And Your Story Will Continue
Written By: Amber Turner
Have you ever experienced an unexpected turn in your life? It's hard, right?
I'm going to share with you a quick story about one of those 'unexpected turns' in my life- Here it goes!
I got married when I was 18 (gasps of unbelief), the summer after I graduated high school in a church filled with close to 250 family and friends. I was wearing my fairy tale Cinderella like dress with a six foot train and he was in a designer tuxedo. He was a skilled college football athlete. I was an academic scholar in the honors college on scholarship. We were busy working our way through undergrad and learning our newfound roles as a young married couple. I was madly in love, we were making wonderful memories and figuring out the twists and turns of life together. We both successfully completed college, landed great jobs and started our careers. Within short proximity of finishing college we built a beautiful home from the ground up, had nice vehicles in the garage, were leading efforts in our church and even started our family with a labradoodle puppy. Life was good and I thought we were invincible.
Then the dynamic changed.
Fast forward to the almost 9th year of our marriage and we're sitting in a court room and I'm signing a divorce decree. I was in a haze. I couldn't catch my breath. I couldn't think straight. I still remember the judge's gavel hitting the desk as she dismissed us from the court room and it was over, I was divorced. He walked me out to the main floor of the courthouse, we hugged each other tightly, wished each other well, turned, and went our separate ways down the sidewalk of our new lives journey.
I could tell you 100 things I learned from this experience but I’ll share the most significant one that has changed the trajectory of my life. That one significant learning is: Experiences, both good and bad, are only a chapter in a full book of our life story. Sometimes we venture down the wrong path, we make mistakes, we make an unwise choice; but that doesn’t define who we are. And best of all, God doesn't abandon us when we take the wrong path. Think of it this way, a child can throw a tantrum and misbehave but the parent still picks them up and gives them love and support. God does that for us too! We will experience many “chapters” but God has written a beautiful and amazing story for each of our lives! Don’t ever let one chapter in your life story make you think otherwise! Whatever you are facing now or have gone through- remember- You’ve. Got. This.
“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, they are plans for good and not for bad, to give you a future and a hope.”
-Jeremiah 29:11
I'm going to share with you a quick story about one of those 'unexpected turns' in my life- Here it goes!
I got married when I was 18 (gasps of unbelief), the summer after I graduated high school in a church filled with close to 250 family and friends. I was wearing my fairy tale Cinderella like dress with a six foot train and he was in a designer tuxedo. He was a skilled college football athlete. I was an academic scholar in the honors college on scholarship. We were busy working our way through undergrad and learning our newfound roles as a young married couple. I was madly in love, we were making wonderful memories and figuring out the twists and turns of life together. We both successfully completed college, landed great jobs and started our careers. Within short proximity of finishing college we built a beautiful home from the ground up, had nice vehicles in the garage, were leading efforts in our church and even started our family with a labradoodle puppy. Life was good and I thought we were invincible.
Then the dynamic changed.
Fast forward to the almost 9th year of our marriage and we're sitting in a court room and I'm signing a divorce decree. I was in a haze. I couldn't catch my breath. I couldn't think straight. I still remember the judge's gavel hitting the desk as she dismissed us from the court room and it was over, I was divorced. He walked me out to the main floor of the courthouse, we hugged each other tightly, wished each other well, turned, and went our separate ways down the sidewalk of our new lives journey.
I could tell you 100 things I learned from this experience but I’ll share the most significant one that has changed the trajectory of my life. That one significant learning is: Experiences, both good and bad, are only a chapter in a full book of our life story. Sometimes we venture down the wrong path, we make mistakes, we make an unwise choice; but that doesn’t define who we are. And best of all, God doesn't abandon us when we take the wrong path. Think of it this way, a child can throw a tantrum and misbehave but the parent still picks them up and gives them love and support. God does that for us too! We will experience many “chapters” but God has written a beautiful and amazing story for each of our lives! Don’t ever let one chapter in your life story make you think otherwise! Whatever you are facing now or have gone through- remember- You’ve. Got. This.
“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, they are plans for good and not for bad, to give you a future and a hope.”
-Jeremiah 29:11
How I Met The Author
The meaning of the name "Amber" is "Jewel"... I could just stop right there and that would be enough said. I was lucky to meet Amber when I moved to Cincinnati for a new role. To be honest, the first time I saw her she took my breath away with her stunning beauty... I just knew that she would be stuck up and into herself because who is this gorgeous and humble... boy was I wrong. She's what every woman needs in a friend. The girl that makes you look in the mirror and try just a little bit harder each day but has a heart of gold that is wide open and ready to give the most pure and honest love. My jewel Amber pushes me to never sell my self short and if the price of something is at the expense of my self worth... she is always there to remind me that the..."price is way too high... you need to cut it." Amber is a jewel...precious through and through.
The meaning of the name "Amber" is "Jewel"... I could just stop right there and that would be enough said. I was lucky to meet Amber when I moved to Cincinnati for a new role. To be honest, the first time I saw her she took my breath away with her stunning beauty... I just knew that she would be stuck up and into herself because who is this gorgeous and humble... boy was I wrong. She's what every woman needs in a friend. The girl that makes you look in the mirror and try just a little bit harder each day but has a heart of gold that is wide open and ready to give the most pure and honest love. My jewel Amber pushes me to never sell my self short and if the price of something is at the expense of my self worth... she is always there to remind me that the..."price is way too high... you need to cut it." Amber is a jewel...precious through and through.