Sharon “Stop at that Channel,” Part 1

As the youngest of five children growing up in a Catholic household, Sharon learned to stay out of the way. Drinking and arguing between her parents and older siblings was a way of life. When her dad would come home drunk, Sharon would quickly go hide in a corner with her hands over her ears.

But she also learned to keep up appearances on the outside—pretending everything was fine. This habit continued even as she grew older and suffered an abusive relationship herself.

“I put the face on and pretended to be content in front of people all the time. I always felt inside that I needed to just keep people happy—push down what I was feeling and keep everybody happy around me.”

At age 21, Sharon married for the first time and had two children. But she still felt lost inside. Now instead of trying to hide in a corner, she’d go into her closet and cry privately. There were so many days when she only felt motivated to get up and try to keep going because she knew that she needed to take care of her children.

After almost 20 difficult years of marriage, Sharon’s husband left her and their children. She was forced to find a job—constantly trying to juggle her meager funds to cover bills. Many days she’d arrive home after a hard day at work to discover that one utility or another had been cut off yet again. And her children, teenagers now, began making choices that brought more pain. Those were her darkest days.

Looking back, she says, “I was so very lonely and sad. I cried a lot. I’d think, ‘Ok, do what you have to do to get through the day. Then go to bed. Then get up.’ I felt like a robot.”

One night, Sharon sat on her couch flipping through television channels looking for something to watch. “It was like God kept knocking. I could just feel the presence of Him saying, ‘I’m here and it’s ok—stop at that channel.’ And I did.”

Reflect: Have you ever heard God speak to your heart? Did you respond? Listen to the Holy Spirit and compare what you hear with the Bible, then move forward in faith!

Key Bible Texts

And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:21 KJV)