Listen to episode 80 to hear how my guest, Kristen Walker Smith, has learned to think of weakness as a blessing as she has dealt with OCD and motherhood at the same time.

Episode Summary

Kristen experienced a sudden onset of OCD when she got pregnant with her first child. However, it wasn’t until two and a half years later, when her mom asked her about her excessive hand washing, that Kristen was officially diagnosed.

In the episode, Kristen shares how she navigated OCD and motherhood at the same time.

She talks about how she saw God showing up. In addition, she discusses how God didn’t fill in all the gaps but covered the most essential things.

Kristen says she wasn’t very open with others about her struggles. She shares how others saw her needs and helped and supported her even though she wasn’t opening up.

One of the biggest things Kristen has learned from her struggles is how to reframe her thoughts about weakness. Kristen shares how she came to understand that her weaknesses were giving her children exactly what they needed.

Kristen also shares advice for anyone struggling with a weakness (hello, that’s all of us!) to let others in and to list the blessings that weakness is bringing into your life.

Overall, Kristen shares her belief that you can’t have fear and faith at the same time. She chooses faith. Kristen shares her witness of how God helps us through our weaknesses.

Kristen’s Quotes

• “I was so mad, but I took time to pray about it and I realized, you know what, God put me on the earth at this time when there is medication for what I’m dealing with. Why would I refuse that blessing that he’s put on this earth. And so the combination of a very good therapist and medication has made all the difference and that’s when things really switched.”
• “My weaknesses were blessing them to create strengths of their own through Christ. Christ’s strength was resting on them wherever my weaknesses were.”
• “It is impossible for gratitude and fear to live in the same space and I found that when times would get truly overwhelming, I just had to go back to that list and remember God is blessing me in this trial right now.”
• “And so even though so much of my motherhood fell to the wayside, God blessed me with the ability to do what was absolutely eternally vital.”

Episode Links

• OCD Workbook
• 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
• Get Kristen’s FREE scripture study Come Follow Me kits

Listen to Related Episodes

SMM 021: Chasing Your Dreams + Turning to God in Post-Partum Depression || Amanda Anderson SMM 051: Hope in the Arms of the Savior in Mental Health Challenges || Jamie Hutchings SMM 037: How to Create Thoughts to Love Your Children Better || Lisa Funk

Follow Kristen

Instagram: @kristenwalkersmith Website: kristenwalkersmith.com YouTube: Kristen Smith

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