michellewatson@breakfreemw.com

Michelle Watson is a multi-award-winning international speaker, Mentor, Book & Business Coach, bestselling author, Podcast host, Deaconess, wife & mother. A survivor of domestic abuse, suicidal tendencies, & depression. She has spoken on numerous large platforms including the Women Economic Forum, and National Achievers congress UK. She has been featured on Sky TV, Harold radio, Womelle Magazine & the Harvard Business Magazine. She serves Entrepreneurs, Speakers, Businesses that want to share their stories & expertise with the world to make an impact, increase visibility and sales whilst leaving a legacy behind. Michelle Watson has received numerous awards including a commendation from the late Her majesty the queen, she believes strongly that no one should be written off and is passionate about doing work for Gods kingdom and the betterment of mankind.

Welcome to 12-Minute Converse with Jesus Believers.

God chose first to have a conversation with us, his creation.

Our prayer is that this listening space brings growth and transforms your life forever.

Praise God for you, Michelle.

It's a great pleasure to connect with you.

What part of the world are you in today?

I'm in Essex in the UK at the moment, thank you for having me.

You're welcome.

I'd love to know when you got to the UK after being in Jamaica as a young adult, how different was Christianity?

So Christianity was different for me because I believe my journey then as a child growing up and getting to an age of being a teenager, my Christianity was something that was just natural because I was taken to church by my nan, I grew up in church and so it became something natural, not something that I actually went and pursued.

I don't think I really had those moments where I was like seeking God and there was a lot of, I would say, more so religion than relationship with God for me because I didn't understand the context of the word, I didn't really have a strong teaching of doctrine, if that's what's going to be said.

When coming to the UK now and when I actually started to pursue Christ and got baptised because growing up in Salvation Army, we didn't get baptised, but coming to the UK, getting baptised and then actually pursuing God, really studying the word, having an understanding of the true context, my spiritual life, my Christianity, my walk became more serious, more intentional.

So it was no longer my nan telling me to go church, this was me

having that strong desire and the zeal to be in his presence, to be amongst his people, to read

the word, to pray and so that took me, I guess, to the journey that I am on now, being a deaconess

in my church and just serving from a place of joy and so that's, it's a massive contrast because

I think that's something that gets missed, like really, it's one thing to teach children or young

people Bible verses, but for them to be taught theology or doctrine itself so that they can have

a true understanding of what it is that they're saying and what it is that they believe, I think

that's very important.

It's a difference between being fed milk and then eventually needing meat.

Yeah, definitely, definitely, 100%.

What was the transition though, in terms of, I've seen the pattern of stories where you go from having pain in some sort of form or fashion and then that pain being transformed to something that God uses.

What was your story?

So my story, I, when I came back to the UK, I ended up being in a relationship, getting married and I was in an abusive marriage for five years, which really stole my identity.

I lost sight of who I was, that young free-spirited girl that went through school, was a part of the debate team, all of those things got lost in translation.

And to cut the long story short, I ended up being in a very dark place, attempted suicide, had suicidal tendencies, I experienced depression.

But with the help of the church that I finally went to, and I was going to a church, started going to a church, just visiting every now and then.

And I remember getting a call at like 2am in the morning and I looked at my phone and I thought that must be a mistake because who's going to, who would be calling anyone at 2am in the morning?

But it was actually the pastor of that church.

And he said he was not able to sleep.

I didn't answer the phone then, but he called again the following morning, both him and his wife.

And he made her speak to me first, I guess, just to make sure like safeguarding issues and stuff like that.

He made her speak to me first so that I could know that she's present.

And he literally said to me, I see you.

And how I saw you was you were alive, but you were locked in a coffin lying on dead bones.

And he said, I could not sleep.

And he said, throughout the whole night, we were praying for you.

And it was so surreal for me, because it was almost like in a moment of God reminding me, I see you, I know what you're going through.

Because this was when I was in a deep depression.

And all that was in my mind was just taking my life.

And I remember going to the service, they invited me to come to the service on the Sunday, I went there and I remember just literally releasing, I guess, pain, everything that I was going through, just sitting there, listening to the service, and I was just wailing like a baby.

And I remember leaving that service feeling so light.

It was as if the weight, I know people say it, and to some people, it might sound cliche, but honestly, I felt like the weight was lifted off of me.

And that really restarted my journey with Christ, and I've not looked back since.

And he's constantly been on this journey with me.

And so when I look at my pain turning into purpose, it's having that recognition that with God, nothing is wasted.

Because I started sharing my story, I started sharing about the abuse, I started sharing about, you know, the depression, the mental health issues, that's what started me on my journey.

And then I wrote my first book about it, because I realized that it's something that people needed, it's a testimony that people needed.

And after writing that first book, I was invited to speak on more stages.

And so it just became something that naturally happened, that I could see God on this journey with me.

And I could hear him telling me that what you thought was a mess in your life is not a mess, it's actually a message for someone.

And it's a message that I'm going to use, because I was so shameful of that part of my story.

And I never forget Holy Spirit just letting me know that the thing that you think is shameful is what I am going to use.

Because that's how my glory is going to be seen in your life.

As someone who's been in an abusive relationship, how important is it to hear the truth of someone else who's in that place, to realize there is hope?

It is so important, because when you're in that space, the first thing that starts going through your mind is this ridicule.

And the ridicule then makes you have this perception about yourself, that you're the only person, it's almost like you're the only fool that could allow yourself to fall in this position.

And the enemy, from a spiritual level as well, the enemy starts to speak, because we know that anywhere there's no truth, there is lies.

We know that the Bible is the word truth.

And so if you're not feeding yourself with that word, then the enemy has every space and every avenue to be speaking to you.

And so he wants to get you on your own, he wants to get you isolated.

And so it takes another individual that understands that place to speak for somebody to find them relatable and say, oh my God, this person understands, this person knows what I'm going through.

So no, they're not coming to me with textbook, they're not coming to me just because they have a PhD, they're coming to me because they have lived this scenario and have an understanding of how I'm feeling.

And so when I'm able to speak to those individuals, I'm able to really get to a depth of them that maybe somebody else won't necessarily get to, maybe a counselor won't get to, because the first thing that they will say, you don't understand.

But I can say, yes, I understand because I've lived it.

How's life been since you've accepted Christ from that day to now?

Phenomenal, like there's no words, like literally, I find God so amazing, literally find God so amazing, because I'm not here to tell anybody that since finding Christ, my life has just been exceptional and there's not been no downs.

A lot of people have that misconception about Christianity, that the moment you step into Christianity, everything's going to be sunny and rosy.

No, but what I do have is that assurance, that hope.

Romans 8.28, one of my favorite scriptures, knowing that all things work together for good, not some, it says all things work together for good, for those that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose.

And so even in the bad moments, it's working, right?

He is working.

And so for me, that is, that gives me peace.

There's a peace that I have, that as he says, he gives the peace that not what the world gives.

And so it's not understandable by the world.

And I always say to people that as a Christian, people should be confused about you, but don't get it twisted.

They should not be confused about who you are.

They should not be confused about the fact that you're a child of God, but what they should be confused about is the time that they think you should be mourning, you're laughing.

It's the time that they think you should be sad and thrown in the towel, you're praising.

And so they should be confused as to say, how is it possible?

Right?

And that is what separates us.

A great analogy to look at it is you could have two individuals driving a car, driving the same car, going down the same road and maybe at the same speed, but we won't know the truth until an accident happens.

And when an accident happens, you will know who is covered by insurance and who is not.

And that's the difference that we have as children of God.

And so, yes, we may still go down the same journey as those that are in the world, but there's an assurance that we have.

There's an insurance that we are covered with.

Michelle, this has been a great pleasure.

Before we leave, is there anything else you'd like to share with our amazing audience?

What I would like to share with the amazing audience is seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and every other thing will be added onto you.

That's the greatest thing that I could say to you.

Seek ye first God, everything that you're doing, seek him.

Let him be the foundation.

The Bible tells us that except the Lord build a house, they that labour will labour in vain.

And so my encouragement to you would be don't labour in vain.

Everything else out there is going to wither away.

The only thing that remains, the only thing that stands true and never decays, never dies is God.

That's the only assurance that we have.

Michelle, a pleasure, a treasure.

Thank you for being on What is Inspired by Twelve and the Converse.