135: Growing Up Blended: Kim Walker Smith’s Story

Singer/songwriter Kim Walker-Smith grew up in a blended family with multiple stepparents, instability, abuse, and isolation. She shares her story with Ron Deal in this podcast episode, beginning with her mom’s first divorce when she was a young child. It didn’t take long for her mom to marry again, divorce, and marry again.

Eventually, her mom married a stable, loving man who wanted to be a father to Smith when she was a young teenager. Hungry for his love but scared it wasn’t real, Smith rejected him over and over again. But this stepdad kept coming back, faithful and steadfast in every way and, eventually, a stabilizing force for Smith.

Although Smith experienced hardship and adversity as a child, as an adult, she came to know a loving, redeeming God, who she now sings about all over the world, testifying of His love.