Hearing from God
Hello, my name is Linda Fry, from the United States. The accessible Christian ministry training study opportunity at the Christian Leaders Institute is equipping me to serve the Lord.
I am a proud wife, mother to two beautiful daughters, and grandmother to a wonderful granddaughter. I am a disabled veteran, a federal employee, and a devoted family member of the church of God. That said, most importantly, I am a child of the risen Savior. I have come a long way in finding and answering my calling of ministry, which I do not take for granted.
My Journey
I started as a young girl in sunny California, then rural North Carolina. Quiet and polite, unfortunately, I was the victim of sexual trauma that lasted into my teen years. During that time, I faithfully went to church and waited for rescue from my living conditions.
I grew up in a family network where children were to be seen and not heard. Children were responsible for obeying and complying with adults. If they didn’t, they brought shame on themselves and were treated like an outcast or a troublemaker. I hated what was happening but didn’t know how to stop it. I felt like a fraud at church because I was active in the choir, Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, and any other program, but I could not be honest about what was happening in my home. It felt like God had forsaken me and that I was damaged goods.
When I was 13, the pastor baptized me at the local church. I was determined to give my life to Jesus. However, my change did not change the circumstances. Eventually, I gained the courage to report what was going on. However, instead of the relief I expected, the news ripped my family apart, and I felt more alone and forsaken.
Challenges
At that time, I turned away from God and family. I could not trust anyone, and I thought God could not love me if He allowed all these things to happen. To make a long story short, I made one wrong decision after another. I graduated and left home the next day to marry a man I barely knew who was fighting his past mistakes. We had our daughter a couple of years later. She gave me the courage to love someone again.
I started going back to church, but something was missing. Unfortunately, our marriage was not healthy, so we decided to divorce. Therefore, to care for my daughter, I joined the military. While in basic training, I again experienced sexual assault and felt abandoned by God. However, I prayed for help repeatedly, and I felt the pull of God’s love on my heart.
I suffered many days and nights, However, I knew something was different. After Basic Training, I went to Advance Training and was immediately sent to Iraq. I would love to say I was not scared, but that was not the case. I was afraid. But I had started a real relationship with the Lord and felt settled even in my fear. I did not feel alone and knew God was with me, whatever the outcome.
Healing and Hope
Once I was sent back to the States, I reunited with my daughter and other family members. It was challenging, but I let go of a lot of the past and was ready to walk boldly in the future. However, I got deathly sick at this time. As I was still on Active Duty, my care was through the VA hospital. I remember the doctor asking someone if they had the contact information for my next of kin. It was a horrible time, but God was with me. Then, God brought me a man (who would become my husband) to help me recover.
I am unsure when God started to re-hard-wire my soul, but I do know when I felt the first real shock wave. I was in the VA hospital for a psychological evaluation. The Tech asked me how I was doing. I told him, “I am truly blessed. The God of all things has restored my soul. I am humbled that His Holy Spirit resides in such an unworthy vessel.”
The Tech looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, “After all you have been through, how can you say that?” At the time, the left side of my face was paralyzed and my left eye was closed shut and swollen. I could barely move my left arm, and I could not open my mouth on the left side. At that very moment, I knew that the life I gave to Jesus when I was just a little girl was a treasured gift in His heart. Through slurred speech, I said, “Because He loves me.”
Calling from God and Accessible Christian Ministry Training
Once again, the Lord touched my soul and gave me the desire to preach His Word. Like all sinners, my first thought was, “Not me, Lord. There has to be someone more qualified than me.” I finished my Bachelor’s Degree and, subsequently, my Master’s degree while recovering over ten years ago. I was unsure if I wanted to return to school. Because of my illness and mobility problems that would occur suddenly and last an unspecified amount of time, I had to do many of my studies online. I had a hundred excuses: I couldn’t afford to return to school, I didn’t have time to take classes, etc.
But, thankfully, the Lord of all creation had a plan for me. I prayed for the courage to take action toward this calling, and I began searching for authentic and God-based online classes (there were many options to pay a small fee and receive a certificate without training).
Accessible Christian Ministry Training
However, the Lord led me to Christian Leader’s Institute. I knew I needed to listen more closely when God spoke and learn how to respond to what He said. I needed God-breathed, accessible Christian ministry training. Therefore, God led me to CLI purposefully because He wants me to be obedient to the Great Commission and go out and make disciples. It is not so people imitate me, but that they would walk in the ways of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
This opportunity to continue my education through the generosity-driven model that Christian Leaders Institute provides allows me to answer the ministry call on my life with a quality God-filled education. Thank you, CLI, for wanting to grow God’s people to step out and move according to the Spirit confidently.
May God bless your organization in all things and forever!
Register a Study Account
Register for a free study account, automatically enrolling you in the Getting Started Class at the Christian Leaders Learning Platform. The Getting Started class will take you less than an hour to complete.
When you log in to the Learning Platform, you will notice that the Getting Started Class automatically appears on your dashboard.
The Getting Started Class will orientate you to the Christian Leaders Learning Platform and the Programs offered, including:
- Ministry Awards, Certificates, and Diplomas with the Christian Leaders Institute.
- College Degrees with the CLI’s Leadership Excellence School.
- Minister Credentialling (Ordination) with the Christian Leaders Alliance, including local Soul Center registration possibilities.
Note: You can enroll in tuition-free courses or mini-courses immediately without finishing the getting started class.
Find out more about women in ministry here.
