This week we welcome author Sharon Srock to
Overcoming With God. Sharon was gracious enough to share her testimony of
Overcoming with us today.
My testimony is about waiting. Waiting for God’s will and His timing when you can’t see the end. God rewards waiting.
My husband and I have been married for almost
eighteen years. A second time for both of us.
My parents raised me in church, attending service
three and sometimes four times a week. I've known the love of Christ in my life
for as long as I can remember. I haven't always been an obedient child, but
I've always been loved.
My husband’s experience was pretty much the opposite
of mine. As a child, his family attended on special occasions. As an adult, he
continued to attend sporadically, but with no real dedication. By the time we
married, he wasn't attending at all. I won’t go into all the reasons a believer shouldn't
marry an unbeliever. All I'll say is that the heart will override the head at
every opportunity.
We had an agreement before we married. He would not
stand in the way of my attendance, and I would not “nag” him about going with
me. And thus, the battle for his soul began.
For thirteen years I attended church on Sunday,
morning and evening, mostly by myself. He came on occasion. He made friends. He
came to love and respect my pastor. Through those endless years, I prayed for
his salvation every day, I answered his questions as he asked them, and I
waited, wondering if God was ever going to grant my request.
One summer morning, five years ago, He did. On a
warm Sunday morning in July, my husband took my hand in his and made the first
steps in his private relationship with Christ. The change in his life has been
amazing. Is our life perfect? NO. Do we still disagree? YES. But the difference
is the foundation of love and peace that continues to be built with every day
that passes. Five years after the answer to my prayers there are still times I
look at my husband and wonder who this man is. He looks so much like the man I
married but acts so little like him.
Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred maketh the heart sick:
but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.
I read the Bible through every year, but it wasn't
until after my husband accepted Christ that this verse smacked me between the
eyes. I’m convinced that the reason I never saw it before was because I was so
lost in the waiting. I couldn't see the hope being offered while I was “heart
sick”. I read it, but didn't GET IT. But once God planted that tree of life in
my marriage it made sense. It’s been my verse of promise ever since.
Are you waiting for something from God? Wait
patiently. There’s a tree of life in your future.
Sharon Srock lives with her
husband, Larry, and two dogs in Rural Oklahoma. She is a mother, grandmother,
and Sunday School teacher. Sharon has one and three-quarters jobs and writes in
her spare time. Her favorite hobby is traveling with her grandchildren. She is
a member of the ACFW and currently serves as treasurer for her local chapter.
Sharon’s debut novel, The Women of Valley View: Callie released in October 2012.
The second in the series, The Women of Valley View: Terri released in
April 2013.
Three dire circumstances. Three desperate prayers. One miracle to save them all.
Callie Stillman is drawn to the evasive girl who’s befriended her granddaughter but the last time Callie tried to help a child, her efforts backfired. Memories of the tiny coffin still haunt her.
Samantha and Iris Evans should be worried about
homework, not whether they can pool enough cash to survive another week of
caring for an infant while evading the authorities.
Steve Evans wants a second chance at
fatherhood, but his children are missing. And no one seems to want to
help the former addict who deserted his family.
For Steve to regain the relationship he
abandoned, for his girls to receive the care they deserve, Callie must
surrender her fear and rely on God to work the miracle they all need.
Connect with Sharon here: Sharon's Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and GoodReads.
GIVEAWAY: We are giving away two copies of Sharon's books this week, OWG is giving one and Sharon has offered one also. Please leave a comment and your email address.
