Faith Boosters: True Stories about the Power of Trusting God
- Lanee and Sandy
- Dec 19, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: May 20, 2024
When it comes down to it, a big part of growing in our faith is learning more and more to trust God and His timing. Part of the process is sometimes having to go through things that are (to say the least) challenging and uncomfortable. It helps to hear stories and from others who have walked a difficult path and have turned their tests into testimonies. In this episode, we feature five women we talked with over the past year. You’ll hear stories of enduring through trials, learning total surrender, the power of forgiveness and even the miraculous.
It’s been quite a difficult year in our world and in the homes and lives of so many. Looking back at the struggles and the lessons learned can help us re-set for the year ahead. Hopefully too, there were many times of joy and togetherness, and we want to hold those memories close.
Through the ups and downs, of course God is with us. Sometimes, though, it may be hard to feel that connection. If you're having trouble experiencing that closeness, try recalling those times in the past that God has answered prayers or brought you through a difficult patch in your life. Remembering or even writing down how you felt during those seasons can help you experience that bond again.
Another wonderful way to bolster your faith is to listen to accounts of how God has come through for others. We hope by hearing unfiltered an emotional stories from these ladies will do that for you. If you’re ready for a little “faith-lift”, we invite you to click play! We think you will be truly blessed.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Sandy Kovach [00:00:05]:
Welcome to imagine yourself podcast where we help you to imagine your next chapter of life with grace, gratitude, courage, and faith. I'm Sandy Kovach. On behalf of Lanee and I, we're so glad that you could join us for this important episode. It seems like the perfect time of year to be encouraged in our faith, so we're revisiting episodes from 5 wonderful We talked to you in 2021 as we continue to look back on highlights of past episodes. This first one Actually, it's the most popular episode of 2021 for us and appropriately enough for the holiday season. It's about a miracle baby. Lori Barnwell is an elected official in Michigan and a pastor's wife. And in the midst Of her attempt to add to her family, she discovered something incredible about the birth of her first child.
Sandy Kovach [00:01:01]:
We think her story will bless
Lorie Barnwell [00:01:04]:
Now we are 6 years from when I had my son and no more children yet And really no answer of why this is happening. There are sometimes there's things that happen where there are no Quick, easy answers, but I felt in my heart that there's gotta be some other underlying reason. The doctors that I reach out to, including the fertility specialists, just were not helpful in really pinpointing why. So beginning of 2019, I found another specialist who he decided we're going to Explore your endometriosis idea.
Lanée Blaise [00:01:45]:
Thank goodness. Someone listening to your patient concerns about your body.
Lorie Barnwell [00:01:51]:
Exactly. And so I had surgery in 2019, and he found I was correct that I did have endometriosis. I had The most severe form and one of the worst cases he had ever seen in his career.
Sandy Kovach [00:02:06]:
Oh my goodness.
Lorie Barnwell [00:02:07]:
For those who don't know what that is, it's basically Lining from the uterus that spreads in places that it it shouldn't, and it can cause pain throughout your entire body As well as, of course, preventing 1 from getting pregnant. Since then, I've had 2 more additional endometriosis surgeries just because there was So much in there. And that current doctor as well as another doctor that I've seen, both of them had said to me, They have no idea how I got pregnant with Bill. Oh,
Lanée Blaise [00:02:44]:
that's a victory right there then.
Sandy Kovach [00:02:46]:
Right. It's a miracle.
Lorie Barnwell [00:02:47]:
They have no idea how I got pregnant, and they have no idea how that pregnancy was maintained without intervention. So they were both just like, wow. And so when I talk about when god had said back In 2011, just wait and see what I do. I had no idea the weight of that until very recently, How my son was a miracle beyond what I ever even knew at the time, And that everything in my body was fighting against getting pregnant, staying pregnant, being safe myself, My child being safe, but god protected that whole situation in ways that medical Professionals can't even speak for. And I think through that whole experience, And it's very interesting that even in the last 6 months to a year, how I'm seeing more of this unfold, It makes me even more grateful and appreciative that maybe I didn't know then.
Sandy Kovach [00:04:07]:
Yeah.
Lorie Barnwell [00:04:07]:
Because god wanted to shield me from that pain, anxiety, stress, He really wanted me to just trust him. And I think sometimes when we're seeking answers, when we're seeking his timing, We don't realize how much he shields from us and how answers and timing Can not only be what is best for us in the long run, but also what's best for us in the short run. True. And I think about My experience in 2012, I was pretty carefree in that pregnancy for the most part until the end. I had no concept At that time that I was in danger or my son was in danger or this was, like, something beyond the scope of Should be happening. And it led to this one of the most happy times in my life was when I was pregnant. And I think that was something God gave back to me. He Could've listened to me back then, but they didn't.
Lorie Barnwell [00:05:18]:
And now I see that as a blessing.
Lanée Blaise [00:05:21]:
Along with the fact that you mentioned Your career was able to develop in the way that it was supposed to. The story that you're able to give of Hope to other women and other families who are struggling with those same types of timing. And even the fact that you said, This just really hit me that the anger was part of you know, you're being emotionally honest with god. That was what kind of unlocked The secrets to getting through to the other side. That was the route to trusting God
Lorie Barnwell [00:05:53]:
and getting back to him. It's beautiful. Yes. I think a lot of times, we as either if we're Christians or just believers in God, We think, oh, I can't be angry at him. I can't talk to him that way. And being honest with him, I think is one of the most healthy things we can do as human beings, and he's ready for it. He's okay with it. That's always been my experience.
Lorie Barnwell [00:06:26]:
And I think that there's things in life that we just want with all of our hearts. I would love to have more children. I've wanted to have more children ever since I had little Bill. He was, like, 2 months old, I'm like, okay. I'm ready. Ready for
Lorie Barnwell [00:06:44]:
think when we have that Relationship with him. I think one of the most important things we need to tell ourself over and over again is he has our back, And he sees the big picture, and we just see the little picture. That's not always the most comforting thing. Okay. Well, I just need to trust in god. Well, what does that mean? That means recognizing on a deep Emotional, spiritual, cognitive level that our creator has our back, and letting that Sink into your soul and part of who you are. And watching my life and my journey, If things would have gone differently, my life would have gone differently. I really believe God has a sense of Destiny and purpose for each of us who call out to him.
Lorie Barnwell [00:07:39]:
And when we put our trust in him and acknowledge that he has our back I fully trust that wherever life takes us, even if it's not to the ideal place that we want, okay, but he has my back.
Sandy Kovach [00:07:54]:
I saw this quote that said, trials are not the enemies of faith, but an opportunity to prove God's faithfulness and talk about trials And not knowing what's going on
Lorie Barnwell [00:08:05]:
That not knowing and then going through it and getting on the other side, that's where you become refined. That's where the growth happens. Knowing that something's coming, it takes away some of that growth opportunity. It takes away some of that character development and that foundation where you want to put your trust in god. Because if we know the end of the story, there's no reason to trust. If we know the end of the story, We are not going to meet our growth potential.
Sandy Kovach [00:08:42]:
So much more to hear about her story, which is an absolute emotional roller coaster, but also an absolute faith booster. And she talks about not just the impact of trusting God, but how many times She had to struggle with doing that. The episode was when you're waiting on God. Go back and check that one out if you haven't. But for now, Let's continue along the same lines as Laurie was talking about, leaning into the Lord when times are hardest. Now this is singer and author Lee Cruz who has a wonderful ministry which was birthed in the midst of adversity. It's from the episode finding joy on the good and bad days.
Lee Cruz [00:09:23]:
4 years ago, I went through a clump of losing my mother, who I was caring for in hospice for a year, the dissolution of my marriage and losing my home. And, again, I was just at a complete place of surrender. I had no idea what to do, and I just had to let go and let god. Right? Because I just had no direction for my life. A lot of people refer to the walk in the desert. I had 3 years of a walk in the desert Where it was basically about deconstructing who I thought I was. You know, 2nd Corinthians 517 says, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation. Well, what does a new creation look like? A new creation is no longer trying to work out of Your flesh out of yourself, out of, you know, feelings, but truth.
Lee Cruz [00:10:18]:
Truth in who god says we are. So just like a child, you know, doesn't worry about, is my parent going to feed me today? Is my parent going to, You don't have shoes and clothes for my back today. We, as children of God, need to understand our father is always providing for our needs. Maybe not the way or the timing that we wanted in, but the prayer and petition, he does come through, and he knows what's best for us because he is our creator. He is our father. Finding your joy is knowing how loved and how valued you are. And once you know that place, you perform differently. You look at things differently.
Lee Cruz [00:11:01]:
And now joy now resides in you, And what a wonderful place to work out of. So that's where I am in life. I basically, I Called this year kind of releasing the butterflies. So I use the butterfly, and I know many people do. It symbolizes, you know, transformation. I use the butterfly as a reminder that I am not working out of my old self anymore, but out of the identity That I am loved, that I am cherished, that I am the beloved child of god, and that changes everything. So doing the music, Doing the book are just expressions of me just thanking god for everything that he's done And paying it forward to others in hopes that they can find their joy.
Sandy Kovach [00:11:53]:
And speaking of others finding joy, When somebody is going through something, Leigh, it's not easy to tell them, as you know, with everything that you've been through. Hey. Just be happy. So what do you tell people in that situation? Don't worry. Be happy. Probably not. Right?
Lee Cruz [00:12:09]:
Yeah. No. Not Not at all. You know, there's seasons. I tell people just like the seasons of the weather, there's seasons in our faith. There's a time to mourn. There's a time to grieve. There's a time to be Quiet and be still and be with god, and that every season has a purpose to prepare for the next season just like our natural weather seasons do.
Lee Cruz [00:12:30]:
We don't wanna fight against that. We also want to pray for patience to endure whatever we're going through Because there's a lesson in everything. Instead of asking the why is this happening to me, we need to be asking god, what are you trying to show me? Because I know that you love me. I know you want the best for my life. I don't know how to get there. And it's Resting and knowing, first of all, that he is the great provider and that he is a faithful father. And I think it's because we we push ourselves to get to a place maybe we're not ready for. And sometimes, you know, that whole be still and know that I am god plays a big part in us enduring getting through Healing.
Lee Cruz [00:13:19]:
So I tell people, you know, that there's seasons, and we don't wanna rush those seasons. We do wanna ask god during those seasons, What are you trying to show me? And that changes everything.
Sandy Kovach [00:13:32]:
Great point that she made about recognizing I'm looking for what god is trying to show us, and sometimes he shows us things through other people. We had an episode So called Releasing Shame and Perfectionism. Writer Candice Miller shares her faith journey. Now Part of her powerful testimony was what she shared about involvement in a 12 step program. And In this segment, she talks about a man she met there whose story would change her life.
Candice Miller [00:14:05]:
I did go to a 12 step program called Codependents Anonymous, and that was helping address that emotional piece that I was talking about. And that is a place where I really learned To become intimate with God, trust him, and let go of a lot of that shame. Codependents Anonymous is A 12 step program, and it goes off the same steps the AA does. My first meeting that I did go, there was a man sitting in a corner. This man, he was probably in his seventies, and he was really worn. He could tell that he had a life of abuse, and he wasn't very wealthy. Just trying to kind of paint a picture of what he looked like in, codependent anonymous as you're in a circle, everybody goes around and shares if they want to. So I was just sitting and observing for the 1st time, and it came to him to an open share.
Candice Miller [00:14:54]:
And he said, I'm just trying to get back to who god intended me to be. It was like a lightning bolt to my heart. The worst that he said and just looking to see that he looked like he had such a hard life. I was so curious that afterwards, I went up and I asked him a story. And he said that when he was younger and had a young family, he didn't tell me if he had been drinking or not, but He had been in recovery, I know, for a while, but he said he ran over his daughter
Sandy Kovach [00:15:18]:
My goodness.
Candice Miller [00:15:19]:
His 2 year old daughter. And, she actually died. But this man, it had taken him probably 50 years of his life to finally overcome that and want to overcome his addiction and Get back to who god intended him to be. And when we talk about shame, you wanna talk about shame. Can you imagine The feelings of guilt and shame this man must have felt. No. No. And how long it took him to come around and and to believe and I and I wanna say this In a way that the listeners really hear this, to believe that he was good enough for forgiveness even though he had done something So wrong.
Candice Miller [00:15:57]:
I mean, it was an accident, but he had done something wrong.
Lanée Blaise [00:16:00]:
That's the part where even though you're telling about his story, which has sadness, It sounds to me that there is hope because he did find a place to go. He did want to reach upward and upward to God and using the resources that are Available to help people who are struggling in their lives. There is the mental component along with the faith building spiritual component too, so I feel that that does offer hope, and this is something that anyone who is listening, I'm sure can take advantage in as they learn more about these 12 steps to Really enhance their situation to some degree and still have, again, hope.
Sandy Kovach [00:16:39]:
And the reality is that we all sin and fall short of the glory of god, and The whole gospel is based on forgiveness. So, yeah, Candace, it's unimaginable what he was feeling about what he did, but To get to that place and you said it took him 50 years to get there. You know, let's all hope that we can get there quicker with what we're feeling shame about.
Candice Miller [00:17:02]:
Yeah. And you can see this evolution for him. I mean, this mass amount of time of shame. But at some point, he decided there was an evolution turning that shame into guilt of, I wanna make this better. And so that's why I say, I know guilt isn't a popular word, but that's why I'd like to talk about it in a sense of he wanted to change. He wanted to go somewhere where he could make amends, where he could be forgiven, he wanted to look forward.
Sandy Kovach [00:17:30]:
Looking forward, forgiving yourself, Dropping the shame all with God's help. Now it's not just about forgiving yourself, of course. Forgiving others It is also something so important and can be just as hard. In the episode creating a realistic happily ever after, author Mary Lewis, Who wrote The Princess Chronicles, Happily Ever After A Journey to Love talks about the impact of forgiveness on relationships, especially those With a spouse or partner, Mary's father left her family when she was very young, and she talks here about forgiving him.
Mary Lewis [00:18:07]:
When we don't forgive, it's like we're shackled. Like, we're in handcuffs, and we're attached to the person that we're holding unforgiveness against. I had to make a choice to forgive my father. When my husband and I, He was my fiance at the time. When we went and had that conversation with my father, it was just laying it all out on the line, Not angry anymore. You have to figure out what was going on with you, but I forgive you, and I meant it Because I was tired of feeling like there was something wrong with me when I knew Deep down in my heart, I was a good person. I was a great person, and so I had to forgive him. I had to forgive my ex boyfriends, Again, because I didn't know who I was and how the relationship with my father had impacted did how I dated and who I dated.
Mary Lewis [00:19:02]:
I held them responsible for a role that they were not ready to fill. I had to forgive them, and I literally wrote their names down. I was like, okay. I forgive you for this. I forgive you for this. And then I had to forgive myself. And that sounds really silly, but I literally had to go through the same thing. Mary, I forgive you for being tricked.
Mary Lewis [00:19:25]:
But you are a smart woman. Mary, I forgive you for feeling that you're unworthy because you are worthy. And so I had to forgive my dad. I had to forgive my exes, and then I had to forgive myself. At that point, I was ready. I was ready to move forward Because I was free from the handcuffs, those emotional, mental handcuffs that held me bondage For so many years. And so that's where you need to start. Whether you're married, engaged, single, forgiveness is the first Step towards this happily ever after because you can have it.
Mary Lewis [00:20:03]:
I'm living proof.
Sandy Kovach [00:20:04]:
And sometimes you might need to rely on your faith a little bit because that's a pretty big Ask in some people's cases, the forgiveness.
Mary Lewis [00:20:11]:
It is. And, you know, I had gotten to the point in this whole forgiveness process where it was Either gonna be God or or nothing. I was in a specific relationship that literally looking back on it now and as a Christian and as a person of faith, I know it was the enemy trying to take me right out of here because I had stopped eating, I stopped drinking, and I was ready to die. And it was like, god, if you say if you are who you say you are, you better come do it for me, and you better come do it for me right now. And he did it, And he restored me, and I mentioned that in the book. It's not a faith based book. Right? It's who I am. But at the end, I said it would be disingenuous if I didn't give people the opportunity to accept Christ because that's the truest, For me, anyway.
Mary Lewis [00:21:02]:
Yeah. That was the truest of loves that I needed that really transformed me. And so to not make that a part of my book and a part of my ex it was very much a part of my experience. So, yeah, forgiveness is huge, But the relationship with Jesus allows you to do that.
Sandy Kovach [00:21:20]:
Right. Because that's the whole basis of Christianity. Right?
Lanée Blaise [00:21:23]:
Mhmm. It also makes me think everything you're saying with the love, with the forgiveness, with the faith, there is a divine order to things in this life. And the bible says, seek first the kingdom of god and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. And it makes me think about kinda like that. Look first inside yourself. Look first inside your soul. Look first at the way God loves you and the way God has created you, and all these other things will be added unto you After you do that. And like Sandy said, faith is so important to help you on that path of forgiveness And to help you on that path of you said it best, Mary, when you said that sometimes you can have an Standing that the person didn't have the capacity at that time to be the person that they quote, unquote should have been We're definitely that you would have needed them to be, but none of us is perfect.
Lanée Blaise [00:22:28]:
God loves us through those imperfections, and we can, With boundaries, of course, forgive people and release it and unshackle ourselves. I love that analogy that you gave also, unshackle ourselves From some of that pain and putting that on new people.
Sandy Kovach [00:22:47]:
Finally, we are going to talk about the power of a do over. And it's from the episode with author Erica Wigginhorn, Can You Really Let Go and Let God? It was all about surrendering to God. She's written some great books and done bible studies about powerful topics, including her latest, Letting God be enough, but we wanted to close with this story she gave us, which was, for us at least, and we're hoping for you too, Absolutely transformational.
Erica Wiggenhorn [00:23:21]:
I wanna just finish with a really quick story that just illustrates the heart of God. So when we first moved to Arizona, it was the 1st time we had a swimming pool. And we used to get these little slithering lizards that would fall into the top step of our swimming pool, and they wouldn't be able to get out, and they get all waterlogged. And our daughter, Eliana, Who's the total animal lover. She would go out. She'd rescue these little baby slithering Lizzies off the top step of the pool. She'd put them in a Tupperware dish And set it in the sun on the table in the patio, and they'd start to dehydrate, and then they'd kinda pop back to life, and she'd let them go. Well, one day she rescues this little slithering Lizzie.
Erica Wiggenhorn [00:24:06]:
She gets the Tupperware. She goes to set it on the table, and her little brother who's 2 at the time Comes bolting out the patio door to see slithering Lizzie that Eliana has rescued, and he bumps into Eliana And the lizard goes flying out of her hand. And in horror, he jumps back, lands on top of slithering Lizzie, making her squashed Lizzie. Well, Eliana burst into tears, and so I go off to, you know, try to console her like, Lizzie's in heaven. It's okay. She's slithering along on the streets of gold. Don't worry. You know, trying to calm down my 3 year old.
Erica Wiggenhorn [00:24:51]:
Right? And then I just sort of forgot about it. Well, a couple of days later, I go into my son Nathan's room to put away his laundry, open up the top drawer Where he keeps his socks, and I immediately notice this awful odor. And I'm like, What in the world is in all of these Superman socks that stinks so badly? So I'm fishing through the drawer, And I find this neatly folded paper towel, and I open it up, and inside is squashed Lizzie.
Erica Wiggenhorn [00:25:25]:
take squashed Lizzie, and I go find Nathan, and I'm like, why did you bury Lizzie in your sock drawer?
Lanée Blaise [00:25:33]:
And he's like, well, I thought I we could get it out, and we could give Lizzie a proper burial, and Sissy wouldn't be so mad at me, and, You know, I could fix it.
Erica Wiggenhorn [00:25:44]:
Some of us out there, we have squashed Lizzie in our sock drawer. We have something in our life Where we made a mistake, we messed up, caused a relationship to go awry, we missed an opportunity, We didn't walk through a door God opens because we were too afraid. We have something we're regretting in our life, And we've buried it in our sock drawer with hopes that we could make it go away. We could somehow fix it. But just like there's no way Nathan was gonna resurrect a lizard, we can't fix the past.
Mary Lewis [00:26:24]:
Right.
Erica Wiggenhorn [00:26:25]:
But our God is a God of do overs. And we talked about Moses, and we talked about his self doubt. And his self doubt came From his squashed Lizzie in his tent in the middle of Midian because he had tried to rescue the people of Israel, and he had failed. And so if you're listening out there and you're thinking to yourself, you don't know how I failed. You don't know how I've messed stuff. You don't know how I have not trusted God in the past and the havoc that that wreaked in my life. You don't know about all my bad choices. I regret so many things in my life.
Erica Wiggenhorn [00:27:02]:
If you're listening to that, I want you to hear today. God is a God of do overs. And whatever that regret is, whatever that stinky, smelly, rotting thing in the sock drawer of your heart that you have allowed to hold you back, it's time to give squashed Lizzie a proper burial because god wants to take it from you And release you from it. So surrender it to him today and begin to live A new life of freedom, a life of godfidence. God has never stopped loving you, and he has a good plan for your life If you'll just surrender it over to him.
Sandy Kovach [00:27:48]:
Lanee's tearing up over there.
Lorie Barnwell [00:27:50]:
Yeah. I want to
Lanée Blaise [00:27:51]:
hug you through the zone. You answered. I just truly needed that. And I know there's a lot of people who they gotta hold on to that, And maybe no one's ever told them that before. Maybe they never believed it before, but today is the day to believe the good and to believe the hopeful and to believe the Forgiving nature of God in in our lives.
Sandy Kovach [00:28:17]:
We hope that and all of the ladies we featured in this podcast It's helped you with your faith. We definitely encourage you, if you haven't, to go back and listen to the full episodes. We'll have those listed out in the show notes and also at imagine yourself podcast.com. There too, you can also get more information on the ladies that we featured and where to contact them as well. We just thank you so much for being part of the Imagine Yourself family. Drop us a review or a rating if you have a moment, and here's to a great faith filled new year.
The guests featured were from:
