Growing up as the daughter of Dave and Joyce Meyer, Sandra McCollom knew about God’s goodness and unconditional love.
“At eight years old, I remember sitting on the floor as my mom shared her faith with me. That’s when I received Jesus as my Lord and Savior,” she recalls. “I was always taught that God is not mad at me. I had a wonderful upbringing!”
Sandra’s Battle with Anxiety and Perfectionism
Still, as Sandra grew older, her natural personality and personal experiences influenced her to live her faith in a way her parents would never have encouraged. “I developed a wrong view of God and the way He felt about me,” she explains. “I saw Him as someone standing over me, ready to beat me over the head every time I made a mistake.”
Sandra describes that the first three decades of her faith were all about completing checklists to obtain personal value and trying to uphold a rigid set of requirements to keep God happy.
Until she realized that nobody was happy! She admits, “My husband and twin daughters never knew what mood to expect from me. Nor could they live up to my impossible expectations. And I couldn’t live up to my own expectations, either.”
Finally, after years of trying harder didn’t work, she almost gave up on the faith. In the last week of 2011, Sandra remembers praying, “I can’t do this anymore, God! I can’t live the Christian life. I need serious help.” She had no idea God would respond so quickly.
Sandra’s Encounter with God
Only a week later—on January 2, 2012 at 5:30am—while routinely working through a devotional, Sandra asked yet again, “Father, is there anything else You would like me to accomplish for You this year?” God’s answer came in what she describes as a “tidal wave of love.” And she’s never been the same since. In her words, “For more than a decade now, I have lived in peace, rest and relaxation like never before.”
Sandra has since written a book about her experience. It’s fittingly titled, “I Tried Until I Almost Died.” Tune in to hear her inspirational story and how you can experience long-lasting freedom, too.
Kyle Winkler (www.kylewinkler.org) is the creator of the popular Shut Up, Devil! mobile app. His newest book, Shut Up, Devil: Silencing the 10 Lies behind Every Battle You Face, is available wherever books are sold. Kyle holds a Master of Divinity in biblical studies from Regent University. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
