Micki and I first met at church, and within moments it became clear: this woman would make a great friend. Not only did she exude warmth and smile easily, she asked questions. Good questions. And then she listened intently to my answers.
Fast forward a few years from that initial encounter. God did bring Micki and me together, and we’ve been friends ever since—over ten years now.
To know Micki is to experience loving acceptance from her heart, hear godly wisdom from her spirit, and receive splashes of joy from her effervescent personality.
You would not know that this well-balanced and vibrant person has suffered much pain and loss.
With Micki’s permission I am sharing with you her story:
At one time or another during her youth, Micki lived in the same house with an alcoholic, a drug abuser, and a person suffering from mental illness.
In addition, she is an incest survivor and rape survivor.
“When you are abused by a person who should represent safety and security, and no one comes to rescue you, your entire world shifts,” Micki explains. “All the foundational undergirding and security a healthy child experiences is taken away. The world becomes terribly unsafe, with no one to trust or run to. And even though it is the abuser who is wrong, it is the child who feels dirty and bad.”
Those dreadful circumstances, however, were not the only tragedies to enter Micki’s life. She endured the trauma of teenage pregnancy and a doomed marriage as well.
“My first husband was a good and honorable man, but he was so wounded by his own childhood, he could not express love. For five years I was married to a man to whom I would say, ‘I love you’, and from whom would come silence. A man I hugged who couldn’t hug back. A man who regularly moved away from my touch.
“He never abused me, never fought with me, always provided for me, but his rejection was like a cancer, slowly eating away at my self-esteem. At that time I didn’t know he’d been wounded. I only knew he couldn’t stand to touch me, and the conclusion I drew was he must have discovered the truth—that I was dirty, unlovable and ugly.”
Micki recognized the damage in her life from living with an alcoholic, so she began attending Al-Anon, the sister organization of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Through that program, Micki was drawn to people with this light inside them—people who seemed happy despite their desperate circumstances—people who appeared to have a handle on that “Higher Power” the Al-Anon leaders taught about.
Of course, those people who radiated that Light were Christians, and in due time one of them led her to Jesus. She didn’t know it, but that was Micki’s first step toward wholeness.
Not long after she became a Christian, someone asked her, “Do you know how special you are to God?” She remembers sobbing because, how could ANYONE, much less GOD, think she was special?
Micki was so blinded by her past she could not fully grasp God’s personal love. But gently and tenderly over a number of years, he led her toward emotional and spiritual healing, that moment in time when she could finally accept God’s warm and gracious love.
Micki participated in her healing through enthusiastic Bible study. Where once she found scripture rather meaningless, the new Micki reveled in the instruction, inspiration, and encouragement she found within its pages.
Prayer became a lifeline as she navigated the rough waters of challenging family relationships and a stressful job.
Later, ministries at church became a source of great fulfillment. God has put her on a healing team and the planning team for women’s retreats, given her Bible study groups to lead and young women to mentor, as well as put her at the podium occasionally to speak. She has impacted hundreds of lives throughout the three decades since she said “yes” to Jesus.
As he so often does, God took the great brokenness of Micki’s life and created beautiful wholeness.
Then God took her wholeness, broke it open and poured it out, to multiply the beauty in others.
It’s what our God loves to do.
Micki and me, April 2018
From the Inside Out 
Awesome inspiration, that our God does so beautifully, thru His daughters, you and Micki… thank you, and May our Heavenly Father bless this story, to the fullest! Love you Nancy… Steve too!!
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Thank you, Gail. I couldn’t agree with you more: what God has done in and through Micki is truly AWESOME. May hundreds more be impacted by this amazing woman!
Micki has been instrumental in my spiritual growth. She’s an amazing prayer warrior and leader. Both Micki & Nancy have a special place in my heart. I feel blessed that the Lord put you two precious women of God in my life.
Thank you, Tina, for your kind words. I should have included “prayer warrior” among the list of ministries Micki has participated in! I’m glad you added that one in your comment. And please know, you have been an example to me too, my friend, of strong faith lived out day by day.
What a wonderful story of God’s healing. She is a wonderful inspiration.. Thanks for sharing Nancy.
I’m so glad you found wonder and inspiration in Micki’s story. She IS an incredible woman!
Wow! That is such a powerful testimony! I never knew her story but always knew she radiated such a special love for the Lord! May her powerful story continue to encourage and bless others as they look to Him for healing and wholeness! Thanks for sharing this!
You’re welcome, Lisa. I felt the same way about Micki’s story, that it is indeed powerful. And we do pray others are inspired to look to God for their own healing and pathway to wholeness. As you well know (from your own incredible story of healing), ALL things are possible with our amazing God!
Hi Nancy, Thanks for sharing. People’s testimonies prove the power of God in real life situations.
Thank you,
Gary
So true, Gary. Our faith is renewed when we see or hear about God’s transformational power in the lives of others.
Pray for us as we are taking a step of faith to influence the fandom community. This is our podcast.
wow this so inspirational. She listened to you. what a gift of friendship – that alone is a great lesson let alone the witness of her life. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Jean. Glad you found inspiration in Micki’s Story. You and she would hit it off immediately upon meeting!
Two beautiful women.
Thank you, dear Grace. We are SO sorry for your recent loss. It is our prayer you sense God’s comfort and strength each day. May even the smallest of blessings speak loudly that He is with you and for you, in spite of the grief and pain.
What an inspiring testimony! It reminded me of those conversions found in the Bible. Powerful. Encouraging. A blessing to me. Please pass along my thanks to Micki for allowing you to share her story.
I, too, found Micki’s story powerful and encouraging. That’s why I wanted to share it here, where more people might be blessed by her transformation. Our God still performs miracles, and she is proof! I will indeed pass along your thanks to her.
Thanks for sharing this, Nancy. It is so great to see that God is at work in those who give him permission to do so. Saying yes to Jesus is the greatest decision of my life. I’m praising him for Mickies witness and yours. To Godbe the glory.
Absolutely–to God be the glory; great things he has done! Micki is certainly a prime example. I’m delighted Micki’s story has you praising God for his wonderful works! And AMEN to your comment: “Saying yes to Jesus is the greatest decision of my life.” Couldn’t agree with you more.
What glorious redemption! And what a sterling friendship. Thank you, Nancy and Micki, for sharing this with us. Reading tales of the Most Faithful move my hands upward in praise and my heart to thanksgiving.
These intersection of these observations struck me especially: “As he so often does, God took the great brokenness of Micki’s life and created beautiful wholeness.
“Then God took her wholeness, broke it open and poured it out, to multiply the beauty in others.
There’s just no dodging the breaking, is there. Yet what incomparable beauty ensues.
May you savor years more of friendship on this side.
You are so right: “There’s no dodging the breaking.” Yet even the breaking is cause for celebration, because God gives it purpose! Micki says she’s actually glad for the suffering she’s endured, because it’s given her a chance to minister to others in ways that would not have been possible otherwise. How’s that for incomparable beauty?!
“the intersection” oops, typing too fast
Puts me in mind of Brother Lawrence’s story. God’s grace can cut through even the most virulent self-loathing.
I didn’t know Brother Lawrence experienced such strong, negative emotions. I’ll have to revisit his story.
“To know Micki is to experience loving acceptance from her heart, hear godly wisdom from her spirit, and receive splashes of joy from her effervescent personality.”
Your words – and my thoughts, too – but I might also substitute the name Nancy in that sentence. Know you BOTH has certainly enriched MY life…
Oh, Debbie–such kind words! You certainly enriched my life, too, with your sweet, gentle spirit and hospitality, SO grateful for those years we were able to sing together, which gave us opportunity to hang out together, too!
*Knowing….
Thanks for sharing this story. I am always inspired by joy-filled followers of Christ — who then share their back story about redemption from grim circumstances. God is faithful. His love does not fail. His grace is sufficient. I pray others will feel this through Micki’s testimony.
That’s my prayer too, 140 Character Christian! Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to comment.
Powerful story, beautifully told. thank you both!
I’m so glad you found power and beauty in Micki’s story, Diana. I’ll pass on your thank you to her!