5 minutes with Krystyna

Tell us a little about you.

I wear a lot of hats! Professionally, I’m a psychologist and theologian. I run my own practice, offering professional supervision, alongside speaking, training, and coaching Christian professionals in stress mastery and leadership resilience. I have the enormous privilege of being the Resident Psychologist for the Baptist Association of NSW and ACT Churches where I serve in clergy screening and leadership formation. I’m also working on my theology-psychology PhD, examining the role of thought suppression in spiritual formation.

I’m married to Erem (one of the late John Kidson’s sons), and we have two daughters in Years 9 and 12. We’re a fairly introverted household, so family time can look like playing board games (like Quacks of Quedlinberg), or watching TV (Fallout, Bones, and Taskmaster are current faves). Otherwise you might find my eldest studying or preparing for her leadership duties (at church or at school), and my youngest could be either revising her first novel or writing songs on her guitar. Both our girls are growing into their own walks with Jesus, and parenting them is one of our greatest joys.

No matter what hat I’m wearing, though, I know what my primary calling is – to be a messenger and agent of shalom – of hope and healing, peace and purpose, rest and restoration. I have the privilege of helping people think through what it means to live well in and for the Kingdom of God in both its “now and not yet” state – health and sustainability; productivity and effectiveness; and ultimately how we stay connected to Jesus, the wellspring of our faith.

Do you have a favourite Bible passage? If so, what is it and why?

More than one! Hebrews 12, particularly v1-3 and 12-13, inspires my professional practice with God’s imagination for his people – to throw off all that hinders, keep focused on Jesus so we keep our courage high, and seek the healing roads when life gets hard. And Isaiah 42, particularly v1-4 and 16, showing us the heart of our God who makes ways when there seem to be none (I named my core coaching framework after that).

Psalm 33:13-15 also is very special. When I was feeling low and lonely, the Spirit met me there to help me shift from a head-based to heart-based relationship with God. “From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth - he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.” I was profoundly reassured. He formed my heart, so he knows how I work, and how I feel. He watches all who live on earth – so he sees me, and is with me.

How do you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus?

Practicing the presence of Christ - life coram Christo (literally, life before Christ). As I move through my day, I’m often inviting him to share my experiences, ideas and reactions, and give me feedback as necessary in the Spirit. When he is present, peace reigns and discouragement loses its grip. Irritation, frustration, or grief may still be there, but they don’t get the final word.

What would you like the next generation of Christian women to know?

Since I’m raising two of them, this is a constant concern of mine! I want them to know, with absolute certainty, that God loves them and has unique roles and tasks in mind for them to do in the world, based on their life experiences and gifting.

Moreover, I encourage them to seek out places and systems in which the fullness of their gifting can be unleashed. The broad context of the Word shows us that Jesus valued and affirmed women. Key moments in his earthly ministry and in the early establishment of the church were first witnessed by women! Paul’s teaching on spiritual gifts was not limited by gender. There will be practical limits, based on experience or capacity – but there is no moral limit on their value or calling. If God gifts and calls them to lead, then they can lead.

What’s one thing that you love about your local church?

Being able to host and lead bible study groups. I have made some of my dearest lifelong male and female friends through our life groups over the years, and I’m deeply grateful.

What did you learn about God during a time in your life that you found hard?

That I can trust him to be there, and that I can trust him to act – sometimes in unexpected ways.

When I was 16, there was a time when I was extremely distressed. Adrenaline was surging, my vision was tunneling, I was crying and shaking, desperately trying not to fall. So I was praying “Oh God, help me walk.” And I felt this immediate warm presence wrapping around my upper arms, a gentle pressure lifting me up, helping me walk away. I was safe, I wasn’t alone, he heard me, he was there.

Most of the time, of course, he shows up in less dramatic ways.

I live with chronic illness. I’m functional now, but when it first hit, I couldn’t sing in church – too breathless. I couldn’t sleep at night because my heart was pounding so hard it kept bouncing my chest off the bed. So praise God for partial recovery!

But I learned then what he meant when he said “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I have built a business-as-ministry, with family support, on energy levels 10-50% of what a woman my age should have. I’ve learned that if I focus on what really matters, God takes my “mite” and multiplies it in ways I cannot anticipate.

This for me is the essence of stewardship – offering God what little we have, and trusting him to provide from and through it. My love, attention, and energy are my firstfruits, and He cherishes me no matter whether my energy and output is 10% or 50% or 100%. 

What are you passionate about?

Courageous resilience. Aligning ourselves with God and how he’s made us so that the work He asks us to do flows. That we can and should be a source of blessing – shalom – to others in a broken, hurting world. That we ourselves deserve shalom – not because we’ve earned it, but because that is God’s heart for us.

What do you enjoy doing when you rest?

I love taking road trips – the freedom of getting out on the freeway with the sky arching above me and the scenery rushing past.

Weekly pilates classes are a must - both in terms of helping me (re)build stamina, and in having my weekly coffee catch-up with the ladies after class!

Business-building masterminds and sessions with my own professional supervisor are vital. These are spaces where I’m encouraged, challenged, and reminded that I have people who believe in me and are cheering me on. (And are willing to give me a kick up the rear end when I need it!)

When I’m low on energy or the pain is rising, I use my phone. I’ll usually be reading good fanfiction (“what if” variations of favourite books like Pride and Prejudice), playing logic puzzles (like Killer Sudoku - the kind with no numbers filled in), and connecting with people online (what I jokingly call “friend-working” on Facebook).

Rest is about being restored to who we are and who God intended us to be, so it tends to look a little different for each of us!