Today’s witnesses are from Matthew West’s website called popwe.org. If you don’t know who Matthew West is, he is a singer, songwriter, and storyteller. This website is for the non-profit that he has with his father, a pastor. Matthew and his father encourage people to share their stories. They have various categories of stories. Today, I chose three testimonies from the Broken Chapter Category. We all have times in our lives when things don’t go as we thought they would. I think we have all had tragedy strike in one way or another. Some are worse than others but I don’t think anyone has had a tragedy-free life. The witnesses today are no different. They have had some truly terrible things happen and yet they are able to testify to how God was with them through it. Often, we can hear our own story in someone else’s story. When we listen to others tell their story, it helps us see that we are not alone. When we hear how God worked in their situation, it gives us hope that He will work in ours, too! I pray when you hear these testimonies, you get the faith and hope to believe that miracles can happen in your situation also. I pray you know that God is there with you, and if you invite Him into your situation, He can help. We have all seen God working in our lives. However, we might not all be aware it is God working in our lives. This is why it is so important we start talking about it more. The more we share our experiences, the more people understand how God works and how much He truly loves us. If you would be willing to share any experience of how God has worked or is working in your life, please email me at catherine@findingtruenorthcoaching.com or click here. It won’t take up much of your time, and your story could be just the story that someone needs to hear today. Prayerfully consider sharing. Everyone has a story, and the world needs to hear them. Music:"Adding the Sun"fine us. It is not fun, Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Today’s witnesses are from Matthew West’s website called popwe.org. If you don’t know who Matthew West is, he is a singer, songwriter, and storyteller. This website is for the non-profit that he has with his father, a pastor. Matthew and his father encourage people to share their stories. They have various categories of stories. Today, I chose three testimonies from the Broken Chapter Category. We all have times in our lives when things don’t go as we thought they would. I think we have all had tragedy strike in one way or another. Some are worse than others but I don’t think anyone has had a tragedy-free life. The witnesses today are no different. They have had some truly terrible things happen and yet they are able to testify to how God was with them through it. Often, we can hear our own story in someone else’s story. When we listen to others tell their story, it helps us see that we are not alone. When we hear how God worked in their situation, it gives us hope that He will work in ours, too! I pray when you hear these testimonies, you get the faith and hope to believe that miracles can happen in your situation also. I pray you know that God is there with you, and if you invite Him into your situation, He can help.
April: I was saved when I was 10 years old. There have been times in my life when I was walking closer to Jesus and times when I have drifted from Him.
I’ve done a lot of things in my life that I’m ashamed of and I have a lot of regrets. I’ve felt that God has punished me for my sins, especially on the night of September 24, 2021.
My oldest son Cole was killed by a drunk driver. Nothing “bad” ever happened to my family and this was totally unexpected. My husband and I were doing everything “right”, raising our kids in church and feeling like we were leading them in the way they should go.
When Cole was killed, it was and is still the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. I felt it was my fault. I felt God was punishing me for all the shameful things I’ve done. I still struggle with this.
I know Cole is with Jesus because God shows me and tells me all the time that Cole is with Him. He does this in many different ways. I’ve learned to be looking for Him and listening to His voice, because if I don’t I start to believe the lies of the enemy.
I know that what happened to Cole isn’t my fault because Jesus took my punishment for me when He died on the cross. I’ve asked God so many times “why did you let this happen? “Why did it have to be my Cole?” “Why not me?” Well, the answer is that as Christians, we’re not called to understand why. We’re called to trust. I choose this every day.
My faith has grown stronger since Cole went to Heaven. I have more joy in my heart than I had before. I know that sounds weird and I do wish that my Cole was still here with me, but I know that given the choice to come back here, Cole would say “no.” It gives me joy knowing that Cole is with Jesus and that one day I will be there too.
I am working on forgiveness, forgiveness for the man who killed Cole. I don’t want to live in a cage of anger, so I have to choose forgiveness. It hasn’t been asked of me by this man, but it has been required of me by God. “Father forgives them, for they know not what they do.” Please pray for me to forgive as my Father forgives me.
Many times, when I’m driving down the road I will be crying and feeling sorry for myself and then “Don’t Stop Praying “will come on the radio. This is not a coincidence; it’s God telling me to keep trusting in Him and to continue to bring everything to Him and lay it at His feet. He goes before me. If He is for me, who can be against me?
Thank you, Matthew, for being obedient to what the Lord calls you to do. Your songs are reaching many people for Jesus and giving Him all the glory.
Robin: My entire life is one broken mess after another. I grew up abused and broken and then I married someone who left me even more broken. I have struggled with depression and anxiety and often thought that the world would be better off without me. And so would my kids. I never wanted them to walk away even a little broken; if I was not there, I couldn’t hurt them. I was on the edge and ready to break and I just stopped and gave in. For years people tried to lead me to God and all his promises and I would not, could not believe them, no one had ever kept a promise before and God doesn’t have time for this broken-down sinner. I looked at my aunt and sister-in-law and saw the peace and love I longed for. So I gave in. I listened. I prayed for really the first meaningful way. Then I understood. I am not broken, just cracked but I was still whole. I picked myself up and God led the way to my next chapter. I am still cracked and I always will be, but now I know I will not fall apart.
Wendy: When I was 17 yrs old, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life so I took a year off from college to volunteer while I figured it out. I found a mission organization out of San Diego called Amor Ministries that takes youth groups into Tijuana, Mexico to build homes for families there. I found what I wanted to do for life there!! It’s my favorite thing to do. I volunteered for years. Even when I went back to college, I took time off to go every year. After I got married, my husband came with me a couple of years, but we were broke and he only got a week’s vacation each year, so I had to stop for a few years. It was heartbreaking for me to not go to help during their busiest seasons. Then after I had our second girl, I had a disc in my back burst and it was pinching a nerve to my left leg, so I was losing the ability to lift my foot. I thank God to this day for the spinal surgeon that was able to remove the disc from my spinal canal. Those years after the surgery were depressing as the pain wore on and I was sure I would never get to go back to Mexico again. BUT God!! When my girls were 2 and 3 yrs old I was finally able to start going back to volunteer again. My husband and parents took care of the kids every year so that I have never missed a year again except for when Covid closed the borders. This last year I was honored by the organization and given a staff shirt for all my years of volunteering. I started taking both my girls with me to volunteer about 8 yrs ago as well. I leave in March for my 30th year volunteering! Your song “Do Something” is my anthem for life.
Thank you all for sharing your testimonies. When we share how God is working in our lives it helps others. It is not easy to be vulnerable and share about a time when things were so hard. We appreciate you opening up and sharing you struggles. It is really important that we all know we are not alone. Thank you!