Freely Speaking with Karen

I’ve spoken about my testimony many, many times over the years. It’s often a story about the thread of betrayal which weaves through my life from early childhood onward, along with all its sad offshoots of abuse, trauma, and mistaken choices and how God was with me through it all. Conversely, my testimony can become an autobiography of personal accomplishments within Church ministry (or without) and how God uses me. Given enough time and space, I could weave those two stories together. It’s not that either testimonial is false or wrong, but this time I would like to focus on what God has done for me.

It was 1974. I was five. My teacher pinned my name and address to the front of my little red dress. I was sitting near the back of the yellow school bus, blithely praying out loud as I kicked my matching red patent shoes against the back of the seat. The older kids laughed at me because it was sunny, and I fervently prayed for SNOW.

The Bible says, “And without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6 ESV).

That very night it snowed. Yes, genuine snow, a lot of it, along the coast of sunny California, where snow is almost as rare as unicorns. That and other answered prayers in childhood greatly impacted me. God is real! He hears our prayers! He cares about our little things as well as our big things. God answers prayer in ordinary or miraculous ways! God loves it when we talk to Him. Think about how He walked and talked with Adam and Eve in the garden. He wants not only belief in Him but also a real, honest, growing relationship with Him. It’s a lifetime journey. It’s a lifetime spoken or written testimony telling how great our God is! It’s a love story of praise and adoration. Nothing else matters except our relationship with God through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Rejoice! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!