10. Amanda Yashack, part 1: "That morning at PT something inside me just completely broke."

A caution for listeners: This episode deals with a topic that may affect some listeners. Part of my guest's story involves trauma resulting from sexual assault. If you've experienced a similar trauma, if you have children around, or if you might be around someone who has experienced trauma, please consider coming back to this episode later and using caution when listening. If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please get help. If you're unsure about where to get help, consider starting with the National Sexual Assault Hotline. They offer confidential 24/7 support, and their number is 800-656-4673. It's been just over a year since I interviewed Capt Amanda Yashack, United States Air Force Reserve. In fact, at that time, she was still Amanda Blaschko and was just weeks away from getting married. Amanda's story will be divided into two parts. In this episode, Amanda will talk about how her life spiraled out of control when she was in ROTC, largely as a result of the trauma she experienced, and then how that led to burnout, compartmentalizing her pain, and as she calls it…rock bottom. In the next episode, you'll hear her story of hope and healing as God began doing a mighty work in her life. As you listen to Amanda's story of military life at the intersection of faith, family, and profession, here are a few questions to ponder: We often hear from others that we can "be anything we want to be, do anything we set our minds to." Are those true statements? How do they stack up against Jesus' statement that "I am the vine; you are the branches…apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5, ESV). Amanda describes suppressing her sexual assault experiences and instead relying on "all the little victories" in pursuit of her dreams as "building a world on a foundation of sinking sand." Read Matthew 7:24-25. In what ways do you think building our lives on the rock that is Christ sustains us through the storms of life? Amanda cautions that "if you have anything you haven't dealt with, it's not a matter of if but when it will bubble to the surface." By not dealing with her sexual assault experiences, Amanda says the "place I was in got even darker." Is there anything in your life that has you trying to live life as if nothing happened? Does pride, fear, or embarrassment keep you from seeking help? Tune in next episode when Amanda shares the rest of her story.