Affectionately termed Tigger by many of her friends, you might never guess that the high-energy, self-proclaimed OCDiva Carrie McChesney grew up in poverty, entered menopause in her twenties, and was told she’d never experience a successful pregnancy. Find out how God met her in the story.
I never thought I had a story. I was raised in a Christian household and accepted Jesus into my heart and life at the tender age of eight. I was a good kid, got good grades, had a good work ethic, and married a really nice Christian man.
So years ago when my husband and I took our first mission trip together to Uganda for three weeks, we were told that we should all be prepared to speak at some point. To possibly preach and to be able to give our testimony. We knew there would be outdoor crusade work as well as the other ministries we had come for, which included building projects and a VBS for kids. I secretly hoped that in a culture that still valued male leadership, I would be able to skate by helping out with the kids programs and building project and NOT have to speak.
On the over 20 hours of plane rides and lay overs to get to Uganda, I opened my journal and began to just write out my life. Searching and praying for God to help me find something to speak on. I poured through random scriptures and even did the dreaded ‘close my eyes and open the Bible’ to see if the Holy Spirit would lead me to a scripture passage to speak on.
As I wrote out my life, my story, it wasn’t that it didn’t have ups and downs. It wasn’t that I didn’t have any hardships that had been overcome. I had lived in a broken home, parents divorced, significant poverty, and the blending of families when both my mom and dad remarried respectively. I gained siblings, moved to a new town, was a total and complete nerd, and had weathered an abusive relationship prior to meeting my amazing husband. As I wrote through each of these experiences, my pen found the words “but God…..” making their way in and through each story.
My Parents divorced…BUT GOD used that to give me more family, and tender sibling bonds that I still have to this day.
I lived very much in poverty as a child….BUT GOD used that to teach me the value of things…and the lack of value in earthly things. In doing so, I still view my childhood with fond memories and a great respect for what my Mom had to go through raising us children alone.
I had my moment of rebellion just after High School, and dated an extremely abusive man, both verbally and physically. BUT GOD…used that to grow me closer to him. To lean on him to get out of that relationship, and to place higher standards in the men I would allow into my life. This led to God selecting the perfect husband for me.
I did end up “preaching” during a portion of the crusade that year in Uganda. I took the stage and said… “I’ve never felt like I had a huge story to tell…or a grand salvation experience to convey….BUT GOD!” I then shared each of the BUT GOD moments in my life. Following the crusade, I was crushed by wave after wave of women who had heard from God through my speaking. Who had their own BUT GOD moments….or were praying for their BUT GOD moment to come.
I was humbled and in awe of how our great God can use the seemingly mundane life to bring His story to life.
I still sit in awe of my not-so-difficult life. Not-so-difficult because my BUT GOD moments just seem to continue.
Enter Menopause at age 27…BUT GOD shows mercy and love and gives me a heart for the elderly through my own experiences figuring out medical issues.
Can’t have children of my own…BUT GOD provides through the amazing sacrifice of adoption, two beautiful boys whom we love and cherish.
Multiple Job losses…BUT GOD provides in the lean times and blesses with jobs beyond our dreams.
I’ve learned that no matter what hardship is present, or lurking. What difficult time we are walking through or are headed into…there is a BUT GOD waiting to help us walk past it and into the future.
When you say you don’t know how, or what, or if…..just remember to end it with “…BUT GOD does, will, can.”
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think…” Eph. 3:20 ESV
-Carrie
Beautiful.
❤❤❤❤