Living the Journey

Before I went to the Journey, I was withdrawn from other people and felt alone inside. My relationship with Christ was distant and not anywhere near where it should be. I had been abused for several years during my childhood and had stuffed the pain deep down inside, building a callous around my heart. I didn’t allow myself to show any emotion and had even forgotten how to cry.

Many other people had tried to help me, so when one of the Journey leaders pulled me aside, I expected her to tell me what I already knew and just deal with the symptoms. Little did I know that God was going to show Himself strong on my behalf and lead me out of this bondage of bitterness, anger, fear, confusion, lustful thoughts, and the wrong view of God which had resulted from my hurtful past.

Satan had fed me a lie that God was both good and bad. God showed me that He is good. He didn’t want bad things to happen to me. Sin caused the bad to happen, but God’s grace could turn that into something good.

God had really never left me. Oh, what unfathomable love I discovered in Christ! A love that told me of my worth to Him, a love that hurt with me, that cried with me. Oh yes! Jesus went through those hard days right with me—I was blinded and shut Him out, but now I was able to see. He was turning it all into good! I forgave my offenders and asked the Lord to help me to see them as He did. It surprised me how easy the tears came after years of bottling everything up inside. When He filled me with a love for them, I could not see their shortcomings anymore. Surely love covers a multitude of sin!

Then our team studied the “Tender Heart.” God broke me with the answer to the question, “Why Did God Let it Happen?” As the Lord revealed to my spirit from His Spirit, I began to write down the benefits of what I had been through. By the time I finished, I was in complete awe of my Lord Jesus Christ. He had captured my heart with His love, wisdom, peace, and amazing grace.

I ran to my leader with a heart full of thanksgiving, so happy that I laughed and cried at the same time. I had given my whole heart to Christ and was free from bondage. I am free! God is truly my All in All and the Lover of my Soul. Thank you, Lord, for everyone at the Journey, and thank you for showing me who Jesus wants me to be!

~ Barbara
September 2008 Girl’s Journey

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I was taken sick in December 2006 and could eat nothing but bread and crackers. After several weeks I began to eat more but then my health crashed again. That cycle went on for over a year. I had no energy and I couldn’t do anything active outside.

Then, on the Journey to the Heart, my team studied what God’s Word says about a fearful heart. I realized that my inability to eat was predominately caused by a deep-rooted fear that my stomach would be in intense pain as a result of eating.

I wrote out a list of about eight benefits that God intended for me by allowing this illness. For example, I realized that my sickness had allowed me to spend more time with certain people and get to know them better, whereas when I was well I would be outside by myself and not spending time with others. Another blessing was that I had learned to better communicate my thoughts and feelings. As I wrote out this list of benefits, I was able to fully surrender my health to the Lord and I experienced a tremendous joy!

When God took away my fear, I was able to eat a wider variety of food and I discovered that nothing bad happened! Now I can eat almost anything without pain and run and play games that I couldn’t for over a year. My family and I have seen an amazing jump in my health. I had prayed many times, and tried to surrender myself to God, but I had no results until I wrote out the benefits for my illness. Then I had true joy!!

~ Elizabeth
April 2008 Girls Journey

8/24 UPDATE: I have steadily improved and have seen the Lord’s hand providing healing. May Jesus Christ be praised!

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