When sharing testimonies, people often gravitate toward the dramatic—the moments when God seems to intervene in extraordinary ways. But over time, I have come to realize that the most powerful parts of my story are not the thrilling episodes, but the quiet, daily mercies of God. When my marriage was struggling, His grace sustained me. When finances were tight and my body weary, He provided. When my heart was low, He comforted me. When I sinned and fell, His gentle rebuke lifted me—not into shame, but onto firmer, holier, and more joyful grounds. He heard my cries and prayers, and He answered.

In this testimony, I want to share the moments that convinced me God is real—that He works for my good and for His glory. These experiences shattered the dams in my heart, allowing His grace to flood every corner of my life. I pray that through these stories, you will also see the reality of God and the depth of His love—a love so deep that He willingly bore pain and humiliation to bridge the distance between us.

The Hard Road Home

In 2020, the pandemic brought severe financial strain, and my parents informed me that I had to leave campus and return home. I had just finished my junior year and was desperately searching for a campus job so I could support myself, but no businesses were hiring during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. I had no choice but to buy a one-way ticket home.

But “home” had long ceased to be a safe place. Three years earlier, I had escaped an abusive environment by leaving for college and had finally tasted freedom. Though I was already a Christian at the time, nothing could prepare me for the uncertainty ahead: I did not know whether I could finish my last year of college, and I had no way to pay—or cancel—my campus housing lease. My father was healthy but refused to work. My mother, who did not speak English, worked grueling hours in a failing restaurant and slept in a rented garage. My younger sister was enduring the same emotional and physical abuse I had suffered as a child.

When I returned, I had no room of my own. I slept in a rusty shed, showered with a garden hose, and built a “bed” on bricks laid across the floor.

I believed God’s promises—that His love never leaves—but I felt no comfort. The darkness of my situation crushed my faith. I cried myself to sleep every night and repeatedly asked God, “Where are You? Do You really see me?” I felt abandoned by both God and my campus church. Hope was fading.

God Made a Way

But God did not leave me in that valley for long. I eventually moved into a slightly better room and found a job at a bubble tea shop. Only later did I learn that my manager was a Christian, the very person who had been willing to hire me when no one else would. Even my apartment lease crisis was resolved unexpectedly and generously.

Yet another wave of pressure soon followed: my student loans were nowhere near enough to cover my tuition. Anxiety returned—yet God provided again. I received a scholarship I never expected, allowing me to continue my studies.

Six months later, everything collapsed overnight. Without my knowledge or consent, someone attempted to involve the police on my behalf, which made things at home much worse. My father assumed I had secretly reported him. Fear gripped me again—I could no longer go to work and was forced to stay under his constant watch.

When I tearfully confided in my manager, she did not rebuke me. Instead, she helped me plan an escape. Returning to school became my only way out, though it meant keeping everything secret from my mother, who would have stopped me. The hardest part was leaving my little sister.

On December 21, 2020, I stayed up all night. I tried to write a letter explaining everything to my father, but terror made my hands shake uncontrollably. I opened my Bible and read about Jesus in Gethsemane—deeply distressed, sweating drops like blood. As I meditated on His anguish and obedience, my trembling slowly subsided, replaced by a peace I had never known.

At 4 a.m., my manager parked quietly outside my house. Carrying my packed bags, I slipped out unnoticed—not even my light-sleeping father stirred. Before I left, this kind Christian woman pressed $200 into my hand out of love and compassion. A friend bought me a one-way plane ticket. Only when I landed in Chicago and was received by church friends did the weight finally lift from my heart.

Some may ask: Where was God in all this?
 He was everywhere.

God’s Hand Along the Way

I began to see His fingerprints all around me. Friends from my college fellowship, knowing I was often hungry, anonymously sent food to hidden locations so my father wouldn’t discover it. For my safety, they prepared detailed escape plans and were ready to come at any moment. On my 21st birthday, a sister and her husband drove for hours to spend the day with me, bringing letters from many friends who cared for me. A family friend generously paid my eviction fees without asking for anything in return. God used my bubble tea manager to give me work and, ultimately, to rescue me. Friends welcomed my mother and sister into their home, showing us that in Indiana we would always have a place to belong.

I realized something profound: God’s love often arrives through people who are willing to obey Him.

Set Free From the Chains of Sin

God’s salvation in my life did not stop at changing my circumstances—He wanted to transform my heart. He wanted to heal a soul long bound by sin.

Since childhood, I had wrestled with sin. Even after becoming a Christian, I struggled with lust, jealousy, bitterness, and other sins that controlled me. Shame overwhelmed me. I believed that if God saw the real me, He would stop loving me.

But He never let go. Again and again, He gave me ways to resist temptation. Again and again, He lifted me when I fell. As I learned to fight spiritual battles with His Word and rely on Him rather than myself, a breakthrough finally came.

The more I knew God, the more I desired Him. The closer I drew near, the less I wanted to return to sin. This victory did not come from willpower—it was the work of the Holy Spirit in me. This is the greatest miracle of all: sins that had bound me for nearly twenty years are being removed, piece by piece, by God’s mighty hand.

Every miracle in Scripture points to this truth: God not only heals and breaks external chains—He forgives sin and sets people free. I see Him working the same way in my life. My deliverance—from abuse and from sin—flows from the same power revealed throughout the Bible. Because Christ conquered death, I am no longer a slave to sin.

His love surpasses everything I imagined. What held Him to the cross was not nails, but mercy. With arms open wide, He bore shame, suffering, and utter loneliness to embrace sinners like me and offer a salvation I could never earn.

Today, I can say with clarity: He is real. His love never ends. His grace exceeds all I could ask or imagine.

Dear friend, if you carry the weight of sin, let Jesus carry it for you—He already has. He offers you freedom, hope, and a banquet that lasts for eternity. His arms are open, waiting to welcome you home.

My story testifies to this: God makes the impossible possible—not only to change circumstances, but to set a soul free. He is a good and loving Father who rejoices to welcome every prodigal who returns.

To Him be all the glory.