Alive in Christ
A SMALL AMOUNT OF YEAST stirred into flour transforms the entire loaf. Jesus used this image to describe the powerful way His kingdom works in the world (Matthew 13:33). When Jesus restores lives with His love, the story never ends with one transformation. God’s healing work in one life multiplies outward, touching families, communities and generations.
Stephanie’s story is like this yeast. God began healing her heart through STCH Ministries Counseling Ministries, but His work in her life did not end with her personal restoration. Instead, her own healing became a catalyst for transformation in the lives of her children and her extended family. Today, she is bringing the light of Christ’s renewal to those she loves.
When Stephanie first sought help through counseling, she never imagined she would one day become a source of hope for others. At the time, she was simply surviving. Her church referred her to STCH Ministries during a season of deep heartache. After separating from her son Alexander’s father, Stephanie felt devastated and disoriented, unsure how her life had arrived at this point. She remembered telling leaders at her church, “I can’t do this anymore. I’m trying to stay strong and see the positive, but I can’t keep it up. I honestly don’t know how I got here.”
Stephanie began meeting weekly with her counselor, Caleb. At first, Stephanie worried about what friends and family might think. She kept her sessions private, afraid of being judged. As time passed, her sessions became a place to tell the truth about her life. Week after week, she shared her story, her grief and her fears. Over time, trust grew, and healing took root. Looking back now, she sees counseling differently. What once felt embarrassing became a gift God used to lead her toward the fullness of life He desires for His children.
Stephanie experienced what it felt like to be helped through her feelings with compassion and learned to apply God’s truth in her life. This experience did not remain in the counseling room. It changed how she related to everyone around her.
The most immediate impact of counseling has manifested in Stephanie’s relationship with her children. Before counseling, she felt overwhelmed and struggled to provide her kids with the emotional support and guidance she wanted to give them.
“Without counseling, I wouldn’t have compassion and love for others,” she shared. “I would be empty inside and not able to be present for my kids.”
As healing took place, Stephanie noticed a profound shift. “Now, I have the words to connect with my kids,” she said. “I have the words and understanding to approach them when they are in difficult situations or have hard feelings.” Instead of reacting out of frustration or anger, she learned to respond with patience and empathy, skills modeled for her through her counselor’s care.
Since starting counseling, her kids have seen her grow emotionally as a parent. The understanding she received allowed her to extend that same understanding to them. “I’m not only a better mom, but also a better person for everyone in my life because I took the time to address my own emotional health,” she explained.
As Stephanie grew stronger, she began to see how unresolved pain had shaped not only her own life but also her family’s. With guidance from her counselor, she developed a plan to address unhealthy patterns of communication and behavior within her extended family. Her desire was not to assign blame, but to end cycles of generational pain.
Approaching her family was frightening. She worried they might not take her seriously or might make fun of her. Still, she felt compelled to try. “How can I take God’s lost sheep to Him?” she asked herself. She realized she needed to start by sharing the good things she had learned. The conversation that followed exceeded her expectations. “It was a beautiful meeting,” Stephanie said. “I felt so accomplished. We were getting somewhere. We were able to understand each other. We weren’t pointing fingers. We weren’t there to blame anybody.”
For the first time, siblings listened to one another’s honest feelings without defensiveness. Together, they acknowledged that while the past could not be changed, the future could be different. “We don’t live in the past anymore,” Stephanie recalled. They began asking one another how they could break unhealthy patterns and create something new. “Let’s fix us first,” Stephanie said. “We have to fix ourselves before we fix our spouses or our kids or our parents. Our kids are hurting too because we are doing the same things our parents did.”
She is realistic about the journey. “There is no perfect family, perfect relationship or perfect person,” she said. “But we can try to fix our mistakes. We can try to fix what is hurting us inside so we can stop hurting others.”
Today, Stephanie says her family still encounters bumps in the road. Healing did not erase conflict or disagreement. What changed was how they navigate those moments. “Instead of screaming at each other now, we are able to apologize and acknowledge when we do something unkind,” she shared. Healthy communication strategies first learned in counseling now shape their relationships.
Throughout this journey, Stephanie remained clear about the true source of transformation. Counseling was a vital tool, but God is the one who brings lasting change. “I am going to church not because I am perfect but because I am not perfect,” she said. “If I don’t seek God’s help, if He doesn’t come into my heart and cleanse me and change me, I will always be that person who I don’t want to be. I can’t change myself.” She acknowledged that old habits are hard to unlearn, and healing requires humility and ongoing dependence on God. Through that process, she has seen God work slowly and steadily, bringing hope into her family one step at a time.
Her deepest hope now centers on her children.
“I want my kids to see me and say, ‘My mom went through all that, but look where she’s at now,’” she shared. “I want them to see the strong person they can become after a hardship. I want them to know that it’s never over. You’re gonna be okay even after a bad day.”
More than that, she wants them to become a family that brings hope to others. “I want them to be able to help others and share the love of God,” she said. “I want them to know that it is okay to struggle and talk honestly with others about your struggles.”
Like yeast working quietly through dough, the healing God began in Stephanie continues to spread. Through the support of STCH Ministries and the transforming love of Christ, one life restored is becoming many lives touched, proving that when God heals, the story never stops with just one person.
For more information on STCH Ministries Counseling Ministries, visit www.STCHM.org/counseling-ministries.
