Divorce has a way of shaking everything you thought was stable.
For me, it didn’t just end a marriage. It shook my identity, my confidence, and even my relationship with God. There was a season of my life when I felt emotionally exhausted, spiritually empty, and unsure of who I was supposed to be anymore. I even blogged about it in, “I’ll Never Be Her Again”.
I spent 20 years serving, believing, and encouraging others in their faith. God had healed me from depression, I had a beautiful life, a family, a home, a thriving ministry - But after my divorce, I found myself in a place I never expected—quietly drifting away from the very God I had worshipped and praised daily. The God I depended on for everything.
This is the story of my Christian self-care journey, how I walked away for a season, and how God gently led me back to healing, purpose, and ministry.
When Life Fell Apart
Divorce is more than a legal process—it’s an emotional and spiritual one.
When my marriage ended, I carried a heavy mix of grief, shame, disappointment, and exhaustion. I questioned my decisions. I questioned my worth. And if I’m being honest, I questioned God too.
Many people assume that when you’ve been involved in ministry or faith communities, your relationship with God is unshakeable. I even hosted a Women’s Conference “Unbreakable” - But the truth is, even believers can become overwhelmed and crippled by pain.
I became angry with God and I was exhausted.
Exhausted from trying to be strong.
Exhausted from pretending everything was okay.
Exhausted from feeling like I had failed.
Instead of running toward God, I slowly pulled away. (Some may say, I ran away.)
Walking away from God doesn’t always look dramatic.
Sometimes it looks like silence.
You stop praying as much.
You stop opening your Bible.
You avoid church or conversations about faith.
Not because you don’t believe anymore—but because your heart is wounded.
That season of my life felt spiritually dry. I was surviving, but I wasn’t thriving. I was moving forward with life, but something inside me felt disconnected.
Looking back now, I realize something important: God never walked away from me.
Even when I felt distant from Him, His presence was still there.
Healing didn’t happen overnight.
It started with small moments—quiet reflections, honest prayers, and the slow realization that God’s mercy and grace were bigger than my mistakes or my pain.
One thing God began teaching me during that time was something I had overlooked for years: the importance of biblical self-care.
For a long time, I believed that taking care of myself meant I was being selfish. I focused so much on serving others that I ignored my own emotional, physical and spiritual health.
But God began showing me a different perspective.
Rest is biblical.
Boundaries are healthy.
Healing matters.
Taking care of the life God gave me wasn’t selfish—it was stewardship.
As I slowly rebuilt my faith, I also began rebuilding my life in healthier ways.
Christian self-care became part of that process. Not the kind of self-care the world often talks about, but a God-centered way of living that cares for your mind, body, and soul.
Some of the things that helped me heal included:
Spending quiet time with God without pressure or performance
Learning to rest and slow down
Setting healthy emotional boundaries
Releasing shame and embracing God’s grace
Allowing myself time to truly heal
Through that process, I realized that self-care and faith are not opposites.
They work together.
God cares about our spiritual lives, but He also cares about our emotional and mental well-being.
Eventually, my relationship with God began to feel alive again.
Not because I forced it, but because I allowed God to meet me in my brokenness.
The difference this time was that my faith wasn’t built on performance or perfection. It was built on honesty, healing, and grace.
When I returned to ministry, it looked different than before.
Slower.
Healthier.
More authentic.
Instead of trying to be everything for everyone, I began focusing on something that had become deeply personal to me: helping others understand that self-care is not selfish—it’s stewardship.
That realization became the heart behind Living Well with Amy.
Why I Share My Story
There are so many people sitting in churches, scrolling through social media, or quietly living their lives while carrying deep emotional exhaustion.
Some are dealing with divorce.
Some are struggling with burnout.
Some feel distant from God and don’t know how to come back.
If that’s you, I want you to know something important:
God is not intimidated by your brokenness.
You don’t have to have everything figured out before you come back to Him. You don’t have to clean up your life perfectly before you seek Him again.
God meets us right where we are.
Today, my life looks very different from the season when I felt lost and disconnected.
I’m still growing.
I’m still learning.
But I’m walking with God again—this time with a deeper understanding of grace and balance.
My Christian self-care journey taught me that living well isn’t about having a perfect life.
It’s about learning how to care for the life God has given you while staying connected to Him.
And sometimes, the most powerful ministries come from the places where God healed us.
If You’re In a Hard Season
If you’re walking through heartbreak, exhaustion, or a season where you feel distant from God, please hear this:
Your story isn’t over.
Healing is possible.
Restoration is real.
And God is still writing beautiful chapters in your life.
Sometimes the journey back to God becomes the very path that helps others find their way too. I still believe I will never be the Amy that I was before, I can’t be… But I can be a stronger healthier version of her and the life she was building with God.
Comments
Post a Comment