Marriage Ministry Training: His Timing, Not Mine

Marriage Ministry Training

I’m Brittany Earl from The United States of America, and I have a marriage ministry training dream. I’m married to a United States Marine, and as we have called a lot of places home over the last few years, we are blessed to be back in our home state now. We come from a small town in Arizona, about 100 miles north of Phoenix and 20 miles south of Sedona. Both of those coordinates are important as they have a lot of impact on our tiny community. Between drug trafficking and New Age cults, our town suffers and is nearly divided by the two. I never felt like I belonged to either group, and I thank God for that protection over me.

I was adopted by a couple in Minnesota in my early childhood. They divorced as soon as the adoption was finalized, leaving my mother and me on our own to spend many years shuffling between living with family members and on our own. It was during that time of my life that I was sexually abused by my adopted father. Many people have asked me, “How can you believe in God after going through that?” and it brings me joy today when I’m able to use that window of opportunity to share the Gospel with them.

I didn’t personally seek the Lord until I had my child out of wedlock. I spent many years before that drinking away my problems. I spent years trying to repair myself, but I finally realized I am a breaker, not a maker. I could not make myself whole again when I’m the one that broke myself in the first place. I did not grow up in a Spirit-filled house. My family told me, “You’re a Christian,” but never exemplified what that meant. I didn’t know His love for me personally. I just knew that God was real but never asked further. I didn’t know my God.

In my early twenties, I was in a situation that a good father could’ve saved me from, “If only I had a dad that loved me, I wouldn’t be in this mess.” Then it hit me one day. I do have a father. His name is Jesus, and He’s been protecting me since I was first born to a mother who did not want a child. I thought I had to be a better version of myself before I even spoke to Him. I didn’t know I could ask Him to forgive me. I struggled to accept the fact that He wanted me as I was. Broken and empty. All glory to God!

My goal is to achieve my ministry degree to help people like my mother. She didn’t feel worthy. She didn’t know Jesus at a time in her life when she needed Him the most when we all need Him the most. I now understand that it’s on a daily basis that we need Him most. Over the years of being Born Again, the Lord has placed people in my path that have found salvation through our fellowship and His wisdom. It’s hard work, but I pray for the opportunities to bring people to Christ. I feel like these courses at Christian Leaders Institute will better equip me for present and future encounters.

I would also like to focus on Marriage Ministry training as it has made my marriage flourish. It was my husband that brought me to Christ. I knew if I ever wanted to be at peace and have real joy in my heart, I needed to surrender myself to the Creator of the Universe. There was a void in my heart that only my Lord could fill.

As I ran to Jesus and away from my flesh and those who enabled me along the way, I became isolated from and foreign to the world I once knew. My “friends” completely disappeared from my circle, and I was left with the people I call my family to this day, my church. They accepted my daughter and me with open arms. I thank the Holy Spirit for closing doors for me and opening new ones to guide me and help me grow closer to Him through everything that I do on a daily basis.

As a family of five, I want to be an example to my son and daughters so they do not have to grow up with the hardships that I did and that they know the Lord their entire lives as actually present in their life. CLI has given me a sense of purpose and this opportunity for marriage ministry training. I’m thankful to work hard towards something that I could only wish for before. My wishing has turned into praying and even if I can just bring one person to God, these classes will be more than worth it.

Learn about minister ordination at Christian Leaders Alliance.