Benedictions Given to an Ordinary Woman

Kristin Gedstad

For 37 years, I lived with a secret: I had extraordinary encounters with the hand of God in the midst of my ordinary life. It began with the impossible: my failing eyesight miraculously restored, and the Abbot who said, “Her life will never be the same.” From that moment on, blessings and spiritual experiences continued to arrive quietly, tucked into the fabric of everyday life. Over 37 years, I felt God’s experience 13 more times, so profoundly that my life had been quietly transformed. Yet for decades, I remained silent. 

As a mental health counselor for over 40 years, I feared the world would think I was foolish, or worse, unwell. Instead, I carried these miracles in my heart, confiding only in my children and my mother while I continued to guide others through their own struggles.

Now, for the first time, I am sharing my journey of faith, vulnerability, and courage. Knowing some will judge me as foolish, I now know, “that’s okay.” “Benedictions Given to an Ordinary Woman” is my testimony of life lived at the intersection of the extraordinary and the everyday. It is my story of learning to trust that which I could not see. I now feel secure in God’s love to stand alone and now dares to invite you into my journey of mystery, wonder, and the quiet strength that shaped my soul.

I am an ordinary woman. I am His, a daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, friend, and a twice-divorced wife. I believe God is active in our everyday life; you simply have to learn to see His ways and to listen to the nudges along the way. I encourage you to allow God into your life and discover the wonders waiting for you there.

What I learned about myself while writing my spiritual memoir: I learned that I sin much more frequently than I ever imagined, and I can barely make it a full minute without sinning. I learned that God is a loving and forgiving Abba, far more than I can even imagine with my human limitations, and that God/Jesus/Holy Spirit are everlasting and sustaining, providing spiritual nourishment and sustenance. 

I also learned that to be human means that I cannot begin to understand all that God understands, and that our human bodies would explode off the planet earth if we were to feel a tiny sliver of the enormity of God's love for all his children. I now know I am never really alone if I have Jesus in my life, and that at times I can feel His nudges and hear Him speak to me.

1. If you too want to establish a relationship with Jesus, find a Bible based church, and/or participate in an adult Sunday School class.

2. Make an appointment to visit with a pastor about your desire to get to know Jesus. The pastor may also recommend a Bible study group you could be part of and/or some reading material.

3. Play Christian music or find Christian Music on your phone. Music is a wonderful way to open your heart to Jesus.

4. Buy a little book that has a 'verse for the day,' which you can ponder and pray about.

5. Do you like to sing? If so, be a part of a church choir or a community choir that sings at Nursing Homes, Christmas Programs or at Hospice facilities.

6. Use a Bible and read parts to ponder.

7. Pray to Jesus. Our Heavenly Father already knows everything about you anyway.

8. Religious Church programs on TV usually have a telephone number for questions or an address to receive mail from them.

9. Reach out to someone.

10. Ask a friend/family/neighbor about their faith."

About Kristin:

Kristin is an ordinary woman, whose life has been a winding journey, marked by both trials and blessings. She’s a twice-divorced wife, a proud mom of two beautiful daughters, and now “Grandma” to three precious grandchildren. She is now retired, but for or 44 years she walked beside others as a mental health therapist. Today her greatest joy is walking daily with Jesus.

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