Christine Childress

A Testimony for God's Purpose Christine Childress

What had happened to her life? How could her mother treat her this way? Would there ever be an end to the evil? These questions frequently circulated through the mind of Christine Childress, as she endured a childhood filled with constant beatings, name-callings and mistreatment from an alcoholic, physically abusive mother. Starting around the time Christine was five years old, she recalls a day that didn't go by when her mother didn't slap her in the face, beat her with extension cords and call her unworthy names not meant for a young girl to hear. Her siblings were also the victims of this abuse, but Christine always seemed to get more of the brunt of her mother's wrath. Christine also recalls being sexually abused by family members and having to deal with her mother's boyfriend, who instigated her mother's beating of her children. Her hopes of escaping the torture at home by joining the military after high school were changed when Christine became pregnant, and successfully hid the pregnancy from her family until she went into premature labor with her son (one of her three sons). However, her new autobiography, A Testimony for God Purpose, focuses most on how Christine was able to overcome the abuse through a thriving relationship with Jesus; an awareness that God loved her, even if her mother didn't seem to during her life. Although A Testimony for God Purpose does describe the pains Christine endured in her childhood, and even into adulthood, the purpose in sharing her story is to show how God's love can heal even the most brutal wounds. Christine offers lessons to readers on forgiveness and peace that can come through the love of Jesus, as she realized that her Heavenly Father could make up for what her mother and family couldn't provide. Why did Christine suffer childhood abuse? So her story could help others draw closer to God and His eternal love.