4 minute read
REHEATED COFFEE
The Joy of the Toughest Testimony
BY AMANDA JACKMAN
The testimony we don’t want to share is usually the one God will change lives with. Life has thrown me a lot of curveballs over the last few years, and I’ve had the opportunity to share three big testimonies. If I had gotten the chance to pick, I would have chosen some other type of testimony, but these were the ones that God called me to.
As Christians, we are not called to an easy life. Instead, we are promised struggles, pain, and suffering. And we are to reach up to God to help us in the valley.
James 1:12 says Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. (NIV)
I’ve been leaning into this verse for comfort.
Sometimes, we can look at seemingly struggle-free people and wonder why they have it easy while others endure so much. But I believe people with testimonies of hardship, pain, and resilience have the blessing of being able to share their testimony with the world to point to God’s goodness.
If I could go back 15 years, I would tell my teenage self that God has so much more planned for my life than the “in-the-moment” irrational decisions I had made. I would describe our five beautiful childrento-be and instruct my younger self to quit rushing through life trying to be an adult, proclaiming that she would have plenty of time to “adult” in the future. See, I rushed a few relationships in my youth. I was engaged a few times; I never truly waited on the Lord. But this misstep became a testimony I shared with our youth group about the importance of purity and waiting for God’s will in your life.
Then, when my third-born had a tragic accident, I initially fought shame, guilt, grief, and trauma. Our son drowned. But to God’s glory, he was resuscitated and spent two weeks recovering in the hospital. Thankfully by God’s grace, he was able to run down the halls before we left. This heart-wrenching trial allowed me to shout of the goodness of God and that He still performs miracles. He still answers prayer. I know this beyond the shadow of a doubt because He did for us.
I’ve also endured the pain of being a mom who lost her child before birth—more than once. I never thought miscarriage would be part of my story. But, after four consecutive miscarriages in the span of 10 months, God put it on my heart to share that testimony, too. This opened the door to share in Joy Unspeakable: Regardless of Your Circumstances. After I started writing the chapter, God showed up, and now I’m currently 36 weeks pregnant with our rainbow baby.
Processing through our trials allows us to see God’s provision and love in all its rawness and, if we let it, can bring us closer to Him. And that testimony that hurts— the one you have to dig deep before opening up to someone about—is the very testimony that could lead someone else to Jesus. We don’t endure struggles only to get through them and keep the God story to ourselves. We weather, and indeed thrive, only through God’s love, mercy, and grace, and then we are given the precious gift and honor of being able to lead others to Christ by sharing what He has done in our lives.
If you are wrestling with or have bravely endured a trial, my prayer is that you will allow God to move through your toughest testimony. Commit to processing how God showed up in your life and sharing it with someone this week. And just watch how He will use it for good.
