He's Been Faithful!

Welcome Debbie Holman to Friday Friends! I met Debbie through a blogger friend of mine. I thought her testimony would be encouraging for those of you who are going through challenging situations right now.

Birthdays are suppose to be special, a day to celebrate. However, November 18, 1997 was not a birthday to be celebrated.  Not your usual, typical birthday. It was my birthday and the day my husband chose to announce to me he was leaving me for a sweetheart he had when he was in high school. No amount of begging or pleading would change his mind.

How would I explain this to my friends and church family! I was embarrassed, ashamed, and alone. How could I face them knowing what an active role my husband had taken in the church. Well, with much prayer and support from my mother, I went back to church. Offering to resign from leadership roles I held. No one wanted me to resign and I found my church family to be supportive.

Five weeks later on January 9, 1998, another devastating event happened in my life. My father died from complication from Alzheimer’s. What would I do now? The presence of my father was such a comfort to me. I was a daddy’s girl and I loved him very much!

What more could happen and how much did God expect me to endure? Losing my husband and father just five weeks apart was too much for one person to deal with. I would ask myself over and over:

  Where was God in all of this? Had He left me to deal with all of this alone?

One morning on my way to work, I put a CD in by one of my favorite singers, Babbie Mason. She was singing a song titled God Has Another Plan. I had never really listened to the words until that morning, when I listen to every word. In her song, she quotes Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts I think towards you, says the lord,

thoughts of peace and not of evil. To give you a future and a hope.

I played that song over and over on my way to work. Suddenly, it was as if a voice from within said to me:

“Debbie,trust me and have faith. I have a plan. For you are going through a storm now but

what a beautiful rainbow will follow the storm. I will carry you through this storm each and every day. I will give you hope and a future.”

If it had not been for this verse and my faith that God would provide that rainbow in the end of the storm, I could not have survived! He proved Himself faithful! Through all of these trials, I have become a stronger person and my faith has grown tremendously.

Now…When I hear of anyone I know going through storms in their life, I tell them:  

Look for the beautiful rainbow God has waiting for you 

after the storm.

Are you in the mist of a challenging situation? We all have trials and tribulations that come on suddenly and threaten to crush us. However, God promises us He will meet us there at the point of our need and carry us through until we can proclaim victory. Be encouraged. You are an Overcomer!

The Guest

Being able to purchase my new home 6 months ago was God’s signal I was moving out of Egypt into my own personal Promised Land. I had imagined what moving out would be like for along time. Now I am getting to live out what I had dreamed about for years.


Unpacking, I placed each of my colorful additions in their new locations. With each piece, the house seemed to come alive. The more I placed the more alive the rooms became. Then, the peacefulness in my heart began to flow. In my excitement, I made God a promise in gratitude for not only for what He had just given me but also for what He had brought me through. I promised God I would use my home for ministry. My heart wanted to share with others the wisdom and the home I had gained.

This past week I got my first call about 10:00pm. A good friend of mine wanted to know if I would be willing to take in a homeless young girl for a few days before her court case. Morgan had fled an abusive situation where she feared for her life.  From the moment she came through the door, Morgan kept thanking me for letting her stay in my home. She felt so fortunate to have a safe place to go. We talked for a while about her circumstances and then I lead her back to my guest bedroom.

Over the next 3 days, Morgan and I shared many experiences of how God had helped us overcome circumstances with His principles and with the help of those He had placed around us. As I kept listening to Morgan’s story, I never sense she was bitter towards her abuser in anyway. I was amazed! In fact, Morgan said she had become a strong and independent person thanks to this ugly situation in her life. She felt piety for the one who hurt her emotionally all those years but she was now praying for them to know God too. Morgan was not making this statement because it sounded like something she ‘should’ do as a good Christian but she meant the prayer from deep within her heart. I was amazed at Morgan’s spiritual maturity at 17. I know that Morgan may have other issues to deal with because of the abuse but she is well on her way to total freedom.

Good News! Morgan won her court case. Not only that, but she has been able to maintain an A average in high school and in a class at the local college. She has also secured a new job. Now, Morgan will be able to start afresh with what she will need to succeed. Blessings on you Morgan!

I have dealt with challenging circumstances wanting to trap me with bitterness. And for a while, I let the situations overtake me. However, when I had had enough of bitterness stealing my joy, I prayed. God came in and threw me a lifeline. I grabbed hold and followed His lead. With faith, wisdom and perseverance, the chains finally fell to the ground for good.  Like Morgan, I had overcome was well.

How about you? Is bitterness stealing your joy because of your past? Are you ready to break free from the chains? God is throwing you a lifeline by making His principles available through His Word and by the people He plans to send your way. He is waiting on you. Talk to Him, listen to Him, start the search and allow Him to begin to set your heart free.

So if the Son sets you free, you will be absolutely free.

John 8:36