A LITTLE MORE OF MY TESTAMONY DATED FEBRUARY 3, 2026

 REPOSTING FROM MY FACEBOOK PAGE DATED FEBRUARY 3, 2026

A little more of my testimony. When God called us to serve Him in ministry, we left home and family. We were willing to go wherever God sent us. He not only met our needs, He blessed us abundantly. Bryan pastored churches with budgets that allowed us to live comfortably without me having to work outside the home. When our children were all in school, God miraculously gave me jobs for which I hadn’t even applied. We lived in nice homes in nice neighborhoods. In every church where we served, we had people who were like family to us, who loved us and ministered to us as much or more than we ministered to them. I always believed that this we a fulfillment of God’s promise in Mark 10:29-30.

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Mark 10:29-30

Amplified Bible

29 Jesus said, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, there is no one who has given up a house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, 30 who will not receive a hundred times as much now in the present age—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms—along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.

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This was absolutely true. We received so much love from people. We lived financially more comfortably than we would have with the job my husband had when God called him to preach. Even when Bryan was diagnosed with diabetes, we had physician friends in the church who ministered to him and made sure he received wonderful treatment for the health issues that came as complications of his diabetes. I do not think we placed more value in these comforts than we did in God, but we were comfortable with the blessings God had provided for us.

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Then there was a drunk driver. Our world turned upside down, or maybe right side up, depending on your perspective. All that comfort and earthly security looked different. Some of it shattered. I won’t lie. It was difficult, really difficult. Let me be more specific. In the wrecks (yes, plural) caused by the drunk driver, Bryan had extensive injuries: a slash from his chin to the back of his head which basically scalped him. He was on the side of the interstate holding his scalp in place with his hand. He told about the woman who apparently lived nearby standing there saying, “Oh Lord Jesus! Please someone help this man.” He also had broken ribs, fractured vertebrae, along with other scrapes and cuts. During triage, they also found a massive tumor on his kidney. He was in ICU for a few days then in the hospital for several more. The first step was to address the cancer. He had that surgery then multiple reconstructive surgeries for his face and head. He experienced severe anxiety. I hate to say PTSD out of respect for our military men and women, but the symptoms were the same. Through all of that many people in our church stood by us, supported us with their love, brought food, prayed for us. But eventually it became clear that he was not able to handle the stress of pastoring full time. (Yes, there is stress involved in serving as pastor. I won’t give details, but his health issues opened a door for things to happen that made that stress even worse.) He resigned and we moved to our “vacation” cabin on our family land. Even in this, God provided because we had built that cabin several years ago. But moving from a comfortable salary, a nice home, a ministry that God had blessed for years was difficult. The cabin is 24x24 in size. Our precious home was 2200 sq. ft. with an additional full basement and a pool. I cried. A lot. The changes in my husband were difficult, from a person who I depended on to a person who depended on me. It was hard. We eventually bought a repossessed double-wide home, bigger and more comfortable but not the same as a site built home. I struggled with a little bit of pride. Maybe a lot. I prayed daily asking God to show me what He wanted me to learn from our situation, for Him to show His glory through it. God still provided for us. He placed Bryan in a church where he could pastor part time. He provided me with jobs that I loved. This morning as I read Mark 10, I saw the context of verses 29-30. Mark 10:17-30 tells about the rich man who came to Jesus asking what he needed to do to have eternal life. Jesus told him to obey the commandments. The man told Jesus he had followed those from his youth. Then Jesus told him to sell all his possessions and give to the poor. The man went away sad because he placed more value on his possessions than he did on God. Jesus explained to his disciples that it is difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Thankful, Jesus told them that all things are possible with God. But verses 23-25 spoke to me about all the things that we experienced after the drunk driver caused the massive accident.

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Mark 10:23-25

Amplified Bible

23 Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How difficult it will be for those who are wealthy [and cling to possessions and status as security] to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The disciples were [a]amazed and bewildered by His words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how difficult it is [for those who place their hope and confidence in riches] to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man [who places his faith in wealth or status] to enter the kingdom of God.”

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James 1:2-12

Amplified Bible

2 Consider it nothing but joy, my [a]brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. 3 Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him. 6 But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind. 7 For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything [at all] from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides].

9 Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his high position [as a born-again believer, called to the true riches and to be an heir of God]; 10 and the rich man is to glory in being humbled [by trials revealing human frailty, knowing true riches are found in the grace of God], for like the flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; its flower falls off and [b]its beauty fades away; so too will the rich man, in the midst of his pursuits, fade away.

12 Blessed [happy, spiritually prosperous, favored by God] is the man who is steadfast under trial and perseveres when tempted; for when he has passed the test and been approved, he will receive the [victor’s] crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

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Were things difficult? Did I struggle? Yes. Without a doubt. Was God faithful? Did He provide? Did He teach me through all the struggles? Absolutely. When we struggle, when we are humbled, when it seems like our world is falling apart, God is still God. Always. Forever. He brings us through stronger and more confident in Who He Is.

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If you are struggling right now, I pray that your faith will grow as God works through your circumstances to draw you closer to Him.