Lisa R. Stenger

Before I wrote “True Reflection,” I struggled for forty years with the concept that I was important and mattered to anyone. My insides permeated with an unpleasant belief that I was unworthy, unwanted, and served no purpose. Personal circumstances and crises served to enhance this core self-belief, and that core belief, in turn, saturated me with negative opinions of myself.

As a young teenager, depression flooded me with a sense of hopelessness, fueling my mind with distorted thoughts that found outward expression through cutting, abuse of prescription drugs, suicidal attempts, and other poor decisions. My unrealistic attempts to manage these negative thoughts only spiraled my emotions and mental health out of control for seven years.

By the time I was eighteen, my actions became predictably obvious and unmanageable. My decision-making became destructive. Right before my nineteenth birthday, I spent weeks in a local hospital, and one of my attempts to take my own life almost became successful. I had distanced myself from family, friends, and God during this time. They were no longer who or what I called upon in my time of need. I had created a place where I felt utterly alone.

But God! Thankfully, God still had the wheel and continued to steer me back towards himself. I returned to the church and the spiritual growth it fosters because of my children. In 2008 my faith exploded with a deep desire to reconnect myself in a relationship with God. At this time, I also desired a relationship with my savior, Jesus Christ, which had not been genuinely present before. I knew of Jesus but did not know Jesus.

Getting to know the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all over again was the beginning of truly understanding God’s forgiveness, grace, and joy, even in times of trials. It is a daily task to remind myself of my purpose and worth. Through scripture and time in the presence of God, I find comfort. I believe that, with God’s help and the fellowship I have with Jesus, I am enough in all circumstances. It is an ongoing practice and process until I meet him face to face.

I share True Reflection with you, in the hope that you will lift your eyes up to your Creator and find your precious identity in Christ through His written Word.

Lisa R. Stenger

Let us take this journey together!

“But Ruth replied,
“Don’t urge me to leave you
or to turn back from you.

Where you go I will go,
and where you stay I will stay.

Your people will be my people
and your God my God.”

Ruth 1:16 NIV