Join us for an exceptional encounter as we continue to delve into the life of Elizabeth Stewart Williams, whose faith journey has been a testament to the transformative power of a devoted Christian upbringing. Elizabeth shares about her early childhood household dynamics of " the teachings of the Bible were not just preached, but lived".
As we progress in our conversation, Elizabeth shares the intimate details of her personal battles during her transition from high school to college. In addition, she shares how she navigated her trials, kept her faith alive amidst the challenges that threatened her connection with God when she was violated.
Finally, Elizabeth's shares her dramatic wedding day story and how she stood firm, choosing joy over chaos. Elizabeth's story is more than just her personal life and faith journey; it's a testament to the undeniable power of unwavering faith, God's grace, and the strength one finds in adversity. Join us for this inspiring narrative of spiritual resilience and the commitment to faith.
Plan of Salvation:
Hear: Romans 10:17
Believe: Hebrews 11:6
Repent: Acts 17:30-31
Confess: Matthew 10:32
Be Baptized: Mark 16:15-16
Be faithful unto death: Revelation 2:10
Contact Information:
Elizabeth Stewart-Williams, MDR Website: www.iamprose.org Email: elizabeth@iamprose.org Phone: 713.820.6833/ 469.390.9024
Join us for an exceptional encounter as we continue to delve into the life of Elizabeth Stewart Williams, whose faith journey has been a testament to the transformative power of a devoted Christian upbringing. Elizabeth shares about her early childhood household dynamics of " the teachings of the Bible were not just preached, but lived".
As we progress in our conversation, Elizabeth shares the intimate details of her personal battles during her transition from high school to college. In addition, she shares how she navigated her trials, kept her faith alive amidst the challenges that threatened her connection with God when she was violated.
Finally, Elizabeth's shares her dramatic wedding day story and how she stood firm, choosing joy over chaos. Elizabeth's story is more than just her personal life and faith journey; it's a testament to the undeniable power of unwavering faith, God's grace, and the strength one finds in adversity. Join us for this inspiring narrative of spiritual resilience and the commitment to faith.
Plan of Salvation:
Hear: Romans 10:17
Believe: Hebrews 11:6
Repent: Acts 17:30-31
Confess: Matthew 10:32
Be Baptized: Mark 16:15-16
Be faithful unto death: Revelation 2:10
Contact Information:
Elizabeth Stewart-Williams, MDR Website: www.iamprose.org Email: elizabeth@iamprose.org Phone: 713.820.6833/ 469.390.9024
Man, college was not my yay moment, and when I mean by that is like I had some major, major things that came at me, right. So actually. So my freshman year I was, I was actually raped in college, which was like Didn't tell, didn't tell anyone, didn't tell anyone, and it was crazy because I was a very proud version.
Speaker 2:
Welcome to the call by God podcast with Adne Godin and myself, nixon Sylvain. This show is about dialogues of biblical characters and testimonies of Christians who submitted to the will of God. Each week we bring on one guest so that they can share their story how they were called by God. I hope this show inspires you. Enjoy hello world. Welcome to another week of Elizabeth Stewart Williams testimony. I hope you enjoy this episode, so sit back and enjoy the ride. Be blessed.
Speaker 3:
So, my dear sister, I want you to expound on the discipling part that your parents did for you and your siblings, because what I realized for me that I came into the body and I was baptized. I wasn't discipled. So the unnecessary stuff that I endured and now Learning to fall in love with Jesus, to me is unnecessary. Your parents taught you To fall in love with Jesus before you got into a relationship with Jesus. So please share with our listeners the impact, the work, the Assignment and everything until you saying yes to Christ.
Speaker 1:
They took the time. So and actually let me go even I'll go deeper with it, because they were very my parents were very strategic and purposeful in making sure that we, we really understood the word and but it wasn't just about the word, it was about living it right. So Go back my Saturday mornings, right? So my Saturday mornings with my brothers and sisters included Us going out into the community. We were, you know, cleaning out crack houses, we are. We were feeding the homeless. We walked the streets Unapologetically.
Speaker 1:
My dad will literally have on a hat that had church of Christ on it and Literally would have our hands going door to door unafraid. I know this day and time is so it may be a bit different, but even if you think about back then that area, the time is like he was very strategic in it, but but in a scene that. So we're like, you know, five, six is four of us. So my sister, my sister was young, three, three, four. I'm what I'm like. I'm like seven, eight years old and we're literally what you were called Evangelizing. I talk about, like my older brother, genesis and yes, his name is Genesis like the first book of the Bible, oh, and then my other brother, like, would be right there with the Bible in our hands telling about the love of Jesus. But it wasn't judgmental, it was just respecting where people were in their life and the way that my, my dad, delivered the message was hey, I can show you someone who could elevate you, you know, and so, working, he had a program body and soul. So he would give a food for the body, which was preaching the word, and then food, art, food for the soul preaching the word, and then food for the body, and we would pack up Meals for people in the kitchen and after they got food for the soul, they would get food for the body. And he became just really respected in the community. But we saw that we saw baptisms and we saw prostitutes who left that lifestyle, and we saw, we saw those who were addicted to drugs change your life, homeless people Change, like. We saw all of that and and we worked it and so from from bad, being able to see that. And Then, at the same time, they taught us at home. So, and the teaching at home was so big because it wasn't the type of teaching that you know, the baby, I call it the baby steps. You know that you think that kids don't understand.
Speaker 1:
My parents were very deep-seated and purposeful in the conversations to where you would ask the question why. You know, like, why did this occur, why did that happen? And with those questions you have to transition to Identify the why. So he took us to the library and we learned about the different things, that the differences between what, what the church is and what the world claims to be, and so so I understand the difference between Catholic Presbyterian, and I learned that at a very early age. I understand the difference between method is my dad even took us.
Speaker 1:
He, we, my brother had a question about priests. He literally took us to the Catholic Church and sat down, and that's when we found out about traditions you know that they are closely aligned with tradition and so he took us. If we have a question, he would literally take us and and we were identified and then asked the questions ourselves. And so it is. It was definitely. And then, on top of that, they took time.
Speaker 1:
Like I talk about how we got up as a family. We worked out as a family before school. You know All those years we thought, oh, they really believe in my talent. No, they really, they really believe in making sure that we understood you take care of your body because this is borrowed, this is not sure it's to just have, it's a gift, and so you're learning all of these things and then you're like man, he loves me.
Speaker 1:
So even when we saw, like an example, when my father did transition, there were issues. You know, as a PK, your father can be preaching one Sunday and then Wednesday or Sunday you know he's no longer preaching for the church. That's just that's how cutthroat it can be and you're angry and you're upset and different things like that. But you're like. We saw, even in that transition, his response and the way he moved with that and then he dove deeper and to make it sure that we understood like this is life, this is how the church can be, those are the people, but it never negates how God loves you and that understanding and that's really the. That's when I was like man, I'm not, my dad is covered, I'm not covered, and it was. It was a falling in love with him from that point and it became even to this day that's the blessed part I never want to leave him because I know what that looks like.
Speaker 3:
I know what that I've seen it, you know, experienced it, so yeah, I'm so appreciative that you shared that, because we have a lot no, honestly, we have a lot of parents now in the body that push sports, that push cheerleading, that push acting, that push this, but they don't push Jesus right. But then you want your child to get baptized, but your child is getting baptized without an understanding and a relationship with Christ, right? So something for me when my son made the decision to get baptized, I gave him the little bit of learning that I got. I did my best to disciple him right, and now he's living with his father, who's a non-Christian. You understand what I'm saying. So now it's like what I taught him. It's kind of going out the window because it's not that deep rooted. I gave him what I got.
Speaker 3:
Mine was not as deep as it needed to be right, so his teaching was surface. Because he's in band now and in band he compromises Wednesday, which is Bible study, versus saying, oh, I'm sorry, I don't practice on Wednesdays because this is the day that I go to Bible study, so there's a compromising there. So I'm gonna say this parents, this walk is serious. You wanna know why your children fall asleep in church? Because you're not teaching them at home, you're not evangelizing them, you're not discipling them, you're not showing them Jesus right, the love of Christ. Instead of them going to basketball or football on the weekends, how about you take them to downtown to feed the homeless and show them how to treat these people with respect, because that's what Jesus did right? Jesus loved people and in the same process, he discipled people. If we want the church to grow, it's time for us to go back to discipleship and not just baptizing period, because you could baptize your child all you want to, but if they haven't fallen in love with Jesus, they just wet.
Speaker 1:
That's real. And I'll even say this, even though I stated before all my brothers and sisters like we all play sports, we were deep in it, but you don't compromise or let it go, for you don't let go. The reason why you're doing sports is because you're honoring the gift that God has given you. So if you're going to play it and you're going to do it well, that's great, do it well. But understand the only reason why you're able to do what you do is because of the one that has given you the gift to do it, and that's one thing. Like my son now, he just committed to Kansas and that's the biggest thing that I let him know is that the only reason you're at this stage and that this now is to glorify God? So if you're, if you're laying down God, then what? What is it all for?
Speaker 1:
Everything that you're doing is for the kingdom. Everything that you're doing right, so it's, it goes back to like you, you, you say, my sis, the love is, I mean like in, like you have to love him. And that's the first amendment. That's what people miss. The first commandment says to love. Love thy God with all your heart, your mind, your soul, your like everything in you. That is the first commandment. So I definitely would agree that my parents really embedded that into the time and I'm so thankful because my father could have went and they're like a lot of preachers do, like they go out and they go teach and they travel and they do a whole lot, but then that's the element that's missed at home, and he purposely made sure that we understood and we knew. And that's really what carried me, because I don't, I don't know how I would have made it thus far if that wasn't the case.
Speaker 2:
So amen, amen. Yeah, thank you for sharing that, sister Liz. And what I like about your story is that we actually took time talking about when God called you from darkness into his light, because, like you, we really methodically walk through that process, because I want the unsaved, or even those that's in the body, to really understand the significance of salvation. This is not something like, oh yeah, yeah, I got baptized, I'm done that. This stuff is real. It's like a relationship, right? We all been in relationships.
Speaker 2:
You know, when you help happen to find somebody you like and you dig in them, you do whatever you can. You want to dress nice, you want to get a haircut? I don't have a haircut, honey, if you listen to this, I'm going to get a haircut soon. But anyway, we do whatever we can to look good, nice outfit. We take our time, we do homework on a person, you buy them flowers, you do whatever it is, and I believe our relationship with Jesus Christ will be larger than the relationship with humanity or man.
Speaker 2:
You know, love God. You said love God with all your heart, all your mind, likewise even your neighbor. So Jesus Christ, he paid the price for all of us and because we're not doomed to damnation because of what he did for us. We should have more of a greater love for him, and that's my approach. When I think about the Lord's Supper and Salvation, I'm like God, you did that for me. Come on, that is amazing. So I thank you, elizabeth, for walking us through that, because I want our listeners to really understand and get it, but also I know as Christians I always say this I got a real crowd out there.
Speaker 2:
They're like yeah, she's telling us all the good stuff and I know so what most people don't know. You have a master's in dispute resolution and I know you always. You got a woman with many talents, you got pressure jewels, you got a Bible woman's ministry group and you're a media and a founder of Liz Yvonne dispute resolution services, and also you're the founder I am pro se. So we and all of these are dealing with conflict resolution ministry and domestic violence. So you're going to have to take us back. I mean, you're going to have to take us way back, because a person that gave their life to the Lord at 10 years old you know Satan is after you.
Speaker 2:
Satan ain't happy. You've been in the body of Christ for a long time and I want people to understand that when you accept, like you're a Christian now you decide to be a follower of the disciple of Christ, satan is upset. Oh, satan is upset. So I want you to take us back to holl it. All this come about, especially when I, just because I know about the domestic violence, I am pro se. Take us way back. Let me get my pop. You got your pop.
Speaker 1:
Get your pop.
Speaker 2:
Oh no, what happened?
Speaker 1:
Okay, so, so, let me okay. So, my high school, I'm a goal. We don't start there. My high school awesome, I had asked. You know some people like I hate it. I loved it. Listen, loved it.
Speaker 1:
Hands down, great, felt like I was so close with the Lord, um, exceled at sports, excelled at academics, god. So I went to, I ended up going to a university of Oklahoma. Oh, you, um, my first, you, almost there's a time and space that you, you come to, uh, after you have been in Christ for a while. And I realized so there's levels to this thing. There's levels and being in Christ and man, college was not my yay moment, and when I mean by that is like I had some major, um, major things that came at me, right, so, actually. So my freshman year, I was, I was actually right in college, which was right, didn't tell anyone, didn't tell anyone, and it was crazy because I was a very proud virgin, very proud, no joke, and so it was almost like everything was cause, that's all I, that's to me, that was the glory to be that right Strip stripped away and I'm like what am I now? Now the piece, even though there was such a blessing in understanding and being so connected with Christ. The balance part that I believe that was missed and I wouldn't even say it was so much missed. I would actually say that I did not understand was that, even though many Christians get sucked into, you gotta do this, this, this, this and this. And if you don't do this, this, this, this and this, like you just not gonna make it right Because I had such I understood God loved me, so I still there are those that do this, this, this. If you don't stay, if you're not in this box and it doesn't look this way, then oh no, like what are you gonna do? Right? And I? So my freshman year, and you can see where my grades went down. Like cause I was, I was number what 20? Like we had a thousand in my class, I was top 10%, 20.
Speaker 1:
When I got to college, I was in the top 10, like just ridiculous. That first semester and that second semester wouldn't happen. I did not get out of bed unless my mother. My mother knew something was wrong. She didn't know what. She called me every day. Mama was into him. She called me every day and I was like like I would not get up unless she called me and she continued to do that until I slowly which goes back to what I was saying and understanding I had to come to the realization he still loves me, like, oh, he still loves me. This happened and it tried to destroy me, but he still loves me, right, and it took. It took a lot for me to get to that point and no one knew. No one knew what are the heaviness. And by nature I'm a fighter.
Speaker 1:
I come from the lineage of David. Me and Peter ride together Like he got one ear, I got the other, me and Paul. I would have been right there. Get it, paul, you know, and that's those.
Speaker 1:
But this is the thing that I learned about myself. There's a core in you, that and it's a core carnality in you that you have. That the devil wants to come out and God is saying no, replace it with me. And you have to learn that core about you. You have to learn what works and what doesn't with God. That's the key, like what works with God, what doesn't work with God, what you have to. I go to church. People say, oh, man, you always go to church? Yes, because if I don't, you don't wanna see what can come out. Like there's a core there. So I work, I have to learn.
Speaker 1:
I didn't miss church Like I found. I had to find a church. I was like this church isn't working. This we drove and at the time my brother was with my older brother. He attended OU at the same time with me and we would miss it, wouldn't miss it. It was almost like I need God because I gotta figure this out and I gotta work because I still have to see what God sees in me, even though this has transpired. So that was actually my first experience dealing with dealing with what I would say what the devil tried to destroy in me, like he tried to destroy that. So that was the first.
Speaker 1:
So I dealt with sexual assault and I couldn't coming out of sexual assault during that timeframe. You were ostracized Like you did. Especially I was in sports, so I was around athletes. You don't do that and if you do do it, I mean they gonna hang you out. So at that time I'm looking like I gotta keep this and I kept it. I kept it until what?
Speaker 1:
A week after I graduated I got my bachelor's and I got made at home, but I kept it, and my mom, that's the only reason why I got up every day. She called me every day. They, she didn't call me a lady, but that was far and in between. But that's how I made it. And then that's how I begin to learn man, god, okay, you still love me, I Can still go, I can keep going, because I felt like a failure, which that's the part of, that's the part that the devil wants, especially for women. The devil wants because we are the only thing Created from life.
Speaker 1:
If you read Genesis, chapter 2, everything else man, birds, the files of the air, the, the grass, that everything else was made from the ground. The question is, why didn't he make woman from the ground? Because she wasn't supposed to be made from the ground. She was supposed to be made from life because she is the solution. She is the solution for loneliness. That's the help me part. She gives life, she's supposed to give life. When she comes into a room and what the devil tries to do, especially with anything dealing with Violence, anything dealing with assault, anything like that, is the devil is trying to Take out the life. He wants us to walk around dead.
Speaker 1:
But that was the beautiful thing about Christ. If I'm in Christ and he, christ is covering me, I have life Right and I've come out of the world and I'm in him, I am, I am. He is the truth, I am life and this is what I'm supposed I'm supposed to be. I cannot be, and that's the dangerous part is, when you get yoked with someone which will go into that go. You get yoked with someone who is dead, like your life, and you're yulking with someone's dad. But that was so. My college that was. That was like a, that was a beast and at the same at the same time. So I'm coming out of college. They are graduated the day I left and I and I Get to. I get back home to Houston and I'm just like. I just want to be surrounded with Jesus. I want to be surrounded with him, I want to walk with him.
Speaker 1:
I got a position at a law firm. I felt like I was doing well and then I got. I Would get my hair done every week, so don't get it twisted. That was the other part which I didn't even bring up. Growing up, my mother would always ask what's your name, who are you, who's a pretty girl? So I didn't have any self-esteem issues, which I think that's the reason why I was able to continue to like, really Get past, move and not dive deep. I think the most astray thing that I did was cut my hair. I cut, cut my hair. I had long hair. I cut my hair off at the time, but that was the that was. You know, some people dive into deeper, dark things. I didn't dive into that. I think that was the deepest thing. That, though, and then I was angry. I Was angry and I to learn, because I I got into it with some people, which that's when I learned. You know, I do have a spirit of Like, I will like. If I don't stay close to Jesus, I'm gonna cut you.
Speaker 3:
I love what you're sharing because you're giving us different facets. Right, I, I too, am a victim of rape, but minds took me on a downward spiral because I didn't have a relationship with Christ. Right, you started to go down, but your mother, the spirit, the Holy Spirit, kept telling your mom caller, caller, caller. Right, and you just reminded me of Tamar. The Bible says that when Amnon raped Tamar, she put ashes on her head and she became a desolate woman. You are what Tamar was supposed to be when Amnon raped her was was. She stayed in her situation, but you didn't.
Speaker 3:
What I want to bring to a lot of women is You're not the only one. Someone out there has been violated and because of the love of Jesus, of the love of Jesus, just always know that you have life. That person may have tried to steal the life from you, but they don't have that power. That's just Satan saying if I can break you, you won't give birth to what God put inside of you. What I'm learning now what, what? What I'm learning is Satan doesn't know what's inside of us. All he knows is that we're born. If we're born, that means that God has a purpose for us. So if I can ruin that purpose If I can ruin what's inside of you.
Speaker 1:
I win. Even when God created you, it was him and you that's it. He literally took your beautiful spirit and said hey, this is the vessel that I've created to grace the world with, like you're a blessing. And so if God sees you as a blessing and God is in all of you because that's literally what, like when you come, you're breathtaking, like he's in all of you then that's what you're supposed to be, be who he's called you to be Like. Be life. I tell women now, my precious jewels, our Bible studies. I'm like when you walk in a room, yes, when that man times and looks at you and you give that smile that you know God is giving you, you're giving him life. Be life. Don't be walking around looking like death, because that's what the devil wants. So that was my first. That to me, was that it was a major test because I didn't and that goes back to a question man, why? But then it was almost like, but I handled this, like, okay, god, we did it and now let's move forward. And then God was like you, finna, get another test, which that was the.
Speaker 1:
So coming out of college, and I did, I had a college sweetheart and then I went through with it, like it was almost like, okay, I'm about God, like I'm about the Lord, and he was being drafted to the league and I was like, okay, well, father, I just this is where I met and I'm gonna walk with you Went home so was set up so I would get my hair done every week and God set up. They were like, hey, you need to meet this guy. I was like walking with Jesus and this is what I'm doing. He met me at church. They gave him and this. So this was the thing. It wasn't to me authentic, because he was told a lot of things about me to be able to come in. So it wasn't like you're at church for you, you really only came to church for me and that, like people always say, you know what were the signs, which, like, those are things that you think about but you don't know at the time.
Speaker 1:
If somebody is like, hey, this is, you need to go, this is somebody that you need to meet, and then what was off or what was kind of amazing in my situation was I didn't know that he was actually the grandson of my grandfather's best friend, because my grandfather's best friend had a child that no one in the ministry knew about, and so yeah, and so here, it is the first time I meet him. He's at church, our date was at church, you would think. And if I brought my people on here they would be like he knight in shining arm, like that's just, and I was a difficult one, like you just not gonna come at them on circle, you gonna have to work, cause I still again, the self esteem was still high, you know, but literally he did. He knew things that I didn't realize. He knew because of what he was being told and then at the same time he moved in such a way to where you know it was like oh wow, not knowing that it was all game, if that makes sense. So he lived in Dallas at the time and I lived in Houston and he would drive down from Dallas every week to come see me flowers, like he just he did a whole lot.
Speaker 1:
We went through, we dated for at least what, almost close to a year, and then went through a year he asked to marry, went through a year of premarital counseling. So I mean again, I went through the process. You know, I did what I felt like okay, god, I'm doing what you're supposed to do. Which brings me to the point of you should follow God, one because you love him, but then two, not because you know, just because, oh, this is just what it's supposed to be. You follow God because he said to do it, even if you don't get it. Because here it is, I'm like, okay, I followed this, but then this happened and then I did it right.
Speaker 1:
So on the day of my wedding which was basically all of his people who had RSVP some of his family members had called and said, hey, the wedding is not going on, my people have paid for all this food. They didn't show up at the wedding. I'm sitting there like what, like I didn't even know the food, but I just came out and again I'm like you know, they kept a lot, they kept a lot from me, but it was like you know, we have RSVP, like people have RSVP, and they did not show and it was like drama, like pictures weren't. People didn't want to stand next to me with pictures. It was just like what is this, Like you know, and it was like I call it like a Dr Jekyll, mr Hyde effect.
Speaker 1:
So here it is, and I do speak of this. I'm pretty public about it. But here it is. I'm like here it is my wedding. And then I'm being told since you made me wait, I'm gonna make you wait. And it's like I literally, in my white dress at the hotel, walked out, called my mom and said hey, it's not gonna work, this ain't gonna work this ain't gonna work.
Speaker 2:
Wait for what, Wait for what. I'm a little slow. Wait for what?
Speaker 1:
Yeah, no, wait, wait, wait to consummate the marriage. You made me wait, I'm gonna make you wait.
Speaker 2:
Wow, you know cause I have a question that I wanna ask. I think it's gonna bless somebody, cause I know you've been violated, cause I have a sibling that been violated as well. Stay tuned for more as we delve more into Elizabeth's powerful, god-given testimony. See you next week. That's it for now, but before we go, please continue to listen, subscribe, share our podcast. Also, if you want to support our show, please scroll down to the bottom of the show notes and click on the link that says buy me a coffee. We were greatly appreciated. Thank you for listening and remember God is good all the time and all the time God is good and also Jesus Christ loves you. Thank you, seminar.