The "Refined" Project - Kristina S.

I met Kristina last year and I believe that it was a total “God thing” the way that we met. Well…part of it was a God thing, the other part was me shopping J  I went into Lane Bryant, where Kristina happened to work, she helped me as I perused the store. She has AWESOME customer service skills and that’s how we started talking…I wanted to make sure she knew that she rocked her job! As I was checking out, I invited her to church and she told me that she did attend a church in Redmond…we chatted a while longer and that was it.

About 6 months later...I again, found myself in Lane Bryant (big shocker)…and there was Kristina. I remembered her from the last time I was in the store and said hi to her...by name. Hoping she didn’t think I was a creeper for remembering her name...lol…we started chatting again. She started sharing with me about her church and what God was doing in her life. We got on the subject of what I did and that’s where my photography popped up. I shared with her my heart for women’s ministry and how passionate I was about seeing women fully understand and know who they are in Christ.


And then I shared with her what the Lord had placed on my heart about the “Refined” Project…about doing photo sessions for women and having them share their story in hopes that others would be able to relate and see the grace and forgiveness that the Lord has given them….her eyes lit up! She told me...”I have a story for you”…

So then, again, hoping she wouldn’t think I was a creeper..I asked her if she’d like to have lunch sometime and she said “sure!”...so the following week, we met up for lunch and she told me her story. I was AMAZED at the things that this girl had been through..and that she was so willing to share it…so here it is, in her words…

My name is Kristina S., I’m 24 years old and I have an awesome story to share.

            My life began in Portland Oregon, I was one of four children. I spent most of my time as a small child taking care of my baby sister Jessica. Our mother would often leave us for long periods of time and we would get beaten or touched by her boyfriends that she brought home. My two older brothers did their own thing; I don’t really remember specific details, only trauma that went on. I, my sister, and my brothers were all taken from our mother when I was four; we were split up and put into different foster homes. I was having a hard time coping without my sister... I was basically her mom. They finally decided to put Jessica with me when she was two. After about six or seven foster homes we were finally adopted. I was five and Jessica was three. I never knew where my brothers were taken. I had a lot of trust issues with my new parents; it took me many years to be able to trust them to take care of Jessica and myself.

            As I grew older I found myself to be interested in playing softball, for a while that’s really all I did. When I was about 12 my parents adopted two more girls. They were sisters and also from Portland. It was a big change, but Jessica and I loved them and were all raised together as sisters. We did fight like crazy and did things to hurt each other but what sisters don’t? Over the years my adopted mom started abusing us, physically and emotionally, my dad never stepped in to stop it,  he would just block it out. Finally one day he had enough, and told my mom to leave and that’s when my whole world fell apart.

It was tough to live with my father after my mom left, he had fallen in love with another woman after my mom was gone,  it all happened so fast. I wanted my parents to work their marriage out because in my eyes, marriage should be forever. My mom worked on all of her problems and became a changed person. My dad chose to divorce and pursue his relationship with this new woman. I didn’t like his decision and in the long run I ended up moving with my mother. My sisters chose to come and stay with my mom shortly after I did.

My mom got a job and moved us all to Redmond. We were all enrolled in school and went on with our lives. I had started partying in high school and doing dishonest and dangerous things that I knew weren’t right. I had a couple boyfriends in about a 5 year period that I was intimate with..and other guys that I just let stay over and sleep with me for pleasure. I had no idea I was destroying my body and emotions. I met a girl and became very good friends with her and she introduced me to meth and crank. I became very addicted and getting high was my focus.

 I stared stealing valuables from my mom and sisters to pawn or sell to get money for dope, mostly jewelry. Once that was gone I went for my mom’s antiques. My mom knew stuff had been going missing but she didn’t know what I had been up to. She went to the local pawn shop and found a lot of her stuff for sale there, she pressed charges on my friend and me. I received a felony and three misdemeanor charges. To this day I am still paying restitution. I had hit rock bottom about five years ago when I found myself dealing meth and about to be homeless. I called a friend from a church I had gone to with my mom and she let me come stay with her. I quit cold turkey that night I was on my knees praying for help from God. He does amazing things to get us where He wants us. I have been clean for almost six years and I have an awesome job and my mom and I have a great relationship now.

I look back at everything I have been through and I praise God for the failures and triumphs, and  I know if He didn’t have His hand on me that I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. I thank God every day for giving me new life in Him. There is nothing like his love and forgiveness.

 

 

Kristina, I just want to thank you for sharing your story…I know that it wasn’t easy. You shared with me your reason for wanting to share your story, in hopes that it would touch someone who has been through the same thing. You are an amazing woman of God Kristina! His plans for your life are limitless. I am so blessed that our paths crossed that day in Lane Bryant…thank you again for sharing your story.