What about our testimonies—the raw, unfiltered stories we often hesitate to share? Each of us carries a history filled with foolishness, pain, and redemption. Time is fleeting, and our world is aching for hope. We were searching for it too.  You know when you’re standing at the bottom of the mountain looking up wondering “Am I ever going to reach the top?” and just when you start to climb Satan starts dropping boulders or maybe an avalanche that takes you right back to the bottom?  At least that’s how it felt to me and sometimes still does. But my perspective has changed, my mindset is different.  My end goals aren’t the same as they used to be, before I encountered Jesus.

In my darkest hours—during my hurt, sadness, and unrelenting pain—Jesus was always there.  I think a lot of times we expect to physically hear Jesus, but it is the gentle pull on our hearts, the guilt, the Scripture that keeps replaying that we often tend to ignore.  We need to cry out to Jesus and have a personal relationship with Him to get that connection that we so deeply crave.

How Jesus Met Me on My Journey

So often, we find ourselves surrounded by people, yet silent about our struggles and victories. King David struggled and yet he chose to continue to worship and to cry out to God.  Even through his human error, he would still lay it at Jesus’ feet.  We aren’t called to be perfect; we are called to be part of God’s Great Commission, to spread the Word and to allow Jesus to work through our lives so that others may see Him.  Why keep the struggles and victories a secret when that is exactly what God is walking you in and through?  Our stories can be life changing to those who God puts directly in our paths.  We need to allow ourselves to be His vessels.

Reflect on where you were saved and how Jesus met you on your journey. For me, He found me after I faced the trauma of sexual molestation. Put yourself in the space of a ten-year-old girl.  I craved being with adults.  Both my parents were in the midst of a heroin addiction and on the path to recovery, but times were still tough. I was the second oldest of five and the oldest daughter.  I craved attention and loved being “mature.”  Boy, was I far off the mark.  The molestation rattled me to the core and I no longer knew who I was or what I wanted in life.  I was just going through the motions, with no real insight to what I was doing or how I was supposed to be and reeling in the fact that I felt like everything was being swept under the rug with no real consequences to the perpetrator. It was crushing my spirit.  See, I was raised in the church but so was my abuser. 

My life could have spiraled into despair, but instead, in walked a Youth Pastor named Tim.  He walked the hard journey with me, showed me who Jesus was, and taught me about forgiveness.  Had I not shared my struggles, Jesus wouldn’t have been given that opportunity to restore and renew my life. Did all this happen overnight?  Nope!  But along the way, I discovered hope in my Savior – the one who redeems, restores, and offers grace and healing.  It wasn’t immediate rainbows and sunshine, it was hard work, relinquishing control, giving God all the glory even on the bad days when there were questions about self-worth and value.  It has taken many years (I am 37) and still there are days when doubt creeps in and tells me that I am not worthy of God’s love, His acceptance and most of all His forgiveness.  In those moments, I turn on praise and worship music because it soothes and quiets my soul and allows the Holy Spirit to really work on my heart.

Share Your Struggles and Victories

So, my advice to you is this:  every time Jesus delivers you from something, share it.  Every time He reveals something to you from Scripture, speak about it.  Every time God makes a way for you when it seemed humanly impossible, tell someone.  The world is filled with despair and while society may mock God, your testimony can be that light in the darkness for someone and can illuminate a path to hope for them.

“I was a drug addict, lost and broken, until God turned my life around.” Or “I was homeless, my life was a mess, and God found me in a bathroom stall. He transformed my existence.” I was… and He did. Let that resonate. I was… and He did. Countless people struggle to believe in the God we serve. Yet, those of us who have experienced His grace at pivotal moments in our lives often remain silent about it.

We need to allow God to guide us toward purpose and righteousness. Romans 15:13 reminds us, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

In my family, we have faced many trials where Satan has tried to steal our joy and tear us apart. We’ve battled drug and food addictions, anger, prison time, depression, and affairs. Yet, through it all, God has brought us to our knees in worship and thanksgiving — because of His hope.

Does this mean our valleys were not deep? Absolutely not. Does it mean God left us alone to suffer? Never. I am someone who struggles with control, often wanting to forge my own path. Through studying the Bible, I learned that this is precisely where Satan targets me. I’ve cried out to God, asking, “Why me? Why must I endure this?” Yet, in my moments of doubt, I realized it was my lack of trust in His plan that led me there. I often think, “I’ve got this,” but time and again, I discover that I am wrong. It is in those choices, in my struggle to control, that God reveals Himself, reminding me of His promises and the hope that comes from trusting Him.

Hope is intertwined with faith in Jesus. I pray that when you find yourself in the depths of despair, you will grasp the hope that God promises. There is no valley too low where He will not meet you. Allow Him to guide you, and through your journey, be a vessel of hope and joy for someone else in need.

by Jennifer Ray, 10 December 2024