Karin thought she had to be perfect to be loved. Good grades, hard work and success all formed part of that hope. If she could get her life right, perhaps someone would stay.
In her Build For Good conversation with Aaron, she shares what happened when that hope fell apart. She speaks about childhood abuse, drugs and a home where she felt trapped. At one point, she feared that Jesus would leave her too.
Three words she could not let go of
Karin says writing helped her put pain into words. One day, she sat on her bed and wrote to try to find a reason to live. At the end, she wrote three words: “Love never fails.”
She later had those words made into a tattoo with a cross. People would ask what they meant. She says her answer changed each time. She had the words, but she was still searching for the love they spoke of.
A blue rose on a shower curtain
Karin would go to a small room at the far end of the house to pray. There, she could talk to God and cry. One day, she asked Him about her purpose. She says she heard the words “Look up.”
In front of her was a shower curtain with flowers on it. Her eyes fell on a blue rose.
Two nights later, she says, a song played on her phone. The image with it showed a blue rose like the one on the curtain. For Karin, that small detail became part of a much deeper moment.
“God, have you been here all along?” she asked.
She describes a sense of the love of Jesus that filled her mind, her heart and the room. The words she had carried for so long now had a face.
“I met the one whose love never fails.”
Leaving and starting again
Karin’s story did not end with that moment. She shares how she found a car to leave in, left the home and began to rebuild her life. She talks about being with her son again, prayer and the years that followed.
She also shares a lesson from a busy season of ministry. She was doing so much for God that she had lost the time she once spent with Him. She says she heard three more words: “I miss you.”
That led her back to prayer, rest and time with her son. Later, her faith shaped how she saw her work too.
Hear Karin tell the story
In the full episode, Karin shares these moments in her own words. She and Aaron talk about faith, family, work and the fear of being left behind. They close with her words for those facing abuse and a prayer for those listening.
Content note: The episode includes accounts of sexual abuse, drug use and suicidal thoughts. This is Karin’s account of her life and faith. It is not medical or mental health advice.
Watch or listen to Karin’s full episode · Read the full transcript