"I want a new testimony," I whispered to God. Then I suddenly realized that perhaps I don't have a new testimony because I haven't shared my "old" testimony enough.
When my husband and I moved to Birmingham, Alabama in 2009 it was so I could take a teaching job at my alma mater. My husband journeyed to the my hometown with me even though he didn't have a new job waiting for him. We were taking a leap of faith. Little did we know, God would soon ask us to leap again.
Because my husband didn't have a new job, we moved in with my parents when we relocated to Birmingham. The plan was that we'd get our own place once hubster got a new gig. But a month passed and despite my husband's relentless search for employment nothing worked out. Meanwhile, living in my parents' home became more and more challenging.
Then one day my husband and I went to a church service in Montgomery while visiting my cousin. The co-pastor gave a message about miracles. She talked about her mission trips to developing nations. She'd met children born with a missing arm or leg and seen those missing limbs restored through prayers of healing! I got goosebumps listening to her stories.
She said she believed that we hear more stories of miracles in developing nations than in countries like America because believers in developing nations have no Plan B. They truly and fully rely on God. She urged those of us listening to let go of our Plan B and to stop relying on our own wisdom, resources, or strength. She urged us all to "Move on faith." She kept saying those words over and over again. "Move on faith!" she said. "Move on faith!"
While driving back to Birmingham from Montgomery I turned to my husband and said, "I think God wants us to move on faith -- literally. I think God wants us to move out of my parents' house." My husband confessed that he'd received the same message from the sermon.
We needed to move on faith; we needed to move into our own place before my husband found a new job to show that we really trusted God as much as we said we did.
And so the apartment hunting began. We found a new place and on October 15, 2009 we moved in. And on that day as we were carrying boxes into our new apartment my husband's cell phone kept ringing. Once we were all moved in my husband checked his voicemail: He had three job offers.
We looked at each other, smiled, and simply said: "Move on faith!"
Right now I'm praying prayers that are big and bold. I'm asking God for quite a lot. I'm asking God for a miracle. I'm asking for miraculous growth in my business and so much more. But lately I've been getting a bit discouraged. I've been doubting that I can actually make my dreams come true. And you know what I've realized? I can't make my dreams come true! At least not within my own wisdom, resources, or strength. It's time I stop worrying about Plan B. It's time for me to fully rely on God.
For a while I thought that maybe my dreams were too big, but then a friend of mine reminded me of something my pastor once said: "Let's live our lives so big that it couldn't possibly happen unless God shows up."
What testimony do you need to share?
That was an awesome testimony! I love to hear stories about people acting on their faith. God can and will move mountains if you depend on Him. I asked God to take away my compulsion to binge eat and for me to become attracted to exercise. I also asked Him to prompt my family to encourage me, especially with phone calls. I started walking the day after fervently praying about this. My mother called me a week later and she joined me on one of my walks. She asked if she could pay for a trainer for me and if we could do it together! As for the eating, I don't feel a single attraction to foods that will not nourish me. That is extremely alien to me. I give God all of the credit for these breakthroughs.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that testimony, Kristina! That sounds like a prayer I need to pray. I'm very good about exercising regularly but eating right is hard for me. Thanks for the inspiration.
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