The Mrs. Rev Podcast: Victory Over Adversity with Sorina Crabtree

Have you ever gone through a traumatic situation? Or are there scars from your past that continue to try to define you? This week Pastor Joie sat down with Sorina Crabtree to talk about her victory over adversity. Here is her testimony!

When Sorina was born, her parents were missionaries to Batswana. She grew up without electricity or running water. When she was 3.5 years old, her family’s vehicle was hit by a truck on the way to a conference. Her parents, younger brother, and a pastor who was traveling with them, were killed immediately. She was taken to the hospital and treated for 7 broken bones. A nanny joined her in the hospital and told her while she was sleeping that her parents and brother were with Jesus. The Lord allowed Sorina to understand what had happened, and when she woke up, she started telling people that her parents and brother were with Jesus.

Fortunately, a few months before the accident, Sorina’s parents had determined that if anything would happen to them, her mother’s sister would take care of her. Once she was well enough to travel, Sorina went to her aunt’s house. Sorina is thankful that there was never a time when she felt like an orphan. She was always surrounded by family who loved her.

A lot of people knew Sorina because of the accident, and it became a lot of her identity. It can be easy for anyone who goes through a tragedy to want to hold on to that pain and accept the pity that people want to give. Her aunt taught her that she needed to guard her heart. So instead of looking for pity, she took control of her emotions. She kept herself from becoming angry at God by reminding herself that her parents were doing God’s will, and God did not want that to end! If she was going to be mad at anyone, Sorina determined, it would be the devil.

“I want people to look at me and see how faithful God is, not the tragedy.” - Sorina Crabtree.

Throughout her life, Sorina had to work through different types of fear. Right after the accident, she had a lot of separation anxiety. She was afraid to lose my adoptive parents, and later she became afraid of dying. Her adopted sister helped her overcome that fear by writing down verses on peace and giving them to Sorina. That was the first time she learned how to renew her mind with the word of God. 

She also struggled with a fear of hospitals and doctors because she frequently saw doctors when she was a child to make sure she continued to grow correctly after the accident.

Overcoming fear and anxiety is a process. You have to undo whatever lie you have been listening to by feeding yourself the truth from the Word of God. Sorina had to replace the lies she had believed with the Word of God. So, she made lists of what the Bible says about anxiety and meditated on them when she felt the weakest. She also used Dr. Caroline Leaf’s Brain Detox. She had to start by taking her thoughts captive multiple times in a minute, and then it became less and less as she got more of the word in her heart.

“You have to know that nothing that has happened to you has the power to control what God can do through you. You are not allowed to have a victim mentality as a child of the Most High!” - Sorina Crabtree

A lot of times we can let either the glory days or past trauma define us. No matter what you are going through, forget what is behind and press on to win the prize. Look to the future!

Q: What situations have you allowed to define you? How do they line up with what God says about you? What lies, if any, do you need to replace with the Word of God?

Pray this: Father God, I thank you for your goodness. In every situation, you are faithful. Thank you for leading and guiding my path. Help me to understand your thoughts for me and to guard my mind against any thoughts that would try to distract me. I know that I am yours. I am free. I am whole. I am set apart for a specific purpose. Today I’m choosing to refuse to be a victim or believe any lie from the enemy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.