Christian Review on the Girl Who Fought the Great Depression

While on their spiritual journey with Jesus, many people detect the about compelling stories nigh Jesus come from the Christians they already know. If you're looking for proof of Jesus' ability, ask your peers about their own journey with Christ.

Your ain story tin be simply as compelling and is the most powerful tool you lot have to demonstrate the love of Jesus and testify how He has inverse y'all to other people.

These stories of Jesus' work in our lives, either to find Him, or find strength in Him, are known every bit testimonies. We all have one, maybe fifty-fifty several. When y'all become a believer in Jesus, your journey to that acceptance of him is your testimony. As you continue in your journey, y'all'll detect more than moments happen where God conspicuously shows upwards. These also are testimonies.

Testimonies come in all shapes and sizes! Some are very dramatic, with wild turning points and big 'ah-ha! I become it!' moments; some are far less so and accept a dull build, merely they are no less compelling. Some testimonies may involve great struggle and the story of how Jesus helped them through it. Some may involve a few unlike incidents that brand far more sense to the believer after they reflect upon them with God. You may not realize yous take a testimony until much subsequently, only when you think back, you can see the hand of God working in your life.

You lot'll find testimonies from others to be fascinating, hope-filled, and a bully way to get to know God and the power of organized religion. Here we present ii testimonies from people but similar y'all.

Want to hear them tell their ain testimony? You tin! Listen to their episodes from our Unfolding Stories podcast:

Andrew – iTunes
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Leanne – iTunes
Google Play
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Leanne'southward t estimony of a faith tested through depression and ultimately redeemed:

I grew up in a Christian abode. My parents took me and my three siblings to church every Sunday—twice. We attended the Christian Reformed Church. I knew who God was and what Jesus did from a pretty early age. I can't say that I had any doubts as a youngster.

Merely I grew up in a dysfunctional family. I noticed that my sisters, who are twelve and ten years older than I am, often fought with my mom. I knew something was off.

When he got to loftier school, my blood brother, who is four years older than me, avoided my mom, even though he was the favored ane because he was the male child. He would come home afterwards schoolhouse, watch a motion-picture show, eat dinner, and disappear to his room.

I was a super active child. I played outside a lot, either with my brother or with the neighbor kids. Nosotros lived on a dead-stop street. When I was 10, I was outside with 2 younger friends, and nosotros were doing pop-wheelies into the street. As I picked up speed downward the driveway and went into my wheelie, the last thing I saw was a speck out of the corner of my eye. Next matter I knew, I was waking up in the hospital. I had been hit by a pickup truck, flew into the air, did a summersault, and landed on my back, skidding a little. My bike concluded upwardly in the ditch on the other side of the street.

I spent v days in the hospital—my spleen was bruised, and they wanted to make sure it wouldn't flare-up—simply otherwise I simply suffered a concussion and got stitches in one leg. In those days, you didn't wearable a helmet either. The doctors were amazed I was alive; information technology really was a phenomenon.

At 10 years sometime, I was already asking big questions: Why am I still here? What purpose does God have for me?

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Honey to read testimonies? We have a number of amazing testimony books available! Follow this link to explore: Testimony at Tyndale House Publishers.

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I continued to nourish church with my family unit, but things were all the same non skillful at dwelling house, and they were starting to go worse. Every bit I moved into my teens, my mood changed drastically, and I was exhibiting signs of depression.

I didn't like the way my family put on a show all the fourth dimension. It seemed very hypocritical. Peculiarly at church, nosotros were not allowed talk about problems in our lives. My parents' generation never talks about issues; they accept to await practiced on the outside—anything bad happening in the family unit would make the parents look bad. So even if my mom and I had a huge fight in the auto on the way to church, I had to put on a happy confront earlier we went in. I hated it.

I attended high school youth grouping at my church, only as I was not allowed to really say anything about what was going on with me, I had to deal with the depression on my own. My oldest sister had get a youth leader at my church, mostly for my sake. My mother was very controlling, especially virtually our looks. She also tried to command the communication betwixt me and my siblings and between us and our dad. My oldest sister would sometimes have me to Brookfield Zoo in the winter. Information technology was fun, just Mom grilled me on what we talked most when I got back, and she always assumed the worst about what could have been said near her. It was hard. Just spiritually, things were going okay. I made Profession of Faith in the fall of my inferior yr.

I've always played sports. In my early loftier school years, I played sports year-round. I was in marching band in the fall, on the basketball game squad during the winter, and on the softball team in the jump. And then long as I met the age requirements for the park district, I played softball during the summertime. But I didn't practice well playing the politics game that was required to excel in the athletic world. So for example, in basketball, even though I was one of the best players, I sat on the bench a lot. I was so ill of it by junior year that I decided to quit.

But that also meant that I spent more time at home around my mom. The conflict only got worse, and I spiraled deeper into depression. I was even so attending youth group at my church iii Dominicus nights per month, but during the fourth Lord's day, while my parents were at their Bible study, I would become to the kitchen and cutting the top of my arm with a knife. It was winter, so I could article of clothing long-sleeve shirts to hibernate it. And I didn't cut too securely—merely enough to drain a bit and heal in a week or and so. I had information technology down to a science and no one would find out.

My sisters noticed that something wasn't correct. Having gone through low themselves, they knew what signs to wait for and urged my mom to go me into counseling. Finally, she took me to come across a Christian psychiatrist. In that location my mom learned I had been cutting myself. She was shocked and appalled, as if she was the only i hurt by information technology. She also blamed my mood shifts on my bike accident from childhood. I was diagnosed with depression and put on Prozac. I immediately went into a manic phase. I had promised I wouldn't cut anymore, only I soon began cutting and hiding it once more. My psychiatrist discovered it and, with my psychologist, decided I should be hospitalized while they changed my medication. I was livid. Music was also very of import to me, and the hospitalization made me miss a state music competition. My doctors thought they were helping me by taking that pressure off, but I felt even worse because I was letting my friends in our flute trio down.

After loftier school I decided to try college without medication. My psychiatrist agreed, and that autumn I went off to Calvin College in Grand Rapids. I met some adept friends my starting time week there, just I was already showing signs of depression. I ate every bit few meals as I could and still survive. It was another way I was reaching out for assist, seeing if anyone noticed or cared. I likewise decided that, since I had the choice, I wouldn't become to church. I didn't care anymore, and I didn't think God would desire me. But my college friends noticed I wasn't doing then well.

As it turned out, my friend Christi suffered from low and anxiety, and she was a pastor'southward daughter. I was surprised because I had decided that depression and God were incompatible. Thankfully, my friends cared enough to explain that depression isn't a spiritual issue and that God really did love me. God could still use me because he loves to utilise cracked dirt jars, and we are all cracked in some way. Christi was on medication, and it helped her. She helped me understand that it'south okay to exist a Christian and suffer from depression. It isn't a problem that God can't overcome.

Second semester of freshmen year, I sought help from another psychiatrist. This time I was correctly diagnosed with Bipolar two, which has the ups and downs in energy simply is characterized past a depressive mood throughout. We somewhen found the right medication, and I was on a much better path.

I began attention church regularly once again, and my relationship with God grew. Afterwards college, I moved dorsum home and decided to bring together the leadership of my church's loftier school youth group. I wanted to assistance kids who suffered from low and needed someone who understood them. I wanted to use my feel for God's glory, and I however have skilful relationships with several of those kids.

I accept been through many hopeless places, but God was always with me. And I give thanks God that even someone who went through a period of astringent incertitude could be used by him to encourage and help others.

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Love to read testimonies? We have a number of amazing testimony books available! Follow this link to explore: Testimony at Tyndale House Publishers.

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Andrew'southward testimony of coming to organized religion through success and failure:

I come up from humble beginnings, and my parents did everything they could to provide me with every opportunity to succeed. Neither of my parents would let my sister or me get away with not saying please or thank you. We would attend church, say grace before dinner, prayers earlier bed; God was in my life, but I didn't fully know him.

I grew up active. Participated in sports, played games in the yard, and had sleepovers with my friends. I was a adept student with decent grades. I fabricated the high award roll and fifty-fifty earned the prized possession of a bumper sticker proclaiming this.

My athletic career was too blessed. I was the leading running back my freshman year, and by my inferior year I was a star on the football team. As my popularity around campus grew, the student body voted me to the homecoming court all four years of high school.

Amid what I imagine was a life that many kids would dream of, my struggles began. I expect back, and remember that, possibly, if I had known God was to thank for all that I was blessed with, would my life have been dissimilar?

In addition to my success in football and the classroom, I vicious in honey for the showtime fourth dimension. I really felt like I had it all. But, in reality I was losing touch with who I was and letting destructive things penetrate my life. I was drawn to the party scene. I felt I had an image to uphold: I was a popular child, and the pop kids get to parties. I drank beer and tried recreational drugs. I experimented with sex and cheated on my girlfriend.

I was lost. I didn't know who I actually was. Although I was presented with scholarships from schools to play football, I decided that going to a larger university was the best path for me academically. But, being honest, I wanted a larger school not for the academics just for the parties and the women.

I was accepted to the University of Illinois, and in the summer of 2003 I began college. I entered school with the ambition of becoming a doctor. It wasn't long before I institute more fun in the social scene. I was partying with my fraternity, meeting girls, and blowing off classes to hang out at confined and parties.

My grades in college were drastically afflicted. I'd have a decent semester followed by a poor ane. I scored well on many of the tests and quizzes, only my attendance in course was low, oftentimes missing assignments needed for higher grades.

It began to affect me, and issues were to go worse before they got better. I started fighting in bars to release my anger and discontentment.

I was aware I had issues, but my life was so empty. I had nobody to pray to. No God to believe in that could go me through this. I said I was fine and fabricated excuses for my challenges, saying I was just having fun. But I was spiraling further. God was not even a thought anymore.

After graduating from college, I started getting my life together. Information technology took a DUI, an abort for fighting, and wrecking my car while under the influence; but I eventually establish solid ground, and in 2012 I landed at a company I loved. This was the place that I saw myself spending the rest of my career.

I flourished as a fellow member of the within sales squad. I thought I was going to climb the corporate ladder and now had new aspirations to go the company's pinnacle producing sales executive.

At this visitor, my mind began to shift toward God. Christianity was alive throughout the organization. I adult relationships with people who placed God at the centre of everything they did. The people were so incredible. They were fun, confident, fabricated me laugh, played sports, and with the exception of faith, were like me in a lot of ways. But all this wasn't plenty get me into a church, and hence came another downfall.

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Beloved to read testimonies? We take a number of amazing testimony books bachelor! Follow this link to explore: Testimony at Tyndale House Publishers.

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I was burdensome it at work. So much so that I won the highly coveted "Rookie of the Yr" honour. I was and so happy and, crucially, overwhelmed. It was that night the 'quondam me' in one case again resurfaced. I historic with my colleagues and partied hard all night. Some of the company's executives were made aware of information technology just gave me a "pass" given the circumstances for celebration.

With the award, I won a trip to Florence, Italy. Another amazing highlight! And of course, some other setback. I drank. I celebrated. I crossed the line. I fell into and broke a $3,000 statue.

The last straw came on a night where once again the entire sales force had gathered for our sales meeting. At this indicate, I felt I had learned my lesson and actually focused on changing my behavior. I drank less and did not let alcohol influence my decisions. I was in a cab with a couple of my teammates and talking with our Afghani cab commuter. I was request him questions virtually his abode land, and he was happy to talk almost information technology.

My buddy then shot off a remark that seemed to offend our driver. The man was defensive, started raising his phonation, and became hostile. We had arrived at our hotel, and the commuter got out of the cab, yelling at us, then he reached into his jacket pocket. Given this human's erratic beliefs, this startled me and I idea that he was reaching for a gun. I believed I was defending us when I took a swing at him which sent the human flailing and his prison cell phone flight. Apparently, we had frightened him, and he planned to call the police.

At this point, it was too belatedly. Many members of my company were effectually in the hotel lobby, and by the adjacent morning everyone knew near the incident. I was fired, and my dreams imploded.

I knew I needed help, and I felt that help calling loudly from God. With no other place to turn, I went to church. My mom was attending regularly, and finally, after asking so many times before, I said yes to going with her.

This is where life began to change. This church was such a welcome identify. The people were similar me—they dressed like me and cared almost the same things I did. They were just like the Christians I had met at my former task.

I began attending church on a regular ground. Through prayer and Scripture, I began to let God in. I started to open my heart and accepted Jesus.

I cannot say that my life has totally changed, but I now take a focus. A guiding light. An inner peace. I know that I cannot do this life on my ain. Without prayer, the centre of my life volition begin to deviate once again. I'll lose myself. I've been put hither on this earth by God, and I still am working to discover my purpose.

There are and then many books and podcasts and speakers that talk about how to be successful. They assistance you lot achieve new levels. Merely every time I reached a new peak, I'd fall back. I never developed the skills to sustain or how to respond to success.

Reflecting on my moments of fiasco, they all occurred after some level of success. As great as they all were, I became uncomfortable.  These were levels of success (on the football field, in the classroom, at piece of work) that I did not believe I was worthy of. And new pressures, attention, and responsibility all came with it. Instead of embracing them, I would press the reset push button. I knew how to get what I wanted, but I didn't know how to maintain it.

I have God now, and I have my faith. I have prayer and a human relationship with Christ and have an ever-growing network of people in my life that will help me achieve. Now I believe that when success is achieved, I will be confident in moving forrad.

In that location is no doubt I will stumble along the way. But, as this new flavor in my life takes shape, I am not afraid. I embrace these challenges and am excited to run across what the future holds now that my footing is firm.

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We will be posting more like this soon. If you would like to share your own testimony with the readers of Unfolding Religion, please email united states of america with your name and your story: unfoldingfaithmail@gmail.com

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Love to read testimonies? Nosotros accept a number of amazing testimony books available! Follow this link to explore: Testimony at Tyndale House Publishers.

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Source: https://www.tyndale.com/sites/unfoldingfaithblog/2018/10/02/check-out-these-real-life-testimonies/

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