“I even happened upon a man. A good man. A man of God—” before I could continue, the parishioners began shouting their excitement of where I was going. I forged ahead, feeling powered by their encouragement. “A man of God who didn’t hold me to my past. Instead he saw goodness in me—greatness, in fact. He made me his wife, and that is validation of how God sees me.” Before I was done, applause exploded in the air. I could hardly hear myself.
