4 minute read
I Will Survive”—Gloria Gaynor’s Tests Turn into Her Testimony
I Wil SURVIVE
Gloria Gaynor’s Tests Turn into Her Testimony
by Celeste Winstead
There’s a verse in the Bible that says to “consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds.” Legendary singer, songwriter, and author Gloria Gaynor has experienced the reality of that verse fi rsthand. She knows what it is like to walk through hard times, standing only on faith. Those tests have now become her testimony of God’s peace and strength.
The Queen of Disco, who gave the world the motivational anthem “I Will Survive” in 1978, knew the song was timeless the moment she read the lyrics one day in a recording studio. The words had been scrawled on a brown paper bag, and when Gloria read those lyrics, she immediately related to them. She was on the brink of losing her recording contract,
which had been the fulfi llment of her childhood dreams. A few months earlier, she’d had spine surgery following an accident that left her unable to move from the waist down, and that particular day she was recording songs in a back brace. She had no way to pay rent because of her medical bills. And as she looked at the words on the paper bag in front of her, she thought about her mother’s death a few years earlier, an event she thought she would never survive, but somehow she found the strength to endure. “I was just leaving my problems up to Him,” she recalls. “I was fully assured that God would do something. I just didn’t know what. I’ve often heard people say, ‘God won’t put more on you than you can handle.’ If you will call on Him, ask for His help, and then take His direction, He will bring you through whatever.”
She went on to record the song, and not only did the songstress survive, she thrived in her career as the now-legendary song inspired people around the world. “I think I’ve always believed ‘I Will Survive’ celebrates the tenacity of the human spirit, a God-given ability to—of course, with His help—overcome anything,” she says. “And Jesus Calling has given me the perfect thing to remember that. On May 18th, it says something like, ‘Forget about your plans for the day. Seek My plan for your day, because if you don’t, you’re going to miss all of the wonderful things that I prepared for you.’ I’m following that every day, because that’s what I want to do. I want to make sure that I’m in God’s plan.” As her career gained momentum, Gloria lost her compass as she tried
to fi t into “the in crowd” and live up to the expectations of being in the spotlight. While at a party, she felt the Holy Spirit grab her collar and say to her, “You know you’re not supposed to be doing that. Get away. That’s enough.”
Gloria never looked back. She went home, pulled out a Bible, blew the dust off and sat down. Her life was transformed as she began to spend quiet time with God in the Bible and learned more about His love for her. “He is so faithful,” she says. “It is incredible how He is always there for you.” That message is found on her recent GRAMMY Award-winning gospel album, Testimony, which features performances by Christian recording artists Jason Crabb and Bart Millard, and gospel singer Yolanda Adams. “There are a lot of people today who need to know that whatever it is you’re going through, God is there for you. And this album has a message for everybody: stay on the path, keep the faith, and know that He won’t let go.”
Adapted for print from Gloria's interview on the Jesus Calling Podcast. Put your phone in Camera mode and hover over this code to watch more of Gloria's story!
You can fi nd Gloria’s GRAMMY Award-winning album, Testimony, at your favorite music retailer or streaming provider.
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