Healing is good. It's a testimony of what God can overcome. Despite the devastation, God brought healing and joy back in my life. And I began to realize that my identity is in Christ, not in the trauma that I'd been through.

Welcome to the Storytellers Live podcast, where everyday women share stories of hope found in

Jesus. I'm Robin, and I am here with Katie and Lindy, and we are your podcast host. And today,

we are bringing you a story from Memphis, Tennessee. And it has been quite some time since Memphis

had a live gathering. And funny enough, Emily was their storyteller before

COVID hit. So she has had approximately two years to work on this story. And we do want you to know

before it starts that Emily's story is about sexual assault. And so take care while listening.

Know that if you have kids in the car, this may be one that you don't want to listen to with them. That's right, Robin. And you know, I know a lot of times you hear that and you think it's going to be a really heavy story. But I want to tell you, Emily's story, while there is heavy content, there is healing throughout her story of what God can do when you've been through a traumatic event. And she talks a lot about the freedom that she

finds through that healing. Yes. And we're so excited that speaking of freedom in our when God shows up

Bible studies series, we are launching the second Bible study discovering God in stories of freedom this

August. So if you were interested in ordering that, go right now to storytellerslive.org, and we'll have all the information of how you can get that ship

to you. Here's Emily. I'm fortunate to say that I grew up in a Christian home where I was loved

and cared for. I was encouraged to always be myself and have confidence. I've always

joked that it was the fear of my mother that kept me and most of my friends out of trouble.

Some of them are here. They can attest to that. But she was also a lot of fun. I am the oldest of three.

I have a younger sister and a younger brother were all two years

apart. So growing up, we argued a lot, but we also laughed a lot and had a lot of fun together.

I just have a lot of really good feelings and memories of childhood. I had that typical 80s

Southern Christian upbringing. I had Christian friends. I went to a

Christian school. I was at church at least twice a week. Lots of Jesus in my life. But God knew in his

sovereignty and omniscience that that was exactly what I would need as a foundation.

Spiritually, I don't remember a day that I didn't believe in God and that Jesus was the son

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