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Renee Swope

Encouraging and equipping moms to parent with God's grace and confidence.

What Would Be My Cardboard Testimony?

This morning I woke up early and had some quiet time to read and pray before the boys get up, the house gets noisy and life starts around me. I was just sitting here on my sofa praying a simple prayer – Lord speak to my heart through Your Spirit in me leading me to what You want me to focus on today- not just while I read my Bible but all throughout my day.

A close friend is struggling through a very hard time with her teenage daughter. I have been that daughter. I have broken my mom’s heart and her trust. Although our stories aren’t exactly the same, her story has brought me back to mine. Today I sense Jesus wants me to think back, to remember where I was when I was searching – before I knew Him. To completely rewind my thoughts and my memories 19 years back. To remember that aching, lonely, empty feeling of being lost and to think through the details of how He rescued my heart.

He used this powerful video clip Micca had on her blog last week. It draws me back. It leaves me speechless and so aware of where I was and who I’d be without Christ’s rescuing, redeeming love and His transforming power in my life.

Please take 8 minutes to watch it and ponder the amazing grace of our rescuing God who called us out of darkness in to His Light so we can tell the world about the Love that found us! But also so we can remind ourselves again and again of the hope we’ve found in Him. This is not a drama. There are real-life story clips.

My cardboard would read: Lost, empty, confused, suicidal young woman with no hope or direction.

My other side would read: Found by God, and filled with His endless hope, unfailing love and unconditional acceptance.

After you watch the clip, I’d love to know – what would be your cardboard testimony?

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Comments

  1. I remember the tears streaming watching one amazing story after the next. Thanks so much for chance to re-visit this again. I remember asking myself, “What would mine say?”

    performance based perfectionist, people pleaser, professional mask wearer

    free, God-pleaser, professional weakness sharer

  2. careless, shamed, confused, lost and abused but for His REDEEMING grace…

    Now Recovering Pharisee…by His RENEWING grace
    Psalm 40:

    I WAITED patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.
    2He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings.

    3And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord.

  3. Wow! I, too, am crying tears of thankfulness and freedom. My cardboard would say (on most days):

    Always striving to be “good enough on my own”….Now resting peacefully in HIS perfect love.

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  4. Wow! Are there words, not sure but i’ll try –

    Front – A depressed and insecure, people pleasing young woman looking for a purpose in life.

    Back – Daughter of the King – seeking to know Him, living to please Him and longing to see Him.

  5. I love that video! And your testimony.

    My cardboard testimony would say:

    Brokenhearted & Depressed & Very Selfish

    on the flip side

    My Heart Now Beats for Him

  6. I’m not sure there would be enough cardboard on the front either but one word would sum it all up – LOST…still trying to reach the point where I could honestly have a second side. I know all those things to be true, but at times I am still so weighed down by the aftermath of the front side that they seem just out of reach.

  9. Just a couple of weeks after She Speaks, I spoke at church. I used the story of the blind man healed by Jesus who said, This I know, I was blind, but now I see.” I showed the you tube clip. The title of the message was “The Power of Your Testimony”

    I did not share my testimony that night. But my cardboard testimony would be: mosested, looking for love, dying … healed, loved by the King, living for Him

    Deanna

  10. Renee,

    I loved watching this on Micca’s blog…it is SO VERY POWERFUL!

    My cardboard sign would be:

    Lonely, abused, lost

    then…

    Found, loved and accepted by Jesus

    Prayers and blessings,
    Rebecca

  12. Renee,
    I couldn’t stop crying…God is the healer to our souls!

    My cardboard would say:

    Life was about ME,destorying the lives around me…
    But now life is about Christ!

    In His Grace,
    Tammy

  13. Oh My! I am still shaking…That was so powerful! Thanks so much for sharing it with us!

    My front would read:
    Crippled, sick, expected to die, accused of being mentally slow, and phsically ugly!

    My back:
    A 46 year old Special Ed teacher with a Masters of Divinty degree, Women’s conference speaker/writer who wears Hot Pink Shoes!

    Pamela R.

  14. The front side would say..”broken and in the pit of sin, dispair and rejection”….the second side would say “redeemed, forgiven, living in grace, SECURE in Him (my verse from She Speaks).

    In His Graces~Pamela

  15. Hey Renee,

    I blogged about this a few weeks ago. I called it Signs, Signs What’s on your cardboard? This You Yube clip is so powerful. My Sunday School class decided to write our cardboard story. Everyone had something to say about Him. If we know Jesus, we all have a before and after look we can show on paper!

    The other wow God thing for me is that after I posted this, I received an invitation to speak at a charity fundraiser for the homeless. God had been showing me their cardboard signs before the You Tube video. He is showing me my neighbor. He gave me the idea to open my talk with a piece of cardboard and His story written on it.

    Jesus is always showing us signs of His Presence, sometimes even through a recycled piece of cardboard.
    B His Girl

  16. My cardboard testimony would be:

    Rejected by an alcoholic mother – –
    Accepted by a Heavenly Father.

    Praise God!
    I love that cardboard testimony clip. I’ve seen it several times and I never cease to tear up. Just too emotional for me!

  17. How on earth am I supposed to type with these tears pouring out? What a powerful video!

    My cardboard would say:

    Abused, rejected, emotionally wounded, insecure, angry…BUT NOW: Healed, accepted, secure in Christ and filled with His love and peace.

    Praise God.
    Praise God.
    Praise God.

    Amen.

  18. This video brought me to tears. We see God’s healing in body and spirit often but to put so many into an 8 minute time frame- it is just so overwhelming!!

    Mine would say – Worthless, unloved, emotionally orphaned….Child of the KING!!!

    What an amazing God we serve!

  19. Renee, I can barely breathe, I’m crying…

    My cardboard would read: Faking it, insecure, afraid, lost, chained, performance, broken…to…Authentic, secure, righteous confidence, found, FREE, real and restored…all because of Him! Oh thank You Jesus!

    Praising Him,
    Joy

  20. Wow…I have to share that with my pastor. He preached on Sunday about the importance of “remembering the lostness of your lostness” so that we will weep for the lost and pray and witness fervently.

    My cardboard would say:

    Afraid of being unloved……Loved with an everlasting love.

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