to share your story.
Devin and Joslyn shine with a light, but it wasn't always that way. When they began considering marriage, Devin disclosed that he ‘had had’ a problem with pornography. Joslyn was concerned, but saw Devin 'on his game' and attending recovery meetings. They married and things went well - for a while.
Their first baby, a new job, and a move all came within two weeks of each other and sent Devin back into the fringes of porn use to medicate the stress and pain in his heart. What followed was a familiar years-long cycle of willpower, relapse and isolation. God, of course, stayed active in their lives and eventually Devin followed a powerful prompting to disclose everything to Joslyn - in a written note.
From there, Joslyn's story includes an abundance of grace and understanding; and eventually, after the shock wore off, pain, anger and fear for the future. Things got rocky after that, but with time, she was able to begin pursuing her own work of healing. She kicked down the façades that they had put up and reached out for the help she needed. She shares how she learned on a personal level how Christ has carried all our burdens and struggles, how it’s worth the struggle to find peace and solace and that Christ really is acquainted with our grief.
Devin battled with shame and the fear of relapse, but moved further and further into the peace of acceptance and surrender to God. He shares that in recovery, consistency is more important than intensity, that sobriety isn't just about not acting out - it's about not giving up and that recovery is about what you want to create in your life.
Do you have a story you are willing to share? Email our Podcast Executive Director Jeremy at jeremy@unashamedunafraid.com.
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