Episode 16 — Your Testimony Matters

Episode 15: Your Testimony Matters

🗣️Let’s Testify🗣️

Remember, anything you overcome, any miracle, and any transformation of God is a Testimony. Share it & give all the glory to God🗣️🤍

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:07

How about you guys grab your open your hearts and welcome to a lot to sip on where it's real life, real faith, one cup at a time. All right, so we are going to be talking about testimonies tonight. Um, everybody has a testimony of some sort, and I feel like so many people are scared to share their testimony or don't feel like their testimony is good enough.

SPEAKER_00 0:37

They probably don't feel like it is a testimony.

SPEAKER_02 0:39

Yeah, but any transformation of you um getting a miracle of you overcoming something, that's a testimony. And your testimony does not, and I'm not knocking this like this is an amazing testimony, but the only testimony is not uh used to be a drug addict going to a preacher. Like that is not the only testimony. So that is, like I said, an amazing testimony, but your testimony is amazing too. It doesn't just have to be that. So what we're gonna do tonight is share our testimonies. Um, I think probably just like the biggest testimony we feel like we have in our life. And um, how our testimony led us where we are today. And we both have completely different testimonies, and they both led us to literally where we're standing right now. So I'm grateful for our testimony. I'm grateful for my testimony, I'm grateful for Brady's testimony, and I want you to be grateful for yours because your testimony is just as important, your testimony is just as powerful as anybody else's. And don't look at your testimony as any um smaller, any least.

SPEAKER_00 1:52

Yeah, don't I don't feel like any testimony is you know, technically speaking, bigger or smaller.

SPEAKER_02 1:58

Yeah, no, you know, because testimony's a testimony.

SPEAKER_00 2:00

Yeah, testimony is all about, you know, how you came to Christ.

SPEAKER_02 2:04

Right.

SPEAKER_00 2:05

And um literally, if you just Google the definition, you know, what is a testimony? It's it literally says detailing how a person came to faith knowing Jesus Christ and how God may be currently working in their life. So it's not just when you came to Christ, but hey, what is he doing now?

SPEAKER_01 2:23

Right, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

It's all about you know honoring God and giving him the glory.

SPEAKER_02 2:27

Yeah. And the testimony isn't to make you look good, but it is giving the Lord the glory for what he done for transforming you. And it is amazing that you were willing to be transformed. But uh, we're gonna go ahead and get started in this, and I'm gonna tell, yeah, you heard that right, tell Brady to go ahead and share his testimony.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

All right, so my testimony goes back um to when I was probably about eight, I let me think, yes. It was eight years old. Um, and this is the testimony that I've told in, you know, in many churches. And this isn't, you know, necessarily when I came to Christ. I was already with Christ, but this was just a very significant event in my life that happened where God proved his miraculous powers. And it was a time that he used me, and hey, I I don't know where I'd be if he hadn't done it for me then. But I was actually eight years old, and um I was in school a lot, and just like any normal kid, just playing around in school, having fun, joking around, but then things started to happen, and I will mention, I will mention this. This happened um a little while after I got saved. So I did get saved when I was eight years old, but this was actually a few months later, and it's crazy how quickly the devil tries to work on you, you know. As soon as you get saved, you know, he tries to just go after you. And I remember being eight years old, getting saved, you know, in my mama's bathroom, and um, you know, then it wasn't long after that the devil tries to attack. And um, so I was eight years old, and just like any normal kid playing around, but then things suddenly started to change, and all of a sudden, um, I would be in the middle of class, just doing my schoolwork, or maybe maybe I might be outside, you know, running around having fun. But out of the blue, out of nowhere, I would just pass out. I would black out. And at first the kids thought, you know, it was me trying to be a jokester, me trying to play around, you know, I'd I would literally black out at my desk, fall into the floor, and the kids were just ha ha ha ha ha ha, everybody's laughing. But my twin sister, who was also in my class, and I'm kind of thankful she was in my class, even though she aggravated the tar out of me, and I did the same to her. Um at that age, we did eventually separate classes, but at that age, I was glad she was in there because she was the only one who was like, um, he's not playing. He he don't he don't do this. Um, this isn't my brother. And I I remember a couple times just like blacking out and waking up lying on the floor, and my teacher, he'd be like, right there in my face, are you okay? And I'm like, I don't think so. Because I ain't got a clue what just happened. Yeah, I'm just I'm just sitting there doing my schoolwork. All of a sudden I black out and I wake up and the floor, my teacher's in my face. And um, I didn't even know um the whole class was laughing at me. My sister's actually the one that told me that. But yeah, they thought I was just joking around. Um, so a little while later, after that, after it kept continuously happening, um, we figured, you know, this is this is something serious. And my mom, you know, wanted to get me checked out. So we went to multiple doctors, multiple hospitals, multiple, you know, um, offices, and doctors run ran tests on me, you know, test after test after test. Nobody could figure out what in the wrong what in the world was wrong with me. And we went to eight different doctors. Eight. And we finally came across one.

SPEAKER_02 6:22

And what was his name?

SPEAKER_00 6:23

I'll never forget it. Dr. Ham. Dr. Ham, if you're out there listening, shout out to you. Um, but he was in Macon, Georgia, and he is finally the one that figured out what was wrong with me. And he did some scans and he came back in there, and it actually ended up being what you call a bicuspid aorta valve. So when you're aorta valve, it usually has three leaves. Mine only had two leaves. Therefore, it was causing blood to kind of leak through and leak back into the blood chamber, and enough blood would cause me to black out. And um, anyhow, this this that that kind of thing is normal in newborns, you know, from you know, newborns up to a year, maybe two years old at the max, that's normal. In an eight-year-old kid, that was not normal at all. At all. And um, you know, he he told us, you know, because of this, you know, you'll you'll have problems, follow you the rest of your life, you know. And um, he he said, honestly, this will probably shorten your lifespan as well. I remember him saying that. And just all these things that kind of, you know, just scared you. And um but gone. Yeah, but gone. And so, anyhow, we were devastated by the news. We didn't really understand everything completely, didn't really know what to do except for pray. And um, I'll never forget later on about I I can't remember how long it was afterwards, but a little while afterwards, um my mama called my Aunt Evelyn. We all my Aunt Evelyn was a pastor of a church, and um we all looked up to her very much, and my mama definitely looked up to her. And um my wife's alarm going off. But we looked up to my Aunt Evelyn a lot, definitely my mama. So she called her over, and um she just she just wanted her to pray over me. And I'll never forget it. Uh, you know, I'll remember it like it was yesterday, but I remember being in that little single-wide trailer that we was, you know, sitting in or living in, and we was right there in the kitchen, and she bent down and got on her knee and you know, looked at me face to face, and she said, Well, Brady, do you believe that that God can heal you? And I was like, Well, yes, ma'am. And she said, No, no, no. Do you believe, really believe, that God can heal you? And I was like, Well, yes, ma'am, I believe he can. And she said, Well, then he's gonna heal you. And just it was just just as simple as that. And she prayed over me that night, you know, we all had prayer, and I just went on about life, you know, for a little while. Um, we finally went back to the doctor. This was about a year later. Um, but you know, I just we kind of went on with life. We had to deal with it for a little while, but um, or for a long while, for a year, but I would just randomly pass out at the house, at school. Um, I mean, I could I remember there was times I was just talking to my mama and I just like fall over in her arms, just black out. It was it was it was something I don't wish on any kid. But um about a year later, we've we went back to Macon and went back to Dr. Ham. And he took his scans, he took his x-rays, and I remember being in the uh little office there, and I remember him coming through those double doors, those little swinging doors, and um he came out with papers in his hand and a half-puzzled look on his face, and um he came over there and he said, Well, every X-ray showed that he had the that Brady has the Bicuspede Orta valve, but the very last X-ray showed a regular heart valve, like nothing was wrong with it. He said, There's he said, I can't explain it. He said the only word there is for it is a miracle. And um after that, I mean I I never had any more problems whatsoever. No problems. I mean, there was not even there was no blacking out, no nothing, never had any problems after that. And I'm just glad the doctor, here I am today. Yeah, here and I'm glad that the doctor, a doctor, you know, he gave glory to God. You know, he's like it it this was a miracle. This was nothing else other than a miracle, you know. Like this this couldn't have been done by man, this had to be a God thing. And I oh my lord, I wish, I wish I had those x-rays with me. And um, I might need to go back up to make and see if I can find those. That would be amazing to have. But um, yes, I wish I had those x-rays to show people, but he said every x-ray showed the bicycus except for the very last one. It was a regular heart valve. And so praise God. I give him the glory. It was all him. He's still uh, you know, a miracle, miracle worker, and uh he can still heal and do all things for you, you know, and I I I just give him all the glory and all the praise. I wouldn't I probably I don't know where I'd be at today, but I know I probably wouldn't be the same man because I've told that testimony, and um boy, I'll tell it in church and it'll never get old. It'll never get old to me because I never could get tired of giving God the glory. That's right. So on from my testimony, let's hear yours.

SPEAKER_02 12:03

Okay, so um I also got saved when I was eight years old. And um one thing I did not do is play about the Lord when I was young. I took all of that very serious, and then I hit my teenage years about uh I would probably say, yeah, won't wrong. I would probably say 13. Um, I always knew. I always knew right from wrong, and I have been told since I was a little girl, since I was in my mama's belly, that I was something special and that there was something I was called to do. So I always knew in the back of my mind that I did have a calling. And um when I was thirteen, I really I mean, I was being a teenager. I was um definitely not talking like I should. If I heard myself now what I used to how I used to talk, oh man, I'd wanna put a bar soap in my mouth, honey, and throw it in the whole dishwasher or something. It was rough. That just I don't know. Anyways, um I it just continuously gotten worse, just me. Just not I'm not just talking about my mouth. But um I definitely was not doing things that I should have been doing. Um I was drinking like a fish. Should not have been doing that. I was just living before the world and I done it all when I look back on it, all because I was trying to be one of those. I was trying to be part of the world and I knew every single time I would pick up a drink, I knew I should not be doing that. And I'm thankful for that conviction. And let me tell you, I would live it up on a Saturday night. But there's one thing that I never missed, and that was never a church service. And I'm not saying that, you know, what I was doing is okay, and just me going to church is making up for that. I'm not saying that at all. But I still knew the whole time I was doing everything I was doing, I knew. And um I would be hungover as all get out. But honey, I would throw on a I would have to fake it till I made it, you know, walking in Sunday morning. And it was just like I don't know, it's hard to look back and think about that because I knew better. And when I would walk in those doors on Sunday, it was like conviction automatically set in because I knew better. And um that went on for till I was oh gosh. I was about to turn 19. It was January of 2022. So I was 18 years old. And um when I was 18 years old in January, I hit rock bottom and I um done things I wasn't supposed to. I was living for the world. I was partying every chance I got. I was just I'm I don't know, I was just not being godly at all. I was not doing anything godly and I can remember vividly um I had lost all of my friends because of something I had done and I take full responsibility for that. And I was riding around one night and I did not expect this to happen, but I was going in front of the elementary school in Pearson headed back towards my house and I had vapes, I had cigarettes, I had beers, all of the things in my car. And it was like I felt like my car did not literally stop, but it felt like I was just stopping in my tracks and it was like Emily, this is not who you are. And that is the first time I feel like I've ever heard God his voice literally clear as day say this is not who you are. And um it was in that moment. It was the middle of January of 2022. I now this is not good, but it was good for the moment. I chunked every bit of that stuff out of my car. Yes, on the side of the road. I was a little broke, but I chunked every bit of that out of my car.

SPEAKER_00 16:49

And um, I mean like the road than I did any review. That's right.

SPEAKER_02 16:54

I was rummaging through, honey, my center console, because honey, I knew I had stuff on stuff on stuff in there. And I grabbed it and I chunked it out the window. And from then on, I have never looked back. And uh something about that is if you knew me back then, you have no clue who I am now. And that is something with a testimony, especially when you go from the darkness to light, is um people are gonna continuously to see you as who you used to be.

SPEAKER_00 17:27

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:27

And people I know that's a big thing. Oh yeah. To this day, I know that they still see my name and they think, oh my gosh. What what what is she into now? Or oh my Lord, here's the fake Christian because that's what I used to be. I I used to be a fake Christian because what was I doing? I was living a double life. And as a Christian, you don't live a double life because that's not a Christian. And um, but that's that's just one thing that I wish that people could hear could see now is I know I don't have to prove myself to anyone, but just if you could see me now, just if I could have a conversation with you now, you do not know who I am anymore. And if I have ever wronged you, if I have ever done you wrong anything, I sincerely apologize. Please forgive me because I'm not who I used to be. And I'm just so thankful for that. No, I didn't go from strung out on the streets, but I was still heading to hell where I was at. And I'm so thankful that that's not that was not the end of my story. That was just the beginning. And if it would not have been for all of those things happening, I would not be where I am today. It is all because of my testimony, and I'm so thankful for it. Um you don't think people would say this, but I'm thankful for those hard times. I'm thankful for those times that I was living for the world because I just look back now and I'm just thinking, thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Jesus, from taking me to that. That's right. And um, that's just a a little small summary of my testimony, but I'm just so, so thankful, so very thankful that the Lord did see enough in me to save me once again. And I'm thankful for January 2022, and I know that's not long ago, but just the growth that I have uh experienced spiritually within these last few years has been phenomenal. And there's no better feeling than the anointing being poured on you. And if you've got the anointing on you, use it. Use it and use your testimony. There's a lady in our church. I mean, one thing, one thing she's gonna do is share her testimony, and it is so special to me because it doesn't matter how many times she shares that testimony, and Brady knows who I'm talking about. If you go to my church, you know who I'm talking about, and we love this lady, she's dear to us. I never get tired of hearing her testimony, and I hope she continuously shares that testimony because it's powerful. It is powerful, it touches people, and she might say it a hundred times, but she's gonna say it a hundred more. Yes, and and it's nothing for her. She is giving God every bit of that glory. That's right. And that is what we should be doing with our testimony. So um, if you have a testimony, which you do, you do have a testimony, share it. Do not be afraid to share it. It can be something.

SPEAKER_00 20:27

It might be your testimony, you know, that encourages somebody else.

SPEAKER_02 20:30

That's right, that's right. Uh, but it is not small to the Lord. Every single testimony matters, and I want to encourage you to share it. Don't be ashamed of it. And if you are one of those out there who um are still seeing people uh viewing them from their past, please just switch your focus a little bit because we hear so many times, not just talking about my my case, but so many times we hear about people they're not hearing the testimony, they're just seeing what you used to be. And you need to listen, you need to look because people do change, and the change can be good, it's not always bad. So I just want to encourage you to share your testimony, give somebody another chance. Oh, yeah, listen to someone's testimony, and you will be encouraged from it.

SPEAKER_00 21:22

Oh yeah, and your testimony, you know, what what your hard times that you go through, it's definitely not gonna be the end of you. It may just be the beginning.

SPEAKER_02 21:30

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 21:30

Like you, I mean, like I had to be. After 2022 came 2023, and then came me.

SPEAKER_02 21:36

That's right. I heard that, Mr. Poet. But it's just I don't know, it's just amazing. I just um every time I think about where the Lord has brought me from, it does, it makes me a little emotional because I'm just so forever grateful uh for the turnaround that uh he had in my life. And because yes, I was running for my calling. Boy was I running for my calling. But eventually you're gonna run right into it.

SPEAKER_00 22:04

And it was and I'll add this in there, and this is um a testimony for another time, but I don't know what it is about the age of 18 and 19, but boy, it's it was something about that age. Um I remember I was going through it as well, and I remember just just a very quick little summary, but at 19 I was I was down in jumps. I was in a very, very dark place, very very much in depression. Um just didn't want to be around nobody and did not want to be on on earth. And uh I do remember that one night I was riding down the road and I was just like yelling at the Lord, just Lord, I don't want to be here. Please take me now or I will help you. You know. And like you said, I was I was 19 uh when that happened, and um that's when I heard his voice. I mean, clear as day. And uh he said, I still got a while on earth. I'm gonna be here a while longer. And um after wasn't long after that.

SPEAKER_02 23:14

The most perfect blonde-haired, green-eyed girl come in his sight, and he said, That's the one I'm gonna marry. And look at us now. Look at us now. Thank you, Lord. I'm just I'm so grateful. One more thing I want to add in to um that night that I was a litter bug. Um, I I made it home, honey, and let me tell you, I was squalling my eyes out. I don't know if my mama remembers this, but I just remember going inside squalling, and she's like, baby, what's wrong? And I just I couldn't get anything out. Like, I don't know, it was crazy. And the only thing, of course, my mama comforted me, but the only thing that I was able to do that night is not just pray, but I got down on my knees on my bedside, and I prayed like there was no tomorrow. And that is where I gave my life back to the Lord is in my bedroom floor beside my bed, begging for the Lord to take me back. And I didn't have to beg. All I had to do was ask, and he was there, and I'm just I'm so thankful for that. So let me tell you, it doesn't matter where he changes your life or how he changes your life, just let him change your life.