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This Is Not The End Of My Story!

by | Tue, Jul 7 2020

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Woman walking in crowd

Our testimony is never just one thing that happens to us.  It changes and grows over a lifetime spent with God.  I thought once I had shared my testimony, that was it!  That was my big moment, that was the story that I would always go back to when I wanted to tell people what God had done for me in my life.  But I was wrong.

God never stops working in our lives.  That’s why our testimony comes alive! God continues to build on what we have been through, and then if we allow Him, will use it to help others.

I craved normal, but what is that really?  After a difficult season, I spent so much time and energy getting my family to a place of recovery, that I neglected to care for myself.  While they were all doing well, I crashed and burned.  I called it my “emotional jetlag”.  All the things that I had pushed aside during that time were finally catching up with me.

But God gave me this scripture, and though it wasn’t really what I wanted to hear in that moment, it is something that I have come back to time and again ever since.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 2:2-4 NIV

I did start to wonder if perseverance would ever finish its work in me!  Would I ever feel mature and complete?  I felt like we had been through enough, and I was mad at God that things had been so difficult.  Each new day seemed to come with a different set of challenges.

God was so patient with me during that period of emotional upheaval.  Yes, we’ve had a tough few years, but this is not the end of our story!!

We all know that there are peaks and valleys in life, and in this broken world we will encounter some painful things.  But for some reason, I never expect those things to happen to me!

But even when (or perhaps especially when) I was struggling, God surrounded me with people who spoke wisdom and love into my life.  They prayed for me and held me up.

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 NIV

I have been incredibly blessed by the friends I’ve had walking alongside me and sharing my burdens.

There are definitely times in our lives when we need to pause and rest.  There are times of grief and sorrow.  There are times for receiving when we need input into our lives, whether that comes in the form of preaching at church, Godly friends, counsellors, books or podcasts.  There are endless resources available to us.  But then what?  What do we do after that?

There comes a point where we have to take that knowledge and apply it to our own lives.  That is perhaps the hardest part of this journey.  But with God’s help, we can get back up again.  We can share what we’ve been through to help others.  We can sow a seed in someone else’s life that will bring a harvest in our own.

I recently had the privilege of attending my first Colour conference.  I didn’t grow up in a Christian home and in fact, until a few years ago, had never even heard of Colour!

And as I sat in an auditorium of 10,000 women praising God I was overwhelmed by His goodness.  Four years ago, on a Sunday morning, God led me to confide in a dear friend. And since then, I have gone from being broken and shattered, to working in Women’s ministry, going on a mission trip and attending Colour! To me that is so surreal.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”  John 13:34 NIV

This is a simple yet profound statement.  I am only writing this today because I have been the recipient of such love.

It’s been a painful journey, and change took time and I know I’m not finished yet.  But the most valuable thing I have learned is that I need to keep accepting God’s invitation.  He will never love me any more or any less than He does right now.  Whether I say yes or not is totally up to me.  But if I want what I’ve been through to make a difference, then I have to keep getting back up. I have said no many times out of fear, but I am slowly getting better at saying yes and doing it afraid!

This is not the end of my story.  My prayer is that next time I find myself in a situation I don’t want to be in, I will remember what God has done for me.  And that will give me greater faith to trust Him as I face whatever is ahead.

About the Author – Melinda McCredie

Melinda McCredie

Melinda’s desire is to connect with all women, no matter what their background or story.

She lives in Brisbane, Queensland with her husband and two children, and has been in ministry since 2005.

Melinda recently completed her studies in a Graduate Certificate of Management and is working her way towards a Masters Degree within the literary realm.

She writes from her own personal journey, and through her faith in God hopes to inspire women to be honest about their experiences and allow Him to work in their lives.

For more of Melinda’s blogs, visit her website thedevotedlife.com

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Images via Shutterstock.com