34 responses to “Testimonies from You”

1. 

   melissahasthoughts

   June 5, 2025

   The year was 2020 (you can probably tell where this is going).

   My husband and I had been working together in a successful consulting business we owned and operated for the 2 years prior, and it was going relatively well. We had taken on some business debt over the summer before, so things were a little lean, but our plan was to pay that off as the organization continued to grow. However, our work was in the performing arts, as our company offered career coaching for graduate-level and professional classical musicians looking to bridge the gap between their conservatory studies and earning a living as performing artists.

   Seemingly overnight, the world shut down as a virus pervaded the atmosphere, threatening lives. The performing arts were one of the major sectors affected by this, as our entire client base of classical musicians struggled to figure out how they would feed themselves and pay their rent in the cities across the US where they lived (our clients were in 38 states). Some moved back to their parents’ guest rooms to wait things out, and asked us for refunds, because whatever else they were doing, there was no possibility for them to utilize our coaching services at any point on the horizon. For the first time in a long time, Stephen and I found ourselves in financial need along with many others in the arts, hospitality services, tourism, and other industries that relied on gatherings of people.

   After years of attending and serving at a huge church, we recognized that the Lord wanted to move us to a smaller congregation where we would be known and be able to know others intimately. The first time we visited this little rustic church 10 minutes from our home, there was talk from the pulpit about being a family – this was not a charitable organization, but the body of Christ. I had been learning about the centrality of the local church in following the ways of Jesus, and the need to “share need” with others in small community resonated with me. We plugged into this local body in the fall of 2020. In addition, the sweet, local women’s ministry I had been involved with for many years rallied around me to fill practical needs for us, taking up collections and showing up at my doorstep on various occasions, treating me to lunch, etc.

   Our church family was instrumental (no pun intended!) in helping us navigate our way through this difficult time, encourage us, and pivot back into other, former fields of work in which to use our gifts and abilities. We are so grateful that the Lord allowed us to experience this time, especially to teach us to accept the provision of God through others and hopefully be a blessing to them in return. There is nothing in the world like the body of Christ seeing, knowing, and loving one another.

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